Heaven's Formula

rumbling rumbling...

Suddenly there was a muffled thunder in the sky.

Tural looked up and found that the clouds in the sky were much lower than before, and after a while, raindrops fell.

Damn, it's raining?

"It seems that Lady Luck is not on our side." The captain sighed.

But at this moment... He couldn't help frowning.

The rain does not affect the fleet's firing, but it will gradually extinguish the fire in the city. Without the help of the fire, it is difficult to cause sufficient damage to the houses with iron ball shells alone.

Of course, as elite battleships of the empire, both the Invincible and the Angela are equipped with explosive shells, which are very suitable for destroying wooden houses.The problem was that this would require a rearrangement of formation to get the flagship close to the beach to fire, and there were diplomatic concerns.

Having said that...why can't the sea breeze blow?There are occasional calms, but they rarely last this long... The lord shifted his gaze to the wind flag on the side of the ship. It hadn't fluttered for a long time.

"Call the two ship mages over here." Tular thought for a while, and ordered to Captain Flinn.

"Mr. Captain, Mr. Captain! Look to the southeast, look at the southeast!" At this moment, the lookout on the mast observation tower shouted loudly!

Both of them looked back together——

I saw a row of light gray shadows appearing on the sea.

"What's that?" Ferlin blurted out.

Tural couldn't answer. Those who could appear on the sea were either boats or large fishes, and at most one evil spirit could be added.But the evil spirits around here should have been cleaned up by Dongsheng Kingdom.

"Goodness...it's a boat, sir!" cried the lookout again. "That's a boat!"

"What nonsense are you talking about," Ferlin yelled back, "if it's a ship, where's the sail!?"

"I don't know, but it has tracks behind it, and it's going fast!"

Tural's heart skipped a beat.

A ship that can go forward without sails?Have the elves used their technology on aliens?But even if it is a kind of green shuttle, there should be no way to make the ship run so fast that the lookout will scream.

"Hoist the sails, we can't stay where we are!" the Lord shouted to the captain, "Tell the mage to move the Invincible, and the Angela too! Head east, open the left and right gun ports, all personnel are in their positions, the whole ship Ready to fight!"

"What about the pirates?"

"Let them figure it out for themselves!"

Tural didn't know what it was that came, but if Jinxia City had the ability to step into the sea, the situation would be completely different - one thing he could be sure of was that the other party was not kind.

"Dangdangdangdangdangdangdang-!"

As the first officer rang the bell, the whole ship quickly entered a state of combat readiness.

The sailors shuttled and climbed between the masts, the giant winch tightened the ropes pulling the sails little by little, the mainmast and the foremast were raised to the half-sail state; the interior of the hull was even more busy, amid the rhythmic slogans, the side The three layers of gun doors were opened one by one, and the gunner pushed the cannon to the firing position, and all the projectiles and gunpowder were loaded into the chamber, just waiting for the enemy to enter the firing range—but at this moment, they still haven't seen where the enemy's threat comes from.

"What did you say?" Tural stared at the ship mage and said, "Can't summon the wind?"

The latter's face was also a little ugly, "It's not that I can't summon the wind, but that there are more powerful spells working here, forcing this area to be windless!"

"What do you mean?" The captain asked in surprise, "There is no wind because someone is causing trouble?"

"That's the truth."

"But where is the spellcaster?" Tural really wanted to slap the opponent into the sea, boasting that he was omnipotent when he wanted to hire money, but when he needed his shot, he said he was powerless? "It's impossible for him to cast spells in the city and then affect the entire sea area, right? Is there anyone in Siristi's mage tower who can do this?"

The mage was also stuck, and he really didn't dare to say that there was a spell with such an astonishing range, after all, it was beyond his common sense.

"Forget it," Tural turned to the captain, "Tell the elves at the bottom to use all their strength. No matter what method your people use, you must start the Invincible!"

"Please rest assured, my lord, the time will catch up."

