Chapter Three: This Path, I Have Chosen!
At the outskirts of the sect’s mountain gate, a colossal waterfall thundered down, echoing through the valley. Beside the pond, a small wooden cabin stood silently, its interior sparse—a single wooden bed, the very definition of bare walls.
Wang Ran sat cross-legged, gazing at the spoils he had acquired from the man in black. “Well, well, who would have thought? This assassin is loaded, I managed to find twenty spirit jades on him.”
Spirit jade, perhaps in great clans, existed in the thousands, but for an ordinary cultivator like Wang Ran, it was exceedingly precious. Even though the sect was of high standing, the annual stipend for each outer disciple amounted to only fifteen spirit jades. Those in menial roles, even if they were Qi Condensation cultivators, received a mere five.
Yet this black-clad assassin carried twenty spirit jades. Clearly, he was no stranger to murder and robbery. Wang Ran wondered who had sent him. He had been so focused on extorting his loot that he forgot to investigate further, and by the time the thought struck him, the man was long gone.
Still, Wang Ran wasn’t without clues. The assassin seemed intimately familiar with the sect—likely an insider. He also remembered a small red chicken tattoo on the man’s arm. Who would choose a chicken for a tattoo in these times? Odd, indeed! But with this clue, Wang Ran was unconcerned; he would keep an eye out for anyone in the sect with such a tattoo, and sooner or later, he’d uncover the culprit and the mastermind behind him.
Wang Ran was not one to repay evil with virtue. For someone who sought his death, he wished he could dash out and crush him this instant. Yet matters like this required careful planning; the sect was a proper and strict place. Vengeance must be taken in secret.
Humming a tune, Wang Ran inspected his spoils, then opened his system interface.
Host: Wang Ran
Level: Qi Condensation, Perfected
Dao Arts: None
Dao Value: 5 points
...
After reviewing his attributes, Wang Ran opened the system shop. A dazzling array of goods filled the screen.
Heaven-Splitting Axe: Owned by Pangu, capable of splitting heaven and earth, shattering the void, ranked first among the Ten Ancient Divine Artifacts!
Price: One million Dao Value!
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Slaughter Immortal Sword: The most fearsome weapon of Heaven!
Together with the Execution Sword, Entrapment Sword, and Severance Sword, it forms the Four Slaughter Immortal Swords. When combined with the Slaughter Immortal Formation Diagram, it creates the greatest killing array of Heaven—the Slaughter Immortal Sword Array!
Price: Nine hundred ninety-nine thousand Dao Value!
Sun-Chasing Boots: Said to be owned by Kua Fu. With these boots, one can traverse a thousand miles by day, eight hundred by night, as if growing wings. One of the Ten Ancient Divine Artifacts.
Price: Three hundred thousand Dao Value!
Wang Ran’s eyes widened in astonishment. All these items were ancient divine artifacts! Incredible! The Slaughter Immortal Sword, Heaven-Splitting Axe, Sun-Chasing Boots… all treasures! But the prices were outrageous!
Rubbing his hands, Wang Ran continued browsing. Besides these costly artifacts, there were some relatively cheaper items.
Dragon Fang Blade: One of three ancient evil blades, famed alongside Tiger Wing and Dog God.
Price: Fifty thousand Dao Value!
Chixiao Sword: One of the top ten famous swords, the imperial sword.
Price: Ten thousand Dao Value!
Infinity Edge: One of the supreme artifacts of Valoran, doubles critical strike damage and chance!
Price: Twenty thousand Dao Value! (Promotional Price: Ninety-eight)
Bloodthirster: Another supreme artifact of Valoran, greatly increases attack power and life steal!
Price: Twenty thousand Dao Value! (Promotional Price: Ninety-eight)
Sunfire Cape: The most stylish and eye-catching cloak in Valoran, bar none!
Price: Ten thousand Dao Value! (Promotional Price: Forty-four)
When Wang Ran saw those familiar items, he nearly jumped for joy! This system was remarkable—it even included equipment from League of Legends! As a transmigrator, Wang Ran knew exactly how powerful these items were, and seeing their affordable prices made him all the happier. They were surely the perfect tools for early-game headhunting!
Hmm? What’s with these promotional prices? Curious, Wang Ran asked the system.
“Ding! The Ten-Star Dao System is specially designed for transmigrators. In the spirit of aiding your Dao journey, a week-long discount event has been opened for you!”
“Because the system detected that you were the strongest King-ranked player in League of Legends in your previous life, these types of equipment have been made available to you!”
Hearing the electronic voice in his mind, Wang Ran gave a thumbs-up.
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“System, I have to give you a big thumbs-up—this logic is impeccable!” With the Bloodthirster and Infinity Edge combined, who could withstand him? Who, indeed? He could imagine himself in the future: left hand Infinity Edge, right hand Bloodthirster, Sunfire Cape draped over his shoulders—absolute swagger! Wherever he went, he’d be the most eye-catching, the most dazzling one!
Rubbing his palms in anticipation, Wang Ran glanced at his personal stats, but when he noticed he had only five Dao Value points, his smile froze.
“System, how do I gain Dao Value?”
Five points was far too little. At this rate, it would take forever to reach a million Dao Value to buy the Heaven-Splitting Axe or Slaughter Immortal Sword.
The system quickly replied: “When the host causes great psychological impact to the natives of this world, massive Dao Value will be gained.”
“In addition, any shameless acts that trigger the Shameless Mode will also reward Dao Value.”
Wang Ran was stunned.
Cause great psychological impact to the natives of this world? Was the system telling him to show off? That wasn’t right! He was a model student, never one to boast! In fact, fighting show-offs had always been his motivation!
He cleared his throat and asked, “System, is there a more proper way for me to quickly gain Dao Value?”
“Ding! According to current analysis, to quickly gain Dao Value, you may choose to strip naked and run a lap around the sect. This will certainly cause immense psychological shock to all disciples, netting you between one hundred and one hundred twenty Dao Value!”
“Note: This action carries a thirty percent chance of expulsion from the sect, and a sixty percent chance of being beaten to death in public!”
Hearing the system’s suggestion, Wang Ran nearly toppled over!
Streaking? Streaking, my foot! What kind of nonsense is that? Are you kidding me?
Annoyed, Wang Ran said, “Give me a more decent method.”
“Ding! According to your current situation, the Ten-Star Dao System recommends that you first accumulate ten Dao Value points to use the Dao Arts lottery function and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage!”
Hearing this, Wang Ran suddenly realized the truth. Indeed, the priority now was to focus on breaking through his realm. And if he did so in a crowded place, he could attract attention and harvest more Dao Value!
His eyes lit up. For his future status in the sect, and for the Infinity Edge, Bloodthirster, and all those luxurious items—this path, he would walk it!