The time quietly reached 11 o'clock at noon. Zhang Hao stood on the white clouds. The white clouds were condensed by Liu Dingshan. There were also Liu Xinyu, Zhou Shuhai, Sword Heroes, Hua Baixiang and others on the white clouds. Many elites from Qixia Country were here.
In fact, not only the elites of the Qixia Kingdom, but also the elites of other countries have come. The white clouds in the sky are filled with masters. Even countries within the scope of the Dongfang Xianyin Sect have representatives.
Strictly speaking, this battle was not an all-out battle. The Xuanzhen Sect and the Xiaoyao Sect were very cautious. They almost unanimously restricted the war to the sea and battleships, and had no idea of expanding the war - at least not for the time being.
And for the time being, Zhang Hao only saw the Nascent Soul stage on the battleship, not the Divine Transformation stage.
In fact, everyone knows very well that if both sides suffer losses, the Dongfang Xianyin Sect will not be lenient.
Don't think that the Immortal Yin Sect is a good person just because the name contains "Yin"; those who can become a holy place are all created! To put it more directly, they all crawled out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
But at this point, the battle has not started yet, which makes many people anxious - it's so slow! Shouldn't a cultivator's battle be done by rolling up his sleeves?
Liu Dingshan was a little anxious and couldn't help but ask Zhang Hao.
Zhang Hao looked at the anxious eyes of everyone around him and shook his head slightly: "Senior, this is my first time to have such a naval battle; even the two sides who are about to fight are probably their first time. Therefore, how this war will proceed, I have no idea how it will proceed.
Not sure.
In fact, when it comes to combat experience, the ones with the most experience in ocean battleship combat right now should be the Canglan Kingdom and the Langya Kingdom. The two countries have been fighting since years ago. This is unmatched by the fleets of the Ocean Group and the Qixia Kingdom.
"
Liu Dingshan looked at Zhang Hao, suspicion flashing in his eyes.
I heard that the fleet of your Ocean Group often conducts exercises. If you don't know the situation of naval battles, I'm afraid others don't know much about it!
Zhang Hao turned his head and looked at the sea below. In fact, the naval battle... Zhang Hao really didn't know. He had Dugu Junjie and Zhao Yuhang practice a lot before, but Zhang Hao didn't care much about the specific drills.
Leave professional matters to professionals! What Zhang Hao wants to do is not to understand the war, but to guide the development of Dayang Group.
A person's ability, energy, etc. are all limited. Even a cultivator in the transformation stage cannot cover everything. But Zhang Hao naturally won't explain such things. It's too troublesome. Just say that he doesn't know. How simple!
In fact, it is impossible to say that Zhang Hao does not understand at all. The guiding ideology of Dugu Junjie and others at the beginning was pointed out by Zhang Hao. In the later development, Dugu Junjie and others also discussed with Zhang Hao more. However, these things,
There is no need to let others know.
Obscene development is the way to go!
In the sky, Liu Dingshan drove the white clouds forward slowly; in the distance on the sea, about twenty kilometers away, was the fleet of the Xuanzhen Sect. Such a far distance was also a default safe distance.
For masters in the transformation stage, twenty kilometers is already very close. However, due to line of sight problems, the distance is blurred even further, so it can only be at a distance of twenty kilometers.
But just when Liu Dingshan started to get anxious, things finally turned around in the East - the Xiaoyao faction's fleet appeared!
Zhang Hao quietly covered his forehead. Did the Xiaoyao faction have water in their heads? The large fleet directly attacked the Xuanzhen sect's fleet. Have you really considered it carefully? There is a big gap between you, okay?
But... wait! Zhang Hao suddenly realized that even if the Xiaoyao faction did not have a naval commander, the Langya Kingdom and the Southern Tang Kingdom would not be so ignorant. They rushed over like this, they must have a plan!
In the sky, all the experts watching the battle held their breath. An unprecedented super battle was about to begin!
On the Xuanzhen Sect's side, 19 steel warships are lined up in a wild goose formation, which is a big arrow layout. The distance between each of the 19 warships is about one kilometer, and the 19 warships are directly lined up about 20 kilometers apart.
