Chapter 28: Wang Ran Leaves the Sect

The items here were, of course, the equipment Wang Ran had exchanged from the store. The golden longsword was the Endless Radiant Blade, a divine artifact of the Luminous Clan, which Wang Ran usually nurtured within his spiritual sea. The flaming shoulder armor was the Illusory Flame Skyburn Armor.

Over a month ago, after attending the Epiphany Ceremony, Wang Ran had already exchanged for these pieces of equipment, as the system’s discount event lasted only a week. He spent nearly two hundred Dao Attainment Points in total, which, compared to the original price, was extremely worthwhile.

Moreover, after inspecting them, Wang Ran found these two treasures truly worthy of being called the divine techniques of a great clan—their power was nothing short of terrifying.

Take the Endless Radiant Blade, for instance. It was forged by the Luminous Clan using their innate divine powers. Legend had it that every member of the Luminous Clan possessed one. There was even a saying: as long as the sword lived, so did its owner; if the sword perished, so would its master. Outsiders could not purchase it at all—it was a unique symbol of the Luminous Clan.

What made this sword most remarkable was that, if nurtured within the spiritual sea, it could double the wielder’s strength. For example, if Wang Ran originally possessed the strength of one ox, with this sword, a single punch would now carry the force of two oxen. The sword could also be summoned from the spiritual sea for use as a weapon, its might unfathomable.

The other item, the Illusory Flame Skyburn Armor, though defensive gear, was every bit as formidable as the Endless Radiant Blade—if not more so. Its true terror lay in the fact that, once worn, it constantly emanated an otherworldly fire in all directions. It required no spiritual energy to activate; any enemy who ventured too close would be burned to death by the flames. This fire could not be extinguished by wind, nor quenched by water; it was eternal and everlasting.

For a mortal to acquire even one of these treasures would be a fortune beyond compare.

The Endless Radiant Blade merely needed to be nurtured in the spiritual sea, ready to be summoned at will, so Wang Ran rarely used it. As for the Illusory Flame Skyburn Armor… it wasn’t that Wang Ran was unwilling to wear it in the sect, but rather that he found it simply too ostentatious!

It was, after all, made entirely of burning flames.

Once donned, it was not so much clothing as it was a transformation into a being of fire—a veritable man of flames!

Flames covered the shoulder guards, the sleeves, the chest plate, and even the billowing cloak was composed entirely of fire. Wearing it was akin to the descent of a fire god; the surrounding temperature soared, and the very air shimmered with heat.

Thus, Wang Ran kept it stowed away in his pack, not daring to use it lightly.

At this moment, Wang Ran reined in his thoughts and turned his gaze to the auction taking place before him.

As he stroked his chin, he recalled from novels he’d read in his previous life that protagonists attending such auctions usually concealed their identities—like that one fellow named Xiao Yan, always clad in a black cloak…

Wang Ran mused that perhaps this was the proper way for a protagonist to act. Should he, too, hide his identity?

With this thought, his eyes flashed with a strange light. It seemed that the Concealing Cloak he’d received as a bonus from opening a treasure chest would finally come in handy.

With a single thought, a flash of light appeared in the void, and a black cloak materialized.

It was Wang Ran’s first time holding the cloak. The fabric felt quite ordinary, inferior even to his own inner-sect disciple robe.

Full of anticipation, he draped it over his shoulders, only to see the cloak gleam with golden light and seemingly merge into his body, vanishing from sight.

“What does this mean?” Wang Ran was momentarily stunned. Then, a system prompt appeared before his eyes.

It indicated that the Concealing Cloak was active, granting the powers to alter one’s clothing, change one’s appearance, and mask one’s aura.

Wang Ran was astonished—he hadn’t expected such a high-end function. He’d assumed it was simply a black robe to wear, but now it was clear he’d underestimated it. This cloak could freely alter its appearance to any form of clothing, and even bestowed the ability to change one’s face.

Playfulness swelling in his heart, Wang Ran willed himself into the guise of a middle-aged man, with an air of deep world-weariness. His long hair was tied back, fluttering in the wind; he wore a simple robe, with a longsword and a wine gourd at his waist—a figure of an unrivaled master.

He also masked his cultivation to the second level of Foundation Establishment; unless a Nascent Soul cultivator inspected him, no one could detect his true strength.

Standing by a nearby brook, Wang Ran examined his reflection from every angle. Seeing no flaws, he finally relaxed.

“Perfect.”

Such a handsome bearing, such a rugged aura—if he attended the auction like this, he’d surely be the most striking presence! Not only would his identity remain secure, but he might even earn some Dao Attainment Points.

Thinking of this, Wang Ran couldn’t help but chuckle. He glanced at his personal attributes. After the recent accumulation, he still had thirty-one Dao Attainment Points left.

Stroking his chin, he considered that he hadn’t tried his luck in the lottery for several days. Why not give it a go?

Opening the Dao Technique Draw interface, he waved his hand, instantly spending ten points.

The pointer spun swiftly, circling again and again, then gradually slowed—until with a flash of golden light, it stopped.

“Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the six-star Dao Technique ‘Army-Sundering Strike’!”

“Army-Sundering Strike: Originating from another plane, this technique was practiced by military cultivators. Once mastered, it allows one to strike across mountains and shatter bulls, ignoring all armor and defenses, and to instantly execute enemy generals amid armies numbering in the thousands.”

Hearing the prompt in his mind, Wang Ran’s expression changed.

A six-star Dao Technique this powerful?

He knew the most terrifying aspect of this skill was its ability to disregard an enemy’s armor and spiritual artifacts, and its built-in flash ability made it nearly impossible to guard against.

With this, Wang Ran’s confidence in this journey outside the sect increased tenfold.

With a thought, he deactivated the Concealing Cloak, his appearance and clothing reverting to normal. He returned to his room to study the new technique.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

Three days later, Wang Ran left a letter for Yao Jianjia, then quietly departed from the sect without telling a soul.

The moment he left the boundaries of the Sole Sovereign Sect, Wang Ran descended, transformed into his middle-aged guise, shot off as a streak of rainbow light, and sped straight toward... Falling Cloud City!