Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

"Alright, this is my offer. It's your turn now." After announcing his bottom line, the Insect Master calmly turned his gaze to the sky.

He didn't have any particular fondness for the Sword Dance Merchant Guild, so naturally he didn't need to make any concessions.

Due to the special nature of his profession, the Insect Master doesn't rely heavily on equipment. Instead, resources are more important to him. As long as he has enough insects, he can single-handedly form an army in the world of war.

“Your Excellency, Insect Master.” Cang Qiong’s voice tried to remain steady, but a barely perceptible dryness lingered at the end. “The blueprint for the [Heavenly Horned Bull Mining Insect] is of great significance to our Sword Dance Merchant Guild. We are willing to offer 70 Soul Coins for this blueprint alone. As for the [Insect Detection Tower], we have no need for it, you may…”

"I want them all." The Insect Master's gentle, magnetic voice interrupted Cang Qiong's bargaining, without the slightest ripple. "100 pieces, two sets of blueprints. Or, can you offer more?"

The woman behind Cang Qiong quickly tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "President, the funding limit... is too risky. The premium on the target blueprints has exceeded the estimated limit. If we force our way in, those key subsequent plans... will all be affected."

In the Sword Dance Merchant Guild's evaluation system, purchasing a rare epic-grade [Skyhorn Bull Ore Bug] blueprint for 70 Soul Coins is already the maximum price, including a considerable premium, which is enough to show sincerity.

But the Zerg Master is different. He is not only determined to obtain the [Skyhorn Miner], but the blueprint for the [Zerg Detection Tower], which can greatly increase the detection range of Zerg units, is also an indispensable key component for perfecting his war machine.

The combination of the two has a strategic value far exceeding that of a single blueprint.

Therefore, his expected price and the upper limit of the price he could afford for these two blueprints were naturally much higher than those of the Sword Dance Merchant Guild, which only needed one of them.

“Time is precious. Since Mr. Mushishi has offered the highest price, these two blueprints will naturally belong to him.” After waiting for about half a minute, Lin Yi finally spoke, breaking the silence.

Cang Qiong's expression was clearly not good, and it eventually turned into a long sigh.

He took off his gold-rimmed glasses, rubbed his temples wearily, and when he looked up again, he had regained the demeanor befitting a chamber of commerce president, though a hint of resentment lingered in the depths of his eyes.

"Congratulations, Master Mushi."

As the president of the Sword Dance Merchant Guild, he knew that in the Paradise of Reincarnation, making enemies unnecessarily was the most foolish thing to do.

Resources can be found again, and channels can be expanded again, but making enemies for no reason, especially powerful figures like the Mushishi who are unfathomable and act mysteriously, is an absolutely foolish act.

Thinking of this, a perfectly timed business smile appeared on his face: "I hope these two drawings can play their due role in your hands."

After the transaction was completed, the Mushishi did not leave immediately.

"Do you have any other materials related to the Zerg? Biological samples, special glands, high-energy crystals, or... similar life energy aggregates? If so, I am willing to purchase them all, and the price will satisfy you."

Upon hearing the Insect Master's words, Lin Yi took out several high-purity life stones from his personal space.

Upon seeing the Life Stone in Lin Yi's hand, the Insect Master immediately moved in front of Lin Yi.

"Life Stone? Such purity..." The Mushishi's voice remained gentle, but his speech was noticeably faster, carrying an uncontrollable longing.

He reached out and carefully hovered his hand above the crystal, without touching it directly, as if sensing the bio-energy within.

"May I... take a small sample to verify it? Please rest assured, it's just a tiny bit at the edge, and it will not damage the main body."

"Okay." Lin Yi nodded.

Lifestones are essentially highly compressed and solidified bioenergy crystals with a stable structure. Breaking off a small piece of debris is harmless, much like scraping a bit of powder off a huge energy battery.

With permission, the Mushishi's deep purple fingernails made an extremely precise, light stroke on the most inconspicuous spot at the edge of the crystal.

He picked up a tiny, rice-grain-sized fragment that emitted a rich green light between his fingers.

Under the watchful eyes of the witch and Lin Yi, the Mushishi sent the fragment into the shadows beneath his hood.

After a brief silence, the Mushishi's clear voice came from under the hood, his gentle tone now containing an indescribable sense of satisfaction: "Not bad, very pure bio-energy. How many pieces do you have here? I'll take them all."

For him, whose foundation was based on insect colonies, bioenergy was never too much.

In the end, these Life Stones were traded for 2 Soul Coins each, which was considered a small profit.

"It's been a pleasure working with you. If you ever acquire similar high-purity life energy crystals, or other valuable Zerg remains or special substances, please be sure to contact me first."

The Mushishi nodded slightly, his actions this time seeming a bit more solemn than before.

A minute later, the witch looked at the empty doorway, then at the few remaining items on the bar, and whistled softly, "Tsk tsk, you've really had a lucky break this time. Blood Skull, Insect Master... I'm so envious!"

She lazily swirled the cocktail shaker in her hand, her gaze lingering on the few remaining items. "But, well, the best stuff always comes last, right?"

