The Thunder Islands.
This archipelago was three times larger than the Rock Islands, several hundred li from Yingzhou.
At this time, it had already become the new dwelling place of the Rock people.
Yan Mo had led over seventy thousand Rock people to the Thunder Islands for nearly a month now, and here everything still awaited reconstruction.
The Rock people needed to build their own houses, establish docks and so on.
The new Rock King’s palace was certainly not as imposing and magnificent as the palace on the Rock Islands, merely a small stone castle.
As the new king, Yan Mo was also busy without rest, building a new homeland.
Along the way, he had heard several pieces of news.
The first, the Sea God was dead, the Rock Islands had completely collapsed, sinking into the vast sea.
At that time, he had not shown any reaction, because this proved the path he walked was correct. The Rock Islands could no longer sustain themselves, they could only leave.
The second, the little princess Yan Xue’er had led the Queen Island fleet to Tianshui City.
He was somewhat moved, because his younger sister Yan Xue’er was the person closest to him. She had ultimately chosen to go to an unfamiliar place, to choose her already-deceased birth father.
“Your Majesty, a secret letter from Young Master Hai Wuyan.” A Rock warrior entered, delivering a secret letter.
Yan Mo opened it, and his face immediately changed.
It read, “Sauron not dead, Rock Queen not dead, leading Queen Island fleet, returned to Tianshui City. Where do you stand?”
But after reading it, Yan Mo merely showed a change in expression.
Actually, Hai Wuyan saying in his secret letter that the Rock Queen was not dead was completely malicious, hoping to make Yan Mo feel his throne was threatened, and thus also dispatch Rock pirates to join the army to destroy Sauron, not only eliminating Sauron but also eliminating the Rock Queen.
Yan Mo gave a cold laugh. This Hai Wuyan truly had the heart of a petty man.
Sauron was not dead, then so be it.
As for Mother Queen not being dead, in his heart there was only joy and nothing else.
However, he was already the new Rock King, so from this point the Rock Queen had disappeared from this world.
And since the Queen Island fleet chose to pledge loyalty to Sauron, from then on they were no longer Rock pirates, no longer Rock people.
They would grow old and die without contact, that was all.
…
The Queen Island fleet docked at Tianshui City pier to resupply.
And Sauron boarded a ship, continuously sailing toward the southeast direction.
Sailing several hundred li, leaving the coastal waters of Tianshui City, he had already entered the barbarian sea territory.
At this time, ships on the sea surface were already rare.
Pirates would plunder anyone, but were unwilling to plunder barbarians, because barbarians basically had no ships that went to sea.
And sea merchants would do business with anyone, but never with barbarians, because upon seeing barbarians, one would likely immediately be torn apart and turned into meat paste.
The barbarian sea territory was still a virgin sea at this time.
After sailing a day and night.
“Master, it is just ahead not far away.” The sorceress Yao Meng said.
Several tens of thousands of meters ahead, one could already see an island, a barren yet enormous island.
Half a shichen later, Sauron landed on this island.
This island was very large, approximately several hundred square kilometers in area, but relatively desolate, with few plants. Moreover, in the center there was a huge sunken basin.
“Master, please!” The sorceress Yao Meng led Sauron and Yan Nai’er into the depths of the island.
At the center of the island, several tens of tents had already been pitched, with several hundred people secretly stationed on this island.
“Master, it is here.” The sorceress Yao Meng pointed.
Immediately, Sauron saw a deep hole, approximately several tens of meters in diameter.
Looking down, merely a dozen or so meters from the opening, it was all thick black liquid, emitting a pungent odour.
Sauron recognized this substance at a glance, crude oil!
Moreover, it was a nearly open-air oil well.
The discovery of this oil well was likewise the sorceress Yao Meng’s accomplishment. As a sorceress she travelled the world, searching for various minerals, various rare materials.
The sorceress Yao Meng had come to this deserted island in barbarian sea territory originally to search for a rare crystal, but had unexpectedly discovered this oil well.
At that time she took away some samples for analysis, and found that apart from burning, it had no great use.
Moreover, even when used for burning, it emitted pungent, toxic black smoke, so she had not taken it too seriously, and did not believe it had much value.
But as a sorceress, when discovering these unknown substances, she still faithfully recorded them.
Later, after she pledged loyalty to Sauron, her materials were also handed over to Sauron, including the record of this oil well.
Facing the tens of thousands of naval troops of the forces to destroy Sauron, Sauron originally had not the slightest power to resist.
So he searched everywhere for methods of naval warfare.
