The auction was about to begin, and the number one seat remained empty; everyone knew that it was reserved for a Skywing Merchant Guild shareholder.
As an inexplicable heat filled the air, the strongest Contractors present all looked towards the entrance of the venue; others, noticing their actions, also turned their heads to look.
Mu Yang, expressionless and dressed in formal attire, appeared before everyone's eyes.
If this were a derivative world, the air itself would likely be distorted by the scorching heat of his flames.
Upon learning that the black marketeers were coming to cause trouble, Mu Yang had been pulled from Xia's lazy sofa by Lin Su.
The invitation letters had a certain tracking function; each time one changed hands, Xiao Xian, who designed the invitations, would know where it was transferred.
This was also why Ruo Yi and the others knew in advance that the Black Sail Merchant Guild would come, and why Lin Su went to Xia's Season to find Mu Yang.
Under the wary and fearful gazes of the crowd, Mu Yang was led by the petite Lin Su to sit in the number one seat.
The auction officially began without lengthy speeches; the first item was immediately brought out by a beautiful female Employee.
It was a spell scroll, Mu Yang's [Azure Sky Thunder Descent], which ignited the interest of all lightning mages present and instantly set the atmosphere ablaze.
"A blue, full-grade, area-of-effect lightning spell, absolutely worth more than its price! Starting bid: 20,000 paradise coins!"
"I bid 30,000!"
"38,000!"
Finally, [Azure Sky Thunder Descent] was won by Adam of the Brotherhood Adventure Group for over 70,000 paradise coins.
The next few items were all quite good, with their quality generally not falling below blue grade; if there were any, they were most likely potions that could enhance physical attributes…
The auction proceeded smoothly, with the few black marketeers present keeping their heads down and remaining silent, more obedient than Mu Yang had imagined.
The Reincarnation Paradise's function of concealing appearance only prevents others from clearly seeing your face; it doesn't mean you can act recklessly, as Contractor and Employee numbers are the key to being marked and hunted.
Hiding these numbers comes at a very high cost, and it's not a permanent concealment.
They were just hired hands; normally, they could fleece ordinary Contractors, but now, to avoid being targeted by Mu Yang, it was better to be obedient.
Why risk their lives for that meager monthly pay?!
If it weren't for the fact that leaving now would attract too much attention, they would have fled immediately.
Su Xiao acquired a decent blue-grade long saber at a fair price, and the Knight King's Gauntlet was also bought by a Contractor resembling a certain "Ahoge King," making the trip worthwhile.
As items were sold one by one, the grand finale, the [Blood Soul Orb], was brought out.
Mu Yang noticed that the resentment emanating from the [Blood Soul Orb] had dissipated significantly, but the malevolent aura had become even denser, and its quality had broken through to purple.
A powerful profession combined with a suitable user would undoubtedly provide a strong boost to an adventure group.
The profession provided by the [Blood Soul Orb] also had growth potential, so it was the main target for many adventure groups on this trip.
And the person who ultimately obtained the [Blood Soul Orb] was indeed a member of an adventure group, whose code name was God King.
The God King Adventure Group was not the strongest among Tier 1 adventure groups, but it was certainly the most famous because they were backed by the God Emperor Adventure Group, a large adventure group nearing Tier 3.
With such similar names, the relationship between God King and God Emperor was naturally self-evident; their financial resources, supported by God Emperor, were unmatched by other adventure groups.
The auction concluded successfully, and Ruo Yi, observing from behind the scenes, breathed a sigh of relief.
Before leaving, Su Xiao thoughtfully glanced at Mu Yang and the Black Sail Merchant Guild; it seemed an opportunity to repay a favor had arrived, and the ancients truly did not deceive him.
For the sake of a favor, the black marketeers would have to suffer.
Once all Contractors had left, the Skywing Merchant Guild's Employees appeared to clean up the aftermath.
"Let's go, it's time for another meeting."
Lin Su, only one and a half meters tall, spoke with a tone full of helplessness; she didn't particularly like meetings because they were troublesome, and she preferred to spend that time researching how to create better jewelry.
Mu Yang's [phoenix feather] was currently her proudest work.
However, this meeting was very important, so all high-ranking members of the Skywing Merchant Guild had to attend.
When Mu Yang and Lin Su arrived at the conference room, many people were already seated around the long table.
There were indeed only five shareholders, with only four actively managing affairs; Ruo Yi and the other three couldn't fully manage all matters of the Skywing Merchant Guild, so several departments were established.
"Everyone's here. Before the meeting begins, please sign this contract."
Ruo Yi, seated at the head of the table, nodded to Mu Yang and Lin Su, then handed a contract to the department heads, who were unaware of what was happening.
The content of the contract was a non-disclosure agreement for the upcoming meeting.
From this, it could be seen that the upcoming meeting was very important; the department heads saw the names of the other four shareholders on it, so they signed it without any objections.
Seeing the contract established, Ruo Yi then stated the purpose of holding this meeting.
"The main topic of this meeting is concerning the Exploration Order. The Fourth Shareholder has established an organization on Douluo Continent and has now met the minimum requirements for applying for an Exploration Order. Please feel free to speak your minds."
After their initial shock, the ten individuals began discussing the feasibility of exploring Douluo Continent based on the Skywing Merchant Guild's actual situation.
Applying was definitely necessary; not trying such a good opportunity would be foolish, wouldn't it?
Even if it failed, the initial capital required for the application would not be a crippling blow to the Skywing Merchant Guild and was within an acceptable range.
Douluo Continent's power system was not high, but its resources were abundant, making it one of the most suitable worlds for early development.
So now, they needed to gather their personnel from Reincarnation Paradise and the derivative worlds and concentrate the entire merchant guild's strength to develop Douluo Continent.
"Should we invite other adventure groups to join?"
"Not for now. Recruiting Employees will suffice. If there's still a labor shortage, then we'll consider them."
An Exploration Order could be shared with other adventure groups and merchant guilds, but if one's strength was insufficient, the inviter's own interests would be greatly compromised.
Therefore, after discussion, the Skywing Merchant Guild decided not to consider cooperating with other organizations for the time being.
"What about the Black Sail Merchant Guild? They're still biting at us like stray dogs on the street."
Prue said, rubbing his temples.
The Skywing Merchant Guild naturally had a dedicated combat department to maintain the guild's security, but currently, the head of the combat department only had a strength attribute exceeding 20 points, with the other four attributes far inferior to Mu Yang's; his actual combat power was even more negligible.
Ultimately, he was just an Employee; even if he desired to become stronger, his progress was far slower than a Contractor's.
He was sufficient for dealing with ordinary Contractors, but the bounty prices offered by the Black Sail Merchant Guild were not low, making it very challenging to deal with them.
"Leave it to me. I'll try my best to resolve them."
Mu Yang wasn't good at business, but he had some experience with killing people.
"Alright, then we'll leave it to you."
Seeing Mu Yang voluntarily take on this matter, Ruo Yi and the others relaxed considerably.
The head of the combat department looked utterly bewildered, just like a reader would be bewildered and shocked to see someone harm Xiao Wu, yet Tang San doesn't say that person has earned their death.
Was he being sidelined? Was his combat expertise no longer needed?