The Most Profitable Deal of a Lifetime!

"My goodness!"

"Another fully-armed battalion of Golden Griffon Knights!"

On her journey to the Golden Oasis, Sophia found herself repeatedly awestruck. Flying along, she spotted at least five full-scale battalions of Golden Griffon Knights, each one fully armored and radiating powerful magical energy. The sheer size of the Golden Griffons left her in a state of shock.

Golden Griffons were advanced magical beasts. Even in the largest magical pet markets of the Forest City, it was rare to see a single Golden Griffon. But here, there were entire battalions, numbering in the thousands. It was beyond belief.

"Is this real?"

"Just a few battalions," said the bone dragon, Charles. "Under my master's command, there are over thirty thousand Royal Griffon Knights. What you've seen is only a small part."

Sophia gasped. She couldn't fathom what an army of over thirty thousand Golden Griffon Knights would look like. When gathered together, they would surely blot out the sky.

"Has the Golden Oasis grown this powerful?" Sophia's mind reeled. The first time she visited, she saw just over a hundred Royal Knights, the strongest among them being high-level professionals, with not a single king-level warrior in sight. Now, the Golden Oasis boasted an army of over thirty thousand knights, each equipped with a high-level magical beast like a Golden Griffon. In such a short period, the overall strength of the Golden Oasis had increased a thousandfold.

In a daze, Sophia saw a group of enormous figures swinging their massive clubs, effortlessly smashing the swarming undead into pieces.

"Are those... treants?"

"Your Golden Oasis even has treants?"

"Of course! They, too, serve my magnificent master!" Charles nodded.

Sophia, still in a state of shock, said, "Treants are staunch allies of the natural elves. In the history of the Sacred Continent, I've never heard of treants serving another race, especially not humans."

"That was the past. Times have changed," Charles replied.

Sophia was left speechless.

...

Soon, the bone dragon and Sophia arrived above the Golden Oasis. Once again, she was stunned by the scene below. "The Golden Oasis has expanded even more since my first visit, and by several times."

"There are also towering walls, dense arrow towers, and fortresses... My heavens! What a massive tree! What kind of person could create such miracles!"

Sophia couldn't contain her amazement. Initially, she and the old mage Simon had speculated that a saint-level expert stood behind Haotian. But now, it was clear their vision was far too narrow. The fantastical scenes she had witnessed were beyond the capabilities of an ordinary demigod.

"Lord Charles, what is that?" she asked, pointing.

Following her gaze, she saw a colossal shadow circling in the sky, occasionally diving to the ground and spewing dense green mist. In the fog, small figures could be seen collapsing in droves.

"Oh, that's a plague dragon. Another servant of my master, and a good brother of mine."

"..." Sophia was at a loss for words.

...

In the serene backyard, Sophia finally met the lord she had been longing to see. Though it hadn't been long, she felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity. It wasn't just the dramatic transformation of the Golden Oasis; it was the overwhelming aura Haotian now exuded, making her feel as if a mountain were pressing down on her.

The first time she met Haotian, they were both level-nine professionals. Now, in just over a week, Haotian's presence was a hundred, no, a thousand times more powerful. She was still a level-nine professional, but Haotian seemed even more terrifying than the bone dragon.

Sophia's intuition was spot on. Charles, the bone dragon, was a mid-tier saint-level being. Haotian, however, was now a high-tier saint-level, his aura far stronger than Charles's.

"Miss Sophia, long time no see!" Haotian greeted her with a smile, inviting her to sit. He had specially crafted a set of stone tables and benches in the backyard, perfect for enjoying late-night snacks while admiring the beautiful desert night sky.

"I've been looking forward to this meeting for a long time."

"My lord!" Sophia sat primly on the stone bench. Compared to their first meeting, she was much more reserved.

"There's no need to be nervous. We are friends and excellent partners. If you wish, you can consider the Golden Oasis your home."

Hearing this, Sophia grew even more flustered. Her delicate cheeks and earlobes flushed a deep red.

"This... this is so sudden! My lord, I am not prepared for this..."

Haotian's smile froze for a moment. Clearly, the lovely Miss Sophia had misunderstood his intentions. However, he didn't explain. A misunderstanding wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"You can take your time to consider," he said, shifting the topic. "I've identified the ones who attacked you. They are from a large merchant organization called the Flamingo Guild."

"The Flamingo Guild?" Sophia was taken aback. "The person in charge of their operations in Forest City has visited our base several times, wanting to cooperate in selling the elven spring water you provided. He seemed very polite, and the terms he offered were very tempting. I never expected such vile conduct from them!"

It was fortunate that she was well-prepared this time; otherwise, she would likely have fallen into the hands of those venomous wasp riders.

"Greed blinds and drives people to irrational actions. It's quite common. I intend to give this guild a small lesson," Haotian said.

Sophia straightened her posture and respectfully offered, "If there's anything my Crystal Guild can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."

Haotian replied, "No rush. We'll address this matter when you return to Forest City."

Upon hearing this, Sophia quickly asked, "My lord, may I stay in your territory for a few more days?"

She was worried about being sent away again.

Haotian smiled, "The Golden Oasis is not open to the public yet. If you wish to stay, you need to become one of my citizens, should you be willing."

"Join your territory..." Sophia hesitated. "But my guild..."

"You will lose ownership of the Crystal Guild, but you will gain a better future. Trust me, this will be the most profitable deal of your lifetime."