Then, in the sorceress Yao Meng’s records, he discovered this open-air oil well.
Thus, he thought of fire attack, and moreover an extraordinary fire attack that almost extinguished life.
But at that time, he was rushing to the Rock Islands, so he did not have time to come to this crude oil deserted island.
However, he had successively dispatched several hundred people to land on this island to mine this oil well.
“Is this black oil easy to mine?” Sauron asked.
“Very easy, directly lower wooden barrels with ropes, fill them and pull them up.” Su Mu said, “And strangely, every day after we mine several hundred to a thousand barrels, it looks as if this oil well is nearly empty. But the next day, it is nearly full again.”
This was not strange. It appeared this island, and even the sea floor beneath this area, stored massive amounts of crude oil. When the crude oil in this well was nearly mined out, crude oil from the surroundings automatically surged over.
“How many barrels have been collected so far?” Sauron asked.
“Collection has been ongoing for a month and a half. Currently nearly thirty thousand barrels have been collected, each barrel one hundred jin.” Su Mu said, “Now it appears collection is extremely easy. Rather, wooden barrels are constantly insufficient.”
Su Mu led Sauron to a huge cave, or rather not a cave, but a huge natural fissure.
Inside, densely packed wooden barrels completely filled with crude oil.
Because of lacking a powerful fleet, the sea power of the Tianshui City waters had never been in Sauron’s hands. And transporting this crude oil was not like transporting mirrors, or resupply ships, where only one or two ships could sail secretly under cover of night.
These several tens of thousands of barrels of crude oil would require at least a hundred cargo ships to transport.
Such a large-scale fleet would certainly be discovered by the Linhai fleet, Luanyang fleet, or even the Yingzhou fleet.
So after mining the crude oil, it had been stored in this huge natural fissure, not daring to transport it to Tianshui City and expose the target.
Now, Sauron had obtained the Rock Queen Island fleet, and had completely annihilated the five thousand naval troops of Luanyang City. The entire sea surface of the Tianshui City waters was completely controlled, sea power thoroughly consolidated.
So he could dispatch a fleet to transport this crude oil away.
Sauron issued an order, “There are only about twenty days until the great decisive battle. During this period, continue mining black oil, the more the better.”
“Yes.” Su Mu said, “My lord, my lady, the best tent has been prepared for you, but after all conditions on this deserted island are crude, even fresh water is very scarce. I apologise for the inconvenience to my lady.”
Nai’er smiled lightly, not saying anything.
…
Entering the tent, Nai’er used clean water to help Sauron wipe his body.
She had never served Sauron before, but now she actually took the initiative to serve him, washing his face and feet.
“I will do it myself. Your fragrant little hands, do not let my feet stink them.” Sauron smiled.
Nai’er ignored him, suddenly light and suddenly heavy as she helped Sauron massage the soles of his feet, then suddenly asked, “Husband, do you like Zhi Yan?”
Sauron could not help but reach into her chest, gently kneading, “I like you.”
“She is more beautiful than me, her martial arts are higher than mine, her status is more noble than mine.” Nai’er said.
Sauron kneaded tirelessly, and Nai’er did not stop him, only opening her beautiful eyes to look at him. However, she was pure, her body sensitive, completely unable to withstand such teasing from Sauron. In a short moment her breathing grew rapid, her face red, her beautiful eyes brimming with water.
“Darling, there is something I want to tell you.” Sauron said.
Nai’er’s face lightly reddened, and she nodded.
“In this world, I love two women most.” Sauron said, “One is you, and the other is… Elder Sister.”
Nai’er was pure, and did not catch Sauron’s implied meaning at all, saying, “Elder Sister is so gentle, so good to you. It is right that you love her.”
Sauron also did not explain, looking into her beautiful eyes, serious yet tender, “So, do not ask such silly questions in the future, alright? Right now I am hoping and waiting for the mourning period to end, then immediately marry you. Then, holding your flower-like jade body, making love to you every day without stopping.”
Hearing Sauron’s explicit love words, Nai’er’s face reddened, her heart went soft.
At this time, Sauron’s hands grew even more restless, unexpectedly drilling down along her chest.
Nai’er could not withstand such an explicit and magnificent atmosphere, grabbing his hand to prevent him from continuing downward, then changing the subject and asking, “Husband, for this great decisive battle, what are your chances of victory?”
Sauron extended two fingers.
“Twenty percent?” Nai’er said.
“No, eighty percent.” Sauron said.
At these words, Nai’er was astonished. She too was one who understood military affairs.