Just as the witch said, Lin Yi had no trouble finding buyers for his remaining items; he just needed some time.

He picked up the second psychedelic cocktail that the witch had just pushed over, took a sip, and a strange coolness accompanied by a slight numbing sensation slid down his throat. This time, the taste seemed more complex.

Just then, someone else pushed the door open and entered.

This time, there were no footsteps, only a surging heat wave.

hum-

The temperature in the entire "Scarlet Whispers" bar instantly soared, and the cool floral and alcoholic scents that filled the air were replaced by a pure heat.

The few drops of liquor remaining on the bar counter visibly evaporated into white steam, and the cold metal surface quickly lost its chill, becoming warm to the touch.

Even the ethereal, rhythmic sound of dripping water seemed to be distorted by the sudden high temperature, becoming thick and distorted.

A contractor walked in. She wasn't particularly tall, but her presence was as striking as the blazing sun.

Most striking was the unusual helmet she wore—not metal or leather, but rather carved from some kind of golden-red rock, its overall design forming a radiant sun cross.

The helmet covered most of her face, revealing only her chin and tightly pursed thin lips.

"Flame World..." The witch's voice carried a hint of helplessness and displeasure at having her enjoyment interrupted by the high temperature, "My air conditioning here also costs money, and it's very expensive! With you coming in, my electricity bill is going to skyrocket again!"

She waved her hand dramatically, trying to dispel the uncomfortable burning sensation.

Although this slight temperature change had little effect on the contractor's main body, the atmosphere she had carefully created was instantly destroyed, which made her very unhappy.

The newcomer seemed to realize the impact he had brought, and slightly raised the hand clad in dark gold arm armor, as if trying to restrain something.

A few seconds later, the suffocating heat subsided slightly, dropping from the core of the furnace to the level of midday in the sweltering summer, but the air in the bar remained unbearably hot.

"I'm sorry, the core solar power has just completed a transformation, and it cannot be perfectly contained in the short term." The contractor named Yan Shi was very polite. After apologizing to the witch, he sat down in the seat next to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi's gaze fell on Yan Shi's iconic sun cross helmet. Combined with the extremely dense aura of solar power, the name of a rather unique and powerful faction in Paradise and the Void came to mind: "You are... a... devout believer in the power of the sun?"

Yan Shi turned his head and remained silent for a moment: "The sun is power, but also a curse. We are nothing more than scavengers walking on the edge of a cliff, trying to gather firewood..."

The "Solar System" Contractors are a small group in the Paradise of Reincarnation, but each one is extraordinary.

Their power can be traced back to the ancient Second Age. In the present-day Paradise of Reincarnation and the vast void, this power is regarded as one of the most dangerous "taboos," second only to the Abyss in infamy. Even the power of the Ancient Gods is inferior to it.

At its core, the power of the sun is essentially the ultimate destruction and purification, containing an almost tyrannical aggressiveness and exclusivity.

Once it invades the enemy's body, it will not just burn the flesh like ordinary flames, but will burn and purify all "alien" energy!
The intense burning sensation is just the mildest symptom; what's more terrifying is that it can cause devastating interference with the target's core energy system. At best, it can cause spellcasting failure or skill backlash; at worst, it can directly incinerate the energy circuit.

If it invades the brain, it can even directly burn the target's mana. This power, capable of incinerating everything, is equally cruel and merciless to the user.

The more intense and brilliant the power of the sun, the more terrifying the price required to control it.

It's like a double-edged sword, capable of turning on its master at any moment.

There are quite a few Solar System Contractors who have gone out of control and ignited themselves.

In order to gain greater power, they often need to sacrifice their reason, physical vitality, and even their very soul as "fuel."

Every rise in power may come at the cost of a part of the "self" being permanently burned and reduced to nothingness.

If the glory of the Sun Church still existed in the Second Age, its well-established lineage, vast network of faith, and special rituals might have mitigated this cost, preventing the 'Sun Shepherds' walking this path from becoming so isolated and in danger.

But now, the tradition has been broken, and the successors can only grope their way forward alone in the boundless darkness.

Each time the sun within is ignited, it is no different from dancing on a scorching knife tip, testing the limits of life on the edge of a cliff of self-immolation.

The terrifying energy emanating from Yan Shi, which was difficult to completely contain, testified to the perilous and arduous nature of this path.

"The Pure Sun Essence and the Sun Core (Fragmented) are priced at 80 Soul Coins each. I'll add another 30 Soul Coins to this bow. That's a total of 110 Soul Coins."

Flame World's offer caused the witch to stop wiping her wine glass instantly. Her alluring eyes narrowed slightly, showing a hint of displeasure.

"This price... is a bit low, Flame World."

Although the [Radiant Arbiter] is an epic-level item, it is still considered a top-tier item among epic-level equipment.

The price of 30 Soul Coins for this level of equipment is indeed a bit low.

Furthermore, the prices quoted by the other party for "Pure Solar Essence" and "Sun Core (Incomplete)" are relatively low.

"I'm sorry." Yan Shi's voice was low, carrying an indescribable embarrassment and bitterness. "I know this offer is low, but I... really don't have much money left."