As early as when the sail was first hoisted, Filmin had already notified his subordinates to let the elves join the ranks of driving the Invincible—relying on the green shuttle tentacles swinging at the bottom of the ship, the huge ship had already moved and was slowly turning east.

And the gray-white shadow was getting closer.

Now with the binoculars, the true face of the comer can be seen clearly.

Tural stared at it for a while, then suddenly took a breath, "This can't be true..."

Those things that scurry across the sea are indeed ships.

Not only were there no sails, but there was not even a single erected mast to be seen.

But this is far from the most incredible place.

The really incredible thing is the boat itself -

Those boats were all made of ice, if he was not mistaken.

Chapter 375 The Unprecedented Ship

"The enemy ship is turning!"

"The target is still about four miles away from us!"

The guard in charge of observation reminded loudly.

"It seems that they have already used the tree species of elves." Pang Ting said with a sinking face, "There are indeed enslaved islanders on board."

"Isn't this something that was expected a long time ago?" Xia Fan said with a relaxed tone, "Don't worry, this set of offensives is designed for close-range attacks."

Looking at the young man in front of him, Pang Ting had mixed feelings for a moment.

When this plan was put forward, both he and the high priest were amazed by the other party's bold idea—to use ice to build ships, to quickly approach the enemy ships without relying on the seeds of the spirit tree and the wind, and then to conduct face-to-face "jump gang battles". The battle plan can be said to have completely exceeded the imagination of the two.

It will be easier for Jinxia City if the ice ship is loaded with explosives and directly made into a "mobile shell".Xia Fan can even let the islanders control it, so he doesn't have to take any risks.Although sending people from the tribe to send the high priest to death and himself would not bear it, as long as he said "sacrifice one person to save the tree boat", Pang Ting believed that many people would be willing to accept it.

But in order to save more elves, he chose another more complicated strategy.If it is successful, the benefits will be huge, but correspondingly, Jinxia City itself has to bear a lot of risks.

Not to mention the fact that this person actually possesses the ability to turn this vision into reality.

Whether it's spells, knowledge, or courage and ambition, at this age, it seems too scary-this is human beings, a group that is not good at age.Pang Ting has never seen such an outstanding character in an islander. The only thing he is fortunate is that the other party did not come from the empire and is now an ally of Noah.

He knew that after this battle, this person's reputation in Shuzhou would reach an unprecedented height, and this was what the other party planned.In theory, as the patriarch of Noah's clan, he should try to avoid letting outsiders dominate Shuzhou's affairs, but the other party's methods are so positive that even he can't find a single flaw.Even leaving aside the factor of the patriarch, Pang Ting has a lot of respect for this person in terms of personal opinion, let alone other Shuzhou islanders.

That's why he had mixed feelings.

It would be great if this person was an elf.

……

On the east wall, two figures sneaked their heads out. One of them raised his binoculars and pointed in the direction of the ice ship.

"Sister Mo Yun, let's go down, it's too dangerous here." Luo You'er said worriedly.Even with the drizzle, the enemy's artillery attacks have not been interrupted.She could even catch the bullets passing overhead with her naked eyes whenever the guns sounded.In case the black iron ball fell on the top of the city wall, she really didn't know if she could protect Miss Mo with just one hand.

This is also the temporary task Xia Fan entrusted to her - to act with Mo Yun during the war, and don't let her be too aggressive.

At the beginning, she didn't understand how the person in charge of the Mechanism Bureau, who was usually reticent and cold-looking, would make rash moves, but now she understood.

"It doesn't matter. The enemy is targeting the houses behind the city. There is no defense force on the wall, so they won't care about it." Mo Yun said without moving.

Boom—clang—!

Before she finished her sentence, the iron ball flew a little lower, just passing the wall when it crossed the wall, and exploded a large group of broken bricks fifty steps away from the two of them.

"F, blow willow technique!" Luo You'er quickly summoned up a gust of wind, blowing away the splashed stone chips. "Look, isn't this very dangerous! If it is a little bit off, we will have to stick to the city wall!"

