Sacrifice the Shrek Seven Devils! And a choice of one of five pieces of light equipment? This is huge.
Huo Feng's mind raced. If this was his new main quest, then joining Spirit Hall was out of the question. While it might offer some chances to interact with the Shrek Seven Devils, it would make sacrificing them nearly impossible. After all, the first rule of sacrificing a living person was making physical contact.
He knew from the original story that the Shrek Seven Devils were an inseparable group. More importantly, their relationship with Spirit Hall was one of deep-seated hatred. It would be far more effective to get close to them on his own terms, breaking into their group from the inside and picking them off one by one.
According to the plot, the first of the seven that Tang San would meet was Xiao Wu, at Nuoding Academy.
Such a pure, lovely girl, Huo Feng thought with a cunning glint in his eyes. She can't be allowed to fall into the hands of a hypocrite like Tang San. I must save her from that terrible fate and uphold justice!
Having made up his mind, he looked up, his young face a mask of innocence and confusion. Without any grand gestures, he simply gave a slight shake of his head, as if he didn't understand the offer, before lowering his gaze to the ground again.
The other children, who were still lingering nearby, looked on in confusion. They couldn't believe that Huo Feng had just rejected an offer from a Spirit Master from the prestigious Spirit Hall. Whispers broke out among them. Although they didn't know much, they knew from the adults that Spirit Hall was a powerful and mysterious organization. Joining it meant a future of good food, nice clothes, and respect.
And this stupid boy, Huo Feng, had just thrown that opportunity away.
"No wonder he's an orphan," a quiet voice sneered from the crowd.
Old Jack spun around and smacked the child lightly with his crutch. "That's enough out of you! Go home!"
He then turned back to Su Yuntao, a forced, apologetic smile on his weathered face. "Lord Spirit Master, I'm so sorry. The boy has been withdrawn ever since his grandfather passed away. If he doesn't want to go, please don't hold it against him."
Su Yuntao was unbothered. He simply shook his head. While the child's talent was good, Spirit Hall was filled with geniuses. They never begged anyone to join, especially not a six-year-old child. By refusing, the boy had only lost his own opportunity.
"What a waste of innate full spirit power," Su Yuntao muttered under his breath before turning and walking away without a second glance.
Old Jack watched until Su Yuntao's figure disappeared down the road. Then, he squatted down to be at eye level with the two boys.
"Tell me," he said kindly, looking at Tang San and Huo Feng. "Do you two still want to become Spirit Masters? Would you like to go to a proper academy to learn how to cultivate?"
A spark of intense interest lit up Tang San's eyes. Huo Feng also looked up, his expression much more relaxed now that Su Yuntao was gone.
Old Jack wasn't disappointed by Huo Feng's earlier decision. He understood that it was a lot for a young, grieving child to take in. Besides, he had another idea. The village had one funded spot for a work-study student at Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy every year. It wasn't far from the village and would be perfect for Huo Feng. As for Tang San, he was confident he could visit the chief of the next village and secure another spot. If his village was about to produce two Spirit Masters, the other chiefs would be falling over themselves to help.
"Grandpa Jack, I have to ask my dad first," Tang San replied respectfully.
"Grandpa Jack, if Tang San goes, I'll go too," Huo Feng said. His voice was quiet, but his words were clear.
Hearing this, Old Jack's resolve hardened. It would be good for the two boys to have each other for company. An image of Tang Hao, Tang San's blacksmith father, flashed in his mind, and a look of disgust crossed his face. But for the sake of the children's future, he would swallow his pride and go talk to the man.
"Alright, let's go."
Old Jack walked Huo Feng home first before taking Tang San back to the blacksmith shop.
Once he was home, Huo Feng securely closed the door and windows. He focused his thoughts, and his Spirit materialized in his hand. It was just as plain as it had been at the ceremony—a simple, ordinary iron sword.
"This is supposed to be the Dugu Nine Swords?" he muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching. Was the system trying to scam him?
"System, are you treating me like a kid?" He paused, realizing he was a kid. "Never mind that. You're telling me this is the Dugu Nine Swords? Where's the 'Dugu'? Where are the 'Nine'? All I see is the 'Sword'!"
[Ding! The host's Spirit is the Dugu Nine Swords!] The pleasant, mechanical voice replied in his mind. [For every ten levels the host gains, the Spirit will evolve. Combined with Spirit Rings, it can unlock nine distinct forms. Hence, it is named the Dugu Nine Swords.]
I see.
The next moment, a translucent screen that only he could see appeared before him. It had three simple tabs: [Host Information], [Spirit], and [Sacrifice Points].
Huo Feng opened the host information panel.
[Host Name: Huo Feng] [Host Spirit: Dugu Nine Swords] [Host Spirit Power: Level 10 (Spirit Scholar)] [Host Spirit Abilities: None] [Host Spirit Bones: None] [Host's Wife: None]
Huo Feng read through the list, nodding, until he reached the last line. He couldn't help but feel exasperated. I'm only six years old! System, isn't it a bit early to be making that kind of judgment?
As if sensing his thoughts, the text in the last line flickered and changed to [Spouse: None]. That was slightly better.
Next, he opened the [Spirit] tab. The screen changed to show an image of his plain iron sword.
[Spirit: Dugu Nine Swords] [Current Level: 1] [Current Form: None]
Huo Feng nodded. This confirmed it. He needed to acquire his first Spirit Ring to unlock the first form of his Spirit. There was no need to rush. Besides, it's not like he could go out and hunt a Spirit Beast by himself anyway.
Finally, he clicked on the [Sacrifice Points] tab. The screen changed again, revealing an interface that looked like an online store. The items displayed glowed with a golden light that was almost blinding.
But the prices were even more staggering.
[Bright Dragon Fang (with Spirit Bone): 9999 Sacrifice Points!] [Shining Storm Greatsword (Spirit Tool): 9999 Sacrifice Points!]
Huo Feng was speechless. How was he ever supposed to afford these things? He glanced at the top right corner of the screen, which clearly displayed his balance: [Sacrifice Points: 101].
That wasn't even close. He scrolled down and saw some cheaper items, but even those cost hundreds or thousands of points. He clicked on his balance for a detailed breakdown.
[Sacrifice Teapot: +1 Sacrifice Point.] [Sacrifice Tang San: +100 Sacrifice Points.]
A gleam flashed in Huo Feng's eyes. A slow, thoughtful smile spread across his face.
So, Tang San is that valuable, huh? he thought to himself. Such a precious resource can't be wasted. I'll have to make sure to sacrifice him again whenever I get the chance.