When Yan Shi said these words, his voice under the helmet carried a rare hint of embarrassment. Contractors in the Solar System, like those in the Technique category, were all penniless.

The Contractors of the Solar System, whose core power source, "Solar Power," is like a greedy beast that is never satisfied.

It needs to continuously consume high-quality energy, matter, and even soul crystals to maintain stability and growth.

Skill-based contractors can at least recover their losses by selling equipment, but what about solar system contractors? The vast majority of the resources they acquire are directly poured into the bottomless "solar furnace" within their bodies.

This results in them being incredibly powerful in combat, yet often penniless, making them the notorious "top-tier combatants, destitute class" of the Reincarnation Paradise.

"Um... I wanted to ask, aren't you already a contractor of the Solar System? Why do you still need the [Pure Solar Essence] job change item?" Lin Yi looked at Yan Shi and asked his question.

In the cycle of reincarnation, having more professions is not necessarily better; greed often means self-destruction.

Different professional systems often have fundamental conflicts. Forcibly merging them can result in power imbalances at best, and death at worst, or the soul being torn apart by the different power sources.

For Yan Shi, who has already embarked on the path of the sun, the greatest use of items like [Pure Solar Essence], which contain the pure essence of the sun, should be as an energy replenishment or a material for some kind of ritual, rather than for "job change"—he is already the "Solar System", so where else can he change to?
“My profession… ‘Sun Hunter’… has a flaw. After the seventh rank… the path is blocked.” Yan Shi hesitated for a moment, but still revealed his problem.

Lin Yi and the witch instantly understood; this situation was all too common in the complex power system of the Reincarnation Paradise.

Many contractors acquire powerful and limitless career inheritances in lower-level worlds.

However, as their rank increases, they often find in despair that the "ceiling" of this profession has long been locked at a certain height—usually the peak of the sixth rank or the early stage of the seventh rank.

This is determined by the inherent limitations of the power system in lower-level derivative worlds.

The world's "height" has, from the very beginning, locked in the ultimate "height" of this profession.

Those "god-level" and "legendary" beings from other worlds might just be the starting point in the higher levels of Paradise.

This is why the prices of job-changing items in derivative worlds are not high, because the power system limits in most derivative worlds have been locked.

To break through this limit, one must either pay an unimaginable price and try to forcibly carve a crack in a dead end; or... one must make a painful sacrifice and find a professional system with a higher limit to start from scratch.

Although Lin Yi and Su Xiao inherited very powerful professions, their professions are actually incomplete, much like the situation in Yan Shi.

After reaching the fifth rank, Lin Yi would need to travel to other worlds to find the legacy of the Abyss Healer or find ways to develop new skills on his own.

Su Xiao's [Shadow of Annihilation] is a prime example. This incredibly powerful inheritance has long been severed in the present era, leaving only a fragmented legacy.

"I still have a few Sunstones. Could you perhaps... make up for the price difference?" Yan Shi rummaged through his personal space for a while before finally finding some valuable items.

The witch picked up a piece of [Sun Stone], carefully sensed it, and then curled her lip: "Hmm... the energy reserves are indeed good, but it's too 'rough.' It has many impurities, resulting in significant losses during absorption and conversion, making it inefficient. For contractors following the solar path, it's barely worth anything. It also has limited appeal to other fire or light-based contractors, as it requires extra effort to purify. As for forging or alchemy... well, it can only be considered a low-to-mid-grade energy-filling material. Its value..." She shook her head, her meaning clear—it's worthless.

Lin Yi also picked up a [Sun Stone].

Sunstone

Origin: Polar desert/High-altitude cloud island/
Type: Ore

Effect: It can completely replace fire-based materials such as fire metal and lava core. When embedded into a weapon during forging, it can add the effects of "burning" or "holy flame".

Description: A product of the condensation of solar power, but it does not appear to have been purified.

For high-level contractors who pursue pure energy, this thing is indeed a bit of a waste.

Absorbing it requires extra effort to purify it, which is not cost-effective.

As a forging or alchemical material, its value is far less than that of more stable and purer energy crystals.

However, as a bomb, the Sunstone is simply the perfect material.

The moment Lin Yi saw the Sun Stone, he thought of the Apollo that Su Xiao could create.

If we replace the fire metal with the [Sun Stone], would the [Apollo]'s explosion effect be even more powerful?

Thinking of this, Lin Yi sent a message to Su Xiao.

Su Xiao quickly replied to Lin Yi, saying that he could give it a try.

"Deal." After confirming, Lin Yi nodded to Yan Shi, agreeing to the transaction.

Yan Shi didn't say much, but took out the dozen or so [Sun Stones] he had on him and handed them to Lin Yi.

After Yan Shi left, only the [Seed of the Ancient God] remained unpurchased on the desktop.

This thing is quite dangerous; most people wouldn't dare to buy it and use it.

After waiting for a while and no one came, Lin Yi temporarily left the [Seed of the Ancient God] with the witch and paid her a referral fee.

Lan Jin indicated that the funds had been raised and they were just waiting for Lin Yi to bring the goods over. Lin Yi naturally wouldn't waste his time here. (End of Chapter)