"It's just an accident. According to the theory of probability, it's hard to happen again in a short period of time." Mo Yun's eyes never left the looking glass.

"Sister Mo Yun, can't we go down into the city wall and have a look? There is also an observation hole there."

"It's impossible to see the first scene of the iceship battle down here." Mo Yun vetoed without hesitation, "Do you know what moment is the most unmissable moment as a mechanism engineer?"

"Uh..." Luo You'er casually replied, "The moment the organ is completed?"

"No, it's the moment when it really comes in handy as a real thing. This is also the only criterion for measuring the value of a mechanism." Mo Yun wiped the rain from his forehead, "Every mechanism master hopes that his or her The work can be popularized and shine. As the maker of the war mechanism, I naturally have to witness its effectiveness on the battlefield."

"But the ice ship...wasn't it made by the living dead?"

"That's right. But the design of the hull and the most core propulsion device are all completed by the Mechanics Bureau." When she said this, her voice suddenly dropped a little, "Of course I don't deny that the ideas provided by Xia Fan are also helpful to me. It's very helpful...”

After skipping this paragraph, Mo Yun raised his voice again, "You know, these ships are definitely creations of the times! They don't rely on sails for power, but are driven entirely by astronomical instruments and gear sets, as well as propellers—the paddles If the sheet is made into a curved surface, the rotation can be used to generate propulsion, which is simply a genius idea!"

"And it's not enough just to have an idea. This system requires all-steel casting. Wood, bronze, and pig iron are not enough to support its operating strength. And steel is hard to come by, let alone processed into shafts and gears. This is definitely not a blacksmith What can be done with the hands, can only be done with the knives, grinders, and sharpeners also driven by the celestial motion."

"In other words, it needs a large-scale machine building bureau, a large number of gas sensers who are not under the jurisdiction of the Privy Council, manufacturers who need to master basic skills and the theory of numbers, and managers who are willing to invest in these expenses. And a person in charge who can integrate various resources."

"Therefore, only the Jinxia Machine Building Bureau can manufacture it in the entire Great Qi." Mo Yun paused, "You said, how could I miss the important moment when it first appeared on the battlefield with such an outstanding machine creation?"

Luo Youer was dumbfounded for a moment.

She suddenly realized that she might be wrong.

Sister Mo Yun is not reticent and cold as ice.She just doesn't want to spend more time talking about things that don't interest her.

Once it comes to the things she cares about, she turns out to have a lot of words, at least as long-winded as Luo Weiwei who urges her to study.

The soil thief really gave herself a difficult task, Luo You'er thought bitterly, now she can only hope that the probability theory that Sister Mo Yun said is correct.

……

When the ice ship approached within two miles of the imperial fleet, the gigantic Invincible had already turned more than half of its turn. Although it lacked a bit of elegance and leeway, it at least resolved the fleet's greatest crisis.

The strike range of the front half broadside can already cover the incoming target!

"Let the gunners shoot freely." Lord Tural said coldly.

The order was issued quickly, the 24-pound gun on the top tier and the [-]-pound gun on the middle tier fired first. With the rapid roar, the acrid gunpowder smoke immediately covered the side of the Invincible, and dozens of shells roared towards Jinxia. The ice ship flies away!

Chapter 376 Naval Battle and Land Warfare

The Angela followed closely behind, spraying out the first round of flames to the southeast.

These gunners are undoubtedly the elite of the empire, not only well-trained, but also highly skilled. In the first round of shooting, the shells were evenly scattered on the surrounding area of ​​the ice ship.

For a time, many water jets shot up into the sky, like a forest of sea water erected on the surface of the ocean.

The ice ship did not slow down at all, and continued to approach the fleet after passing through the water mist.

Captain Flynn was the first to spot a serious problem.

That is, the opponent is indeed a bit ridiculously fast.

