As Huo Feng's sword pressed down, a numbing sensation shot through Wang Sheng's arms, making them tremble uncontrollably. He could feel his own spirit power being completely overwhelmed, suppressed by a force he couldn't comprehend. The last thirty percent of his energy was draining away at an alarming rate.
Wang Sheng's face was contorted in a pained grimace. The boys in Dormitory 7, who had been cheering for him just moments ago, had all fallen silent. They could see that their boss was in trouble. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"You..." Wang Sheng gasped, staring at the smaller boy in front of him. Huo Feng stood as steady as a rock, looking perfectly relaxed. In contrast, Wang Sheng's own burly body was shaking, pushed to its absolute limit. He knew he was about to lose, and a defeat like this could leave him seriously injured. But his pride, the pride of being the boss, made it impossible for him to surrender. Even if I get hurt, I won't give in.
Just as he was preparing for the inevitable, Huo Feng's right hand suddenly lifted. The iron sword vanished. The abrupt release of pressure sent Wang Sheng staggering backward, and he collapsed onto the floor. He sat there, gasping for breath, his arms aching. The fall was jarring, but it was infinitely better than a real injury.
"Can we come in now?" Huo Feng asked, his voice calm and even.
Wang Sheng scrambled out of the way, and his followers quickly parted, creating a clear path.
At the back of the room, Tang San slowly pushed himself to his feet. Without a word, he walked past them, found an empty bed, and lay down, turning his back to everyone. He felt awful. Not only had he failed to make a strong impression, but he felt a dull ache inside, like he'd suffered an internal injury. Worst of all, Huo Feng, the person he had dismissed as weaker, had just defeated Wang Sheng with ease.
Huo Feng, of course, didn't bother him. He now understood the system better. The cooldown for sacrificing a living person was exactly ninety days—three months. Tang San had just recovered from the first sacrifice when he was hit with the second. It was no wonder he felt so weak and depressed.
Huo Feng chose a bed for himself, one that was near Tang San's but not directly next to it. He had no desire to sleep beside that guy.
"You went easy on me just now, didn't you?"
Wang Sheng had gotten to his feet and was now walking toward Huo Feng, who was unpacking his small bag. His voice was much softer than before, and his eyes held a complex mix of awe and respect. He had been thoroughly beaten.
Huo Feng just smiled and waved his hand nonchalantly. "We're classmates, not enemies. There's no reason to hurt each other."
Wang Sheng looked embarrassed. He scratched his head, then, in front of everyone in the dorm, he bowed deeply to Huo Feng. "I'm really sorry about what happened before."
"It's alright, it's alright. I know you didn't mean any harm," Huo Feng said, cutting him off before he could launch into a long apology. "It's normal for classmates to spar and learn from each other."
"Your name is Huo Feng, right?" Wang Sheng asked, his tone suddenly shifting.
"Yeah. What's up?"
"Well," Wang Sheng declared, his voice ringing with conviction, "since you defeated me, you, Huo Feng, are the new boss of Dormitory 7! All of us, including me, are your brothers from now on!"
Not a single person in the room objected. To them, this seemed perfectly natural.
"It's the rule of Dormitory 7," Wang Sheng explained. "Whoever is the strongest is the boss."
Huo Feng pretended to be surprised, waving his hands and saying he wasn't interested. But Wang Sheng wouldn't have it. He and the other boys crowded around Huo Feng, pleading with him until he "reluctantly" agreed.
"Boss, from now on, we're all counting on you to protect us!" Wang Sheng said, his voice filled with genuine excitement now that Huo Feng had accepted. As work-study students, their status in the academy was low, and they were often bullied. With a leader as strong as Huo Feng, that might finally change.
"Don't worry," Huo Feng replied, his expression serious. "I won't let anyone bully my people."
"The boss is awesome!" "Boss Huo, just give us the word, and we'll do it!" "Boss, if you need to know anything about the academy, just ask us!"
The dorm erupted in cheerful chatter. Huo Feng was only six, and every other boy in the room was at least a year or two older, but that didn't matter. In their world, strength made you the leader.
Lying on his bed with his back to the room, Tang San opened his eyes. A strange feeling washed over him—a sense of loss, as if this moment, this title, should have belonged to him. It was a depressing thought. He told himself he was here to study and shouldn't care about such childish things. Shaking his head, he pushed the feeling away. He was the Grandmaster's disciple. It was only a matter of time before he surpassed Huo Feng. He silently blamed the gap between them on his "useless" first Spirit, clinging to the secret of his second one.
Just then, a clear, sweet voice came from the doorway. "Excuse me, is this Dormitory 7?"
Tang San's eyes, which he had just closed, snapped open again. It was a little girl's voice. He was too proud to sit up and look, so he simply lay there, trying to block out the noise by focusing on his Xuantian Technique.
Everyone else turned to the door. Standing there was an incredibly cute little girl, about six years old. She had a rosy face, large, expressive eyes, and long black hair tied in a scorpion braid that hung all the way down to her thighs. Her clothes were simple, but they couldn't hide her natural beauty.
Huo Feng looked her over carefully. From the description, this had to be Xiao Wu.
"Boss, it's your turn!" Wang Sheng suddenly whispered from behind him.
"My turn?" Huo Feng asked, momentarily forgetting the plot. "For what?"
"To intimidate her, of course!" Wang Sheng said with righteous conviction. "It's the rule of our Dormitory 7."
"Oh, right. Of course, I know that," Huo Feng said, quickly recovering. He looked at the charming Xiao Wu. Most people wouldn't have the heart to be mean to a girl that cute.
But Huo Feng wasn't most people. Having lived two lives, he had learned one very important lesson: being the "nice guy" never worked. Women weren't truly interested in the man who was kindest to them; they were interested in the one who was the most powerful.
With that thought in mind, Huo Feng stepped forward.
Xiao Wu blinked her big, watery eyes and gave him a sweet smile. "Hello, classmate! My name is Xiao Wu. The 'Xiao' from 'dance'," she said politely. "My Spirit is a rabbit. What's your name?"
Huo Feng felt the corner of his mouth lift into a smirk. "Hello. My name is Huo Feng, and my Spirit is an Iron Sword." He paused for a moment, then cleared his throat and raised his voice, declaring loudly for the whole room to hear, "And I'm the one in charge here."
He let the last two words hang in the air. "The boss."