Chapter 363: Iron Chain Link

"Everyone, that Black Ark is gargantuan; relying on the strength of a single ship or fleet to stop its advance is absolutely impossible. Pass on my order: connect all the ships together with iron chains!"

Upon reaching the predetermined bend in the Jade River, Sinuoli assessed that it was indeed a fine battlefield. He ordered the fleet to turn the ships broadside in the middle of the river before dropping anchor; dozens of warships blocked this stretch of the river tightly in several layers.

"Splendid! With my 'Iron Chain Link' strategy, even if that Luoxiya-Fallen Heart has heaven-defying abilities, he won't be able to fly past!" Watching the blockaded river surface, Sinuoli nodded with satisfaction.

"Great King, this strategy of yours is truly ingenious! This way, not only can personnel provide mutual support, but the cavalry can even charge on horseback!" Hu Daozhang had just finished casting spells to assist the ships in turning, and only then returned to the bridge.

"Wait! Your nation's warships—are they fireproof?"

Sinuoli suddenly slapped his forehead as he remembered: in the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, the chain strategy was followed by the burning of Red Cliffs! In this supernatural world, if one wanted to set a fire, they could even skip the "borrowing the east wind" and the "ruse of the feigned surrender"!

"They are somewhat protected. Are you worried about the enemy using fire attacks? This treasure ship was built by His Majesty Haotian using the Jianmu, the divine tree that supports the Heavenly Court. It does not sink in water, does not burn in fire, and is indestructible." Hu Daozhang adjusted his Daoist crown and introduced it proudly.

"Then I am relieved! Go and rest to recover your magic power; I will still need your help later!" The Dwarf King breathed a sigh of relief; he did not want to repeat the most miserable experience of Boss Cao the moment he arrived in Zhendan.

"It's coming!"

Before the air scouts he had sent out could report back, Sinuoli felt intense fluctuations transmitted from the Winds of Magic, which had become extremely dense under the Five Elements Compass. This was a phenomenon caused by powerful spellcasters in battle.

"Report! The enemy is approaching. There are two very large Black Arks, and several smaller ones behind them!" The messenger rushed into the Jinluandian and reported loudly.

Back then, when Malekith saw he was about to lose the civil war, he could not help but want to destroy the Great Vortex to flip the table. But the Great Vortex at its peak was not something mortals could touch; the Witch King's province of Nagalis was blown to pieces and sank into the sea.

The Witch King, the Witch Queen, and their powerful groups of mages and sorcerers pulled up some continental fragments, imbued them with power, and rode them to the New World northwest of Ulthuan; these fragments were the first generation of Black Arks.

In the thousands of years since, the first generation of Black Arks suffered significant losses due to constant warfare. At the same time, because Naggaroth—named similarly out of nostalgia for the homeland—was resource-poor, more and more ambitious young Dark Elves wanted to join the pirate profession, and the Black Arks were no longer enough.

Under these circumstances, the Dark Elves thought of other ways to start building new Black Arks. They sacrificed to the Elf Sea God Maselan, begging her to permit cities to float on the sea, and then hired high-level sorceresses to imbue the cities with power.

Their efforts were ultimately successful, but compared to the luxurious lineup that built the first batch of Black Arks, the later ones were far too shabby; the newly raised Black Arks were much smaller than the original ones.

"Good! Everyone to your stations! By the way, is it only on the water, or is there a situation in the sky as well?" Sinuoli signaled for him to come closer, then asked in a low voice.

"There are clouds and thick fog covering the sky above the enemy ships, so it is unclear to the eye, but there is a faint roaring sound coming from there!" The Jade Warrior messenger bowed very low; it was still a bit difficult to keep his head lower than Sinuoli's.

"Hmm, understood." The Dwarf nodded and walked out behind him. Looking through his telescope, Sinuoli could see the two behemoths approaching at a considerable speed.

"Warriors of Zhendan, I know that after more than half a year of sailing, you are all very tired, but there is one more great battle waiting for you before you return home!" Standing on the bow, Sinuoli gave his final pre-battle speech.

"The evil Druchii have harassed your homeland, breached your towns, and plundered your wealth. More importantly, they have snatched away many of your compatriots, among whom there may even be your own kin. I swear on my beard, once we reach Naggaroth, death will be the best outcome for them! So fight, and destroy the Black Arks on this river!"

"Boom!"

"Boom-rumble!"

Responding to Sinuoli was a series of artillery roars. After turning the ships broadside, the Zhendan soldiers pushed all the artillery deployed on the other side to face the upper reaches of the Jade River, while the Dwarf warships also rotated their main guns to point in the direction of the incoming enemy in advance. The moment the Dark Elf fleet entered range, what awaited them was a bombardment like a violent storm.

"By Isha's grace! Just how many cannons do those two-legged sheep have? Counterattack, give me a counterattack! Or I will snap your spines!"

Admiral Kanowar roared while dusting off his magnificent armor. This lieutenant of the Fallen Heart was very angry. Just now, a corner of his tower had been blasted down; if he hadn't been agile enough to grab his Shield in time to block the falling rubble and roll away, he would likely have been crushed underneath.

Even so, the two beautiful concubines he had received not long ago and had not yet finished training had already perished. Kanowar was furious; he felt he could hear the roar of the God of the Bloody Hand, urging him to tear apart the enemies blocking his path.

While walking toward the deck, the Black Ark captain reminisced about this plundering trip. More than a year ago, Lord Fallen Heart relied on secret channels to learn that the Ming Dragon ruling the east was about to set sail on a long voyage, and began preparations.

The insidious Lord of the God-Blessed Evil Party contacted two other Black Ark pirate groups; on the surface, they agreed to plunder Zhendan together, but secretly he sold them to the Ming Dragon. He knew that if those covetous bandits were not wiped out, the Longnü would not be able to set sail with peace of mind.

Once the Dragon fleet had gone far enough, the God-Blessed Evil Party then pounced on the empty Weidong Province. The small coastal towns were like fish on a chopping block before the powerful pirate group; how they were "cooked" depended entirely on their mood that day.

The Dark Elves burned, killed, and looted, satisfying their twisted desires in every way. After a banquet grand enough to catch the eye of the Lord of Pleasure, they decided to head up the Jade River and march into the hinterland of Weidong Province.

Although the Cathayans organized some Resistance, facing a behemoth like the Tower of the God-Blessed Evil Party was like a mayfly trying to topple a tree. They arrived at Fuzhou City, and the dungeons beneath the spires were stuffed with slaves and wealth.

The solidity of Fuzhou City exceeded their expectations; the huge Renxinggouzuanti wielded dozens-of-meters-long blades, and even the thick-skinned War Hydra dared not take a direct hit. The little ones below were satisfied with the gains and had lost their edge, so the pirates prepared to head home.

Who would have thought that halfway down the river, a blue True Dragon appeared overhead. She created a massive vortex, causing the fleet to spin in the middle of the river, and the Fallen Heart boss and his chief advisor were forced to take to the sky to stop the giant dragon.