Based on his experience, he estimated that the enemy's speed is about fifteen or sixteen knots, which is undoubtedly an astonishing number—and the full speed of imperial warships, even with half sail and smooth wind, will not exceed ten knots, and the average speed is usually three to four quarters.He has never tried the extreme speed with full sail on a windy day. One is that it is unnecessary, and the other is that too high a speed will damage the hull structure.But the opponent didn't have this concern at all. The slender and smooth hull seemed to be prepared for high speed. At the same time, the upper structure also omitted the mast and canvas, which made the center of gravity sink a step further. Even in windy conditions, the Invincible was absolutely Can't run away from the opponent.

The high speed brings great dexterity, and the opponent's hull looks smaller than the pirate ship, so the artillery hit has become a big problem.

If the Jinxia people intend to open formation against the imperial fleet, then Ferlin is confident that he will win with his first-class gunners, but once the opponent does not intend to stop, the hit rate can only be left to chance.For example, after the first round of shooting, the gunner should fine-tune the pitch angle of the muzzle according to the landing point, but during this time, the ice ship has already passed the landing point area and zoomed in to a new distance, so the gunner can only adjust the artillery intuitively again aim at.

"Reload the bottom 32-pound gun with shotgun, wait for the target to come within a hundred yards before firing!" Filin shouted towards the microphone.

"What exactly are they trying to do?" Tural put down the lookout glass - now he could clearly see the ice ships approaching with the naked eye.Only now did he discover that not only did these ships have no sails, but they didn't even have muzzles and decks.The head presents a smooth spinning cone shape, and the arc-shaped ice surface extends from the head to the stern. The whole has an indescribable beauty of simplicity.

Feilin suddenly thought of a possibility, and couldn't help frowning, "The ship isn't full of kerosene and explosives, is it?"

"Hmm...it seems like the method mainlanders would adopt." The Lord pondered, "It's just that they are doomed to be disappointed."

There are two mages accompanying the flagship, one is specialized in evocation, the other is specialized in protection. The flame restraint force field of the latter can greatly weaken the effects of burning and high-heat airflow impact caused by the explosion. If the spell is applied to the ice On the ship, the opponent's explosion will only shatter him to pieces.

At this time, the fastest-loading [-]-pounder gun had fired its third round of shelling, and with the unremitting efforts of the gunner, good luck finally came——

In this round of free fire, at least four shells landed on the ice ship!

Tural saw with his own eyes an iron ball hit the enemy ship's face.

However, the scene of the ice ship breaking apart did not appear, only the shells were directly bounced off and rolled into the sea water.

how come?

That's a real twelve-pounder gun!

Within this distance, even the oak boards on the side of the Invincible itself could not block the direct hit of this gun.

Shouldn't things like ice cubes shatter when you hit them?

The other hit shells didn't seem to have any effect, not to mention opening a hole in the opponent's ship, leaving a shallow white mark at most.

Tu La suddenly had a bad feeling.

He quickly ordered to the captain, "Quickly replace the 32-pound gun with conventional shells! This thing is harder than imagined!"

This is indeed the case. Within a hundred yards, the 24-pound guns on the middle deck scored a few hits, but they all bounced off. The conical head of the enemy ship seemed to have been given magical power. It is obviously frozen by ice, but it has a strong protective ability!

Only the heavy projectiles fired by the 32-pound short cannon can crack a crack on the ice ship. However, the closer the opponent is, the more frequently the angle of fire will be adjusted. There is no time to fire a few times, let alone a lucky hit.

This also means that they don't need to be stuffed with kerosene and explosives at all, and they can open a big hole on the Invincible with just a strong head——

Use the most original collision method!

The distance of a hundred yards is only a blink of an eye, and the mage has already propped up a restraining force field, but it is meaningless to the ice ship traveling at high speed.The Invincible was finally fully aligned at this moment, the firepower density reached the highest level, and the roar of artillery fire continued, like a storm of flames and thick smoke!