Although she commanded ground troops, she deeply knew that naval warfare was even more thorough than land warfare.
Once one lost, there was almost no place to be buried, unlike on land where one could still run.
Moreover, Sauron only had seven thousand Queen Island fleet troops in hand. The enemy’s four forces had at least fifty to sixty thousand naval troops, a full tenfold strength.
However fierce the Rock pirate fleet, they could only fight one against two. But now it was one against ten.
A one-to-ten naval battle looked to have no hope of victory at all. But Nai’er knew her husband never spoke empty words.
He was not skilled at leading troops, nor skilled at directing combat, but he was exceptionally outstanding in strategy.
“Then I shall wait and see, waiting for my husband to create another miracle.” Nai’er said.
…
Over the next several days, Yan Chuor (the Queen) had no time at all to go to Tianshui main city. The Queen Island fleet had just docked, resupplied with fresh water, arrows, weapons, grain and meat, then immediately set out to sea again.
This time setting out to sea was mainly to clear the waters, from Tianshui City to the Rocky Island waters. All non-Sauron ships were to be completely annihilated.
Ensuring that not a single enemy ship remained in the entire sea area.
This was difficult to say difficult, easy to say easy.
Difficult, because the vast sea was boundless, hence the saying of finding a needle in the sea.
Easy, because sea routes on the ocean were relatively fixed. Whether pirate or merchant ships, they all had to sail according to routes.
At the same time, several tens of large cargo ships, including the Rock people’s living ships, stretched out magnificently southward, heading to that crude oil deserted island in barbarian sea territory, to transport the several tens of thousands of barrels of already-mined crude oil back to the Tianshui City waters.
And on that deserted island, collection was still ongoing without cease!
Sauron’s secret weapon was crude oil!
Originally, he had planned to move catapults onto warships, then throw oil barrels to burn the enemy fleet.
But later he discovered this tactic would not work, with too many flaws and immaturity.
The throwing distance of catapults was too short, merely several hundred meters. On land they could be used for siege or defense.
But on the sea surface, this distance was truly too short.
Moreover, the accuracy of catapults was despairing. The key point was, once a warship stockpiled large quantities of oil barrels, a single enemy fire arrow shooting over would mean the flames first devouring one’s own fleet.
After much thought, Sauron thought of an even more resolute tactic, and one with even more certainty of victory. Only it was truly too harmful to heaven and harmony, but he had no other choice.
…
Yan Chuor and Sauron stood atop a high mountain, looking down at this bay below.
At this time, at most eight days remained until the great decisive battle!
This bay was like a sack the sea indented into the land. The widest place was several tens of li, while the bay entrance was merely over a thousand meters wide.
At this time, astronomical numbers of crude oil were continuously being transported from the southern barbarian sea territory to the land behind this bay.
When the true battle commenced, the stockpiled crude oil would reach eighty thousand, even up to one hundred thousand barrels.
“Aunt, this bay is the place of the great decisive battle several days from now.” Sauron said, “What do you think it should be named?”
“Devil Bay!” Yan Chuor (the Queen) said.
Sauron said, “In your opinion, according to my tactics, what are the chances of victory?”
Yan Chuor said, “Eighty percent.”
Sauron said, “Do you not feel it is too harmful to heaven and harmony?”
“I do not feel so.” Yan Chuor said.
…
Three days later!
The Yingzhou Island fleet, Linhai City fleet, and Tu Ling family army had all arrived at the Luanyang City waters!
The four forces to destroy Sauron completed their final assembly.
A total of seventy thousand naval troops, seven hundred warships, one hundred thirty thousand troops!
Including troop transport cargo ships, there were over a thousand ships in total.
This was the largest naval battle since the founding of the Nu Lang Kingdom, without equal.
Nearly a thousand ships of various sizes spread across the sea surface, completely covering the sky and blocking out the sun.
Prince Zhi Li and Tu Lingtuo personally came to Luanyang City.
“Lion and tiger fighting a rabbit, exerting full strength. My seventy thousand naval troops against Sauron’s seven thousand naval troops, victory is certain!”
“One hundred thirty thousand troops, once they pour into Tianshui City, everything will be reduced to dust.”
“After this battle, there will be no more Sauron clan in the world.”
“After this battle, the King will have no more hope, Princess Zhi Yan will have no more hope, and no one in the world can stop Prince Zhi Li from ascending the throne.”
“Your subjects, congratulate Prince Zhi Li!”
Zhi Li raised his wine cup high, saying loudly, “I, congratulate you all, and congratulate the Nu Lang Kingdom!”