After entering the skill upgrade cabin, the hatch closed, and a virtual screen appeared before Mu Yang.
"Please select the skill you wish to upgrade."
He chose "Great Sun God Body." This skill could increase both his health and Solar Power, and to a certain extent, it could also enhance his physical defense, making it incredibly powerful.
"Upgrading (Great Sun God Body) passive skill requires a payment of 5000 paradise coins. Do you wish to pay? Yes/No."
Seeing the price to upgrade "Great Sun God Body," Mu Yang didn't immediately feel a pang of regret but instead fell into a silent, wordless daze.
The prerequisite for regret is having a lot of money and then spending a significant portion of it, which causes the regret.
But silence…
That meant he couldn't even afford the money!
No wonder other Contractors both yearned for and were wary of this place; who could withstand such expenses?
However, Mu Yang reconsidered. A high price meant the skill's value, ability, and potential were all high, so it wasn't a loss.
He comforted himself in his heart.
"Upgrade 2 levels."
Although he was poor, since he was already here, he might as well upgrade two levels.
The items and equipment he planned to sell would earn enough money to buy Sword Mastery.
"Great Sun God Body (Passive Skill) has been upgraded to Lv.4."
"Great Sun God Body (Passive Skill) has been upgraded to Lv.5."
…
Great Sun God Body Lv.5 (Passive Skill)
Effect: Health +250, Solar Power +250, Physical Defense +2.
...…
After upgrading his skills, Mu Yang didn't rush to leave. Instead, he took out two soul crystal (small) to learn the new professional skill for "Solar."
"Skill Six, locked. Unlocking requires soul crystal (small) * 2 + 5000 paradise coins. Do you wish to unlock? Yes/No."
"Unlock."
"You have unlocked 'Solar' Skill Six: Trial of Flame and Blood."
Skill Six,
Trial of Flame and Blood Lv.MAX (Active)
Effect: You can use Solar Power to actively stimulate the Blazing Sun and Blood Sun within your body, causing them to fluctuate, collide, devour, and merge. Pain will follow like a shadow.
After enduring the Trial of Flame and Blood, your body, will, and other attributes will receive a certain boost, and your body's resistance to the Blazing Sun and Blood Sun will also increase. Thus, the power hidden within you will continuously manifest.
Warning: The intensity of the trial is entirely controlled by the amount of Solar Power used during stimulation. Contractors, please act within your capabilities! Otherwise, you will be responsible for the consequences!
Description: Each trial is a transformation, whether small or large, for a person. Trial participants, do not fear pain, and do not shrink back because of pain.
Because true powerhouses are always forged and born from disaster!
...…
After reviewing the new skill, Mu Yang felt a mix of joy and worry.
The joy, naturally, was because there was another way to become stronger, and the improvements were multi-faceted.
The worry, however, was that based on the skill's effects and description, the trial process would be very painful, and the description itself was trying to persuade the participant to be strong.
Mu Yang had experienced a similar trial in a trial world, where the power of the Blazing Sun and Blood Sun truly erupted within his body. Every time he recalled that sensation, he couldn't help but shiver.
Although this trial was controllable, if it was only slight pain, it wouldn't count as a trial or transformation; it would only be a small test.
Therefore, when necessary, he still had to be hard on himself.
Exiting the skill upgrade cabin, Mu Yang left directly and proceeded to contact Ruo Li, asking her current location.
"Mu Yang: Where are you?"
"Ruo Li: Skywing Merchant Guild, come to Shenyang Street. You'll definitely get some good juice when you arrive."
"Mu Yang: Alright, alright, alright."
According to the location provided by Ruo Li, Mu Yang quickly arrived at Shenyang Street but didn't see her.
"Mu Yang: Ruo Li, I'm at Shenyang Street, where are you?"
"Ruo Li: …Look behind you?"
Mu Yang turned around, and Ruo Li was standing right behind him.
Besides her, there were several other people present, exactly four in total, including Ruo Li's older sister, Ruo Yi.
"All the shareholders of Skywing Merchant Guild are here?"
Mu Yang wasn't stupid. There were exactly four people, and those who could stand with Ruo Yi likely had significant identities.
"Ruo Yi, an ordinary Employee, currently the largest shareholder of Skywing Merchant Guild."
Ruo Yi extended her hand, a gentle smile gracing her face, exuding a friendly, soft sense of approachability.
"Mu Yang, an ordinary Contractor."
Mu Yang shook her hand, then greeted the other three shareholders individually.
"Shall we go inside to talk?"
"Good."
Following the five people, Mu Yang entered the headquarters of the "Skywing Merchant Guild," which occupied a considerable area.
According to Ruo Yi, their people had obtained a special item in a derived world, and after submitting it to Reincarnation Paradise, they gained the right to purchase this land with a discount.
And the reason the black merchants targeted Skywing Merchant Guild, besides wanting to occupy a larger market, was largely due to this piece of land.
It was common in Reincarnation Paradise for those who gained immense benefits through luck but lacked the matching strength to protect those interests to be coveted and plundered by others.
This was the real-world embodiment of the saying, "A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure makes him guilty."
Mu Yang remembered a lucky Contractor in Reincarnation Paradise who, at Tier 6, obtained a World Origin Stone. This item was extremely valuable, coveted even by powerhouses above Tier 9.
Seeing that he couldn't protect it, this Contractor simply gave up and embedded the Origin Stone into his pickaxe, often displaying it.
Once embedded, this Origin Stone couldn't be stripped without breaking, which deterred others from trying to snatch it.
However, Ruo Yi didn't want to abandon this fundamental asset, so she insisted on fighting against the black merchants.
Walking around the headquarters, Mu Yang noticed that while Skywing Merchant Guild's territory was vast, its personnel were quite scarce.
Some might be conducting transactions in Reincarnation Paradise or derived worlds, but in his opinion, it was more likely that many had transferred or quit due to fear of being targeted by the black merchants.
Not just Contractors, but Employees in Reincarnation Paradise were also profit-driven; no one wanted to lose their life for no reason.
They joined Skywing Merchant Guild simply to find a large tree that could shelter them from wind and rain.
Now that the tree showed signs of collapsing, they chose to leave its shade, watching the tree fall from the side and searching for the next large tree.
After touring the headquarters, the six people arrived at the conference room.
"Perhaps you've already heard about the situation of our Skywing Merchant Guild from merchants under our name. The situation is even more severe than you imagine. Even though those black merchants are being hunted by the crazy members of the Troupe, they still don't forget to continue squeezing us out."
As she spoke, the smile on Ruo Yi's face disappeared, her tone flat with a hint of sarcasm.
Merchants are indeed profit-driven, but black merchants would rather die trying to earn paradise coins; they feel worse seeing others earn less than themselves.
They not only make themselves miserable but also make others miserable, purely and equally disgusting every peer and customer.
"Is my strength sufficient?"
Mu Yang was a bit confused; he had always been somewhat unconfident in this aspect, perhaps because he hadn't killed enough Contractors.