Haotian: Come Here, I'll Send Someone to Fetch You!
Over at the Golden Oasis, Haotian received some excellent news from Miss Sophia. Learning that they had acquired ten dragon corpses in a single transaction put him in an incredibly good mood. Even if they were all dried corpses, that still meant ten zombie dragons. With a bit of luck, his lordly talent, "Ancient Bloodline Awakening," might even transform one or two into incredibly powerful zombie dragon kings.
"This is the beauty of doing business," Haotian mused. "How long would it take to secure ten dragon corpses through steady development? Even conquering the Ratman Kingdom wouldn't yield as much as one good trade."
Of course, that didn't mean he could do without war. On the contrary, war was a crucial pathway for the rapid development of his territory. Without conflict, how could his massive army of diverse units quickly level up and enhance their combat abilities?
Sophia had also informed him about the incident in the guild hall, where the elf mayor deduced that the masked man's faction was acquiring Elven Spring Water possibly to facilitate a "lich rebirth" plan, which was linked to the undead plague in the Karar Desert. Haotian's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this; he had anticipated it. When he buried the zombie dragon king, Wallis, the tombstone mentioned Wallis had died a thousand years ago, killed by the titled Sword Goddess, Amelia. Haotian and the old butler, Hodern, had analyzed that if the masked man had simply stumbled upon one or a few ancient dragon corpses, it wouldn't be much of an issue. But if not, the entire world could be in trouble.
It seemed that trouble was indeed looming. However, even if it was a lich rebirth, Haotian wouldn't refuse to trade with the masked man. The lich, or rather the corpse king attempting to become a lich, wouldn't abandon its rebirth due to a lack of Elven Spring Water. The undead plague was forming rapidly, and a disaster was destined to strike the Karar Desert. In such a scenario, Haotian needed to strengthen his territory to weather the storm. He had no intention of dying here—he hadn't even gotten a wife yet, let alone let himself perish. Sally didn't count; she was his adorable little maid.
Sophia also reported that she had purchased twenty-seven Dragon Soul Herbs over the past two days in Forest City, spending about 400,000 gold coins. Haotian praised her for her good work. Such an expenditure was a drop in the ocean for him, translating to only a few thousand lord coins, not even enough to buy a domain essence. The Dragon Soul Herbs, however, were crucial. He urgently needed more to nurture dragon spirits.
"Lord," Sophia said through the long-distance magic communication device, "I bought a flying mount and will head to the Golden Oasis soon to deliver the dragon corpses and gold coins."
"Good. Make sure to withdraw the gold coins from the guild," Haotian instructed, pausing briefly before adding, "I'll send someone to meet you halfway."
A bit of caution wouldn't hurt; he didn't want Sophia getting robbed.
"Praise the lord!" Sophia was delighted, showing no concern for her safety. Her sole thought was to reach the Golden Oasis as quickly as possible. This time, she wouldn't be rushing off again in a hurry.
---
After ending the communication, Haotian stepped outside the town hall and gestured toward the sky. In an instant, Bone Dragon Charles descended with a gust of wind, prostrating reverently before him. Though these undead dragons weren't Haotian's summons or pets and had no magical contracts binding them, their loyalty was unquestionable. They weren't technically territory units, yet they behaved as such. Outsiders wouldn't think they belonged to any human lord, viewing them instead as wild undead creatures without contract marks.
"Charles," Haotian commanded, "go to Forest City and escort Sophia from the Crystal Merchant Guild. I've transmitted her information to you. Don't enter the Forest of Life—just meet her midway."
"Yes, great lord!" Bone Dragon Charles responded with a mental projection, then soared into the sky, heading towards Forest City. As a bone dragon, it could reach the border between the Karar Desert and the Forest of Life in under an hour. Haotian didn't want it entering the Forest of Life, which was the domain of the wood elves. For them, undead creatures were enemies, much like how the Holy Light Church relentlessly hunted dark cultists.
With Charles on his way, Haotian turned and entered the Skill Tower. With nothing else pressing, he might as well contemplate the mysteries of domains. If he could comprehend even one domain on his own, it would save a fortune in gold.
---
In the distance, amidst swirling sands, a sprawling mountain range lay. The barren rocky peaks had sparse greenery in a few crevices. Many mountains were riddled with holes; some had crumbled into heaps of rubble. Scattered black stones, many buried under the sand, surrounded the area. This was the An'erbi Mines site. Despite the century since it was abandoned, traces of the kingdoms' efforts to mine iron ore remained.
As the air cavalry descended, they soon reached their destination: a sizable, open depression surrounded by mountains with a single path leading out. A massive stone gate, nearly ten meters high, was etched with faintly glowing magical runes on the cliff face. After a few minutes, a small hole opened on one side of the gate, and a group of heavily armed, stout figures emerged. These figures, averaging just over a meter tall but incredibly muscular, were the Grey Dwarves, much bulkier than the warriors of the Ratman Kingdom.
Meanwhile, the descending airborne cavalry was none other than Haotian's elite Royal Griffin Riders.