A Regretful Departure

In reality, the undead legions and occasional beast hordes in the wilderness already met most of the hunting needs for Haotian's troops. Take the Royal Griffin Knights under Haotian's command, for instance—they were out early every day, returning late, busy beyond measure.

Since Haotian had stopped focusing exclusively on enhancing the "Ace Squad," the other Royal Griffin Knights could now gain experience and gradually level up. The overall strength of the Royal Griffin Knight Regiment was steadily improving. However, this progress was limited to the griffin knights. 

In contrast, the Ancient Treant Legion's progress was slow due to their high starting levels. Ancient Treants started at mid-tier king level, with some even at high-tier king level. The Eternal Treant Guardians, being a transcendent class, were even more challenging to advance. 

While there were many undead creatures in the wilderness, their generally low levels provided little experience. It often took tens of thousands of kills for the Ancient Treants to level up. The current scale of the undead legion had not yet reached a cataclysmic level, making it insufficient for the treants' hunting needs. 

Haotian's four saint-level dragons faced an even tougher situation. Hunting weak undead creatures wouldn't help them level up, even after slaughtering tens of thousands. Hence, Haotian needed a superior hunting ground.

The Dragonfall Gorge, mentioned by Amy, fit Haotian's needs perfectly. He needed a place teeming with numerous, powerful creatures to enhance the levels and strength of his undead dragons. It offered the dual benefits of leveling up and the possibility of collecting large quantities of Dragon Soul Grass—a perfect scenario.

...

"Thank you for the information, Miss Amy," Haotian said with a smile. "Your intel is very helpful."

Amy responded with a sweet smile, "I'm honored to help you, my lord. It's a pity I can't stay in your territory, though. It's quite regretful."

Haotian pretended not to catch the underlying meaning in her words. "It's not possible right now, but maybe in some time," he said. He had plans to open up the Golden Oasis. Otherwise, he wouldn't have built the marketplace.

The primary function of the market was to collect trade taxes. The more trading companies settled there, the larger the volume of trade, and the more tax revenue he would collect. Similar to Forest City, where countless merchant guilds gathered, the tax revenue alone was astronomical, making the Natural Elves incredibly wealthy.

Haotian envied this. However, he needed to make preparations before opening the oasis. He had a few rough ideas in mind, like dividing the Golden Oasis into two zones: an outer city and an inner city. Outsiders would only be allowed in the outer city, where the market would be moved. The inner city would be the residence for his troops and citizens, strictly off-limits to outsiders. Even under special circumstances, they'd need to return to the outer city at night.

Another idea was to build a powerful magical defense shield over the inner city, capable of blocking mental detection. Moreover, his military forces needed to be strong enough to deter powerful factions. Only after these measures were in place would he consider opening the Golden Oasis.

Until then, no one, not even an elf or an immortal, could stay overnight in his territory.

...

Before leaving, Amy suddenly asked Haotian, "Lord, I noticed you seem to be raising a lot of Silver-tailed Fish in Sapphire Lake?"

"Indeed," Haotian nodded. The number of Silver-tailed Fish in Sapphire Lake had exceeded a hundred thousand. In two days, a new growth cycle would begin, potentially increasing the total to over half a million, all reaching the standard size for harvesting. He planned to catch a portion for sale to exchange for gold coins.

He couldn't wait any longer because the aura effect of the "Fortune Altar" was about to expire and would refresh with a new buff. After that, the Silver-tailed Fish, desert coyotes, and moose would lose their "tenfold growth and reproduction speed." Waiting longer would be a waste of time.

Looking at the delicate and cute Amy, Haotian smiled, "Miss Amy, would you like to purchase a batch of Silver-tailed Fish?"

Amy nodded, "Such spirit fish are rare in Kyatt City. If you are willing to sell, I'll inform my sister of this good news."

"Sure, but it will have to wait for two days," Haotian agreed, happy to make the deal. If City Lord Ella bought the entire batch, it would save him from sending the old butler on another trip to Forest City.

Speaking of the old butler, Holden was still out hunting. If he knew he missed the chance to see a natural elf and a unicorn, he might regret it deeply. Holden had once told Haotian that he had never seen the legendary elves in all his years.

"I understand, my lord!" Amy nodded, promising to return in two days. She then reluctantly bid farewell to Haotian. Guided by a team of Eternal Treant Guardians, she left the Golden Oasis, turning back frequently.

Her longing gaze was not for Haotian but for the Ancient War Mother Tree, radiating a powerful aura of life and nature. If permitted, she would have hugged the tree tightly and even slept on its massive leaves. To sleep in the embrace of the Mother Tree was pure bliss for an elf.

...

After leaving the Golden Oasis, Amy immediately contacted her sister, Ella, who was on her way, "Sister, you won't believe what I saw at the Golden Oasis!"

"What did you see? The secret of the Elven Spring Water?"

"Of course not!" Amy exclaimed excitedly, "My dear Ella, I saw the legendary Ancient War Mother Tree, numerous Ancient Treants, and the mighty Eternal Treant Guardians..."