About 10 kilometers behind the warship, more than 50 skinned warships formed a formation and gathered together. Of course, they were 10,000-ton warships after all. The so-called gathering together was more than two to three hundred meters away from each other.
Fifty warships formed a trap formation in front and back, covering an area of five kilometers in diameter.
Every warship is a formation base, and the black iron skin becomes the best carrier of the formation. The warship floats past, and layers of low waves roll up on the sea.
These warships use steam turbines provided by Ocean Group. They have no sails and are very fast.
In contrast, the warships of the Xiaoyao faction had to be driven by formations. Of course, in addition to higher energy consumption, formation drive was not bad in terms of power.
On the Xiaoyao faction's side, there were two steel battleships in front, three black iron battleships in the back, and more than 300 warships in the rear. But more than 300 warships were a bit too much, and Zhang Hao didn't see what the other party was doing for a while.
What kind of formation? All I know is that at a glance, it's a mess.
Zhang Hao asked Liu Dingshan, and Liu Dingshan shook his head: "I can't tell it either!"
...so damn stingy!
Zhang Hao turned to look at Hua Baixiang, who was staying with Dayang Group and refused to leave.
Hua Baixiang smiled brightly and continued chatting with Yan Wushuang, the swordsman and swordsman.
Finally, Han Wuji, the swordsman and swordsman next to him, spoke: "I can't tell at the moment. The opponent seems to have used several formations and combined them with military strategic layout.
But this is not unexpected. The opponent’s layout is also to paralyze the Xuanzhen Sect’s fleet, and it is impossible for us to see it at a glance. Maybe we can only see it when we launch an attack."
Zhang Hao then nodded slowly - not only thanking Han Wuji for watching, but also denying Liu Dingshan and Hua Baixiang. You two really didn't notice it!
But think about it, on the main battleship of the fleet, the Xiaoyao faction is completely at a disadvantage. If they don't have any trump cards, how could they rush over like this stupidly!
Zhang Hao's eyes widened. The fleets of both sides began to approach, and soon they were within a distance of twenty kilometers!
At this time, the commander of the Xuanzhen Sect fleet and a disciple of the Xuanzhen Sect, Lu Xuanyu (Zheng Xuanzi), stood in the captain's room of the flagship Endeavor One, scolding Fang Qiu.
Yuanyingqi flying above constantly reported the enemy's situation.
Lu Xuanyu listened to all kinds of information, his eyes calm and steady. Since taking charge of the fleet, he has become more and more general-like. Listening to various reports, plus a rare treasure of the cultivator "Water Moon Mirror", the scene in the distance
Projected in front of him, Lu Xuanyu could almost see the enemy's situation clearly.
"The distance is 16 kilometers!" a sailor responsible for measuring the distance shouted.
At a distance of sixteen kilometers, you can already see the other party with the naked eye - of course the other party can also see you.
Lu Xuanyu took a look at the situation and immediately ordered, "Seize the 'T' position, accelerate as planned, prepare to adopt wolf pack tactics, and the warships are not allowed to come within ten kilometers of the opponent!"
Wolf pack tactics, circling around the prey, waiting for opportunities, but not rushing directly into the prey camp.
Especially the opponent's battle formation was in a mess, which made Lu Xuanyu feel instinctively uneasy.
The fleet was divided into three. One fleet was composed of three warships from the original Canglan Kingdom. They fought alone, mainly to draw chills on the periphery of the battlefield.
There is also a 20,000-ton Endeavor 4, plus nine 10,000-ton Wuwei 4 to 12.
Finally, there are three 20,000-ton Endeavors and three 10,000-ton Wuwei. The flagship is also here.
The Xuanzhen Sect's fleet began to turn, and the ship's side faced the enemy, and the fleet began to turn and sail south. More than fifty warships maintained their original formation and continued to follow the fleet.
However, the warships of the Xiaoyao faction did not seem to have changed at all, and they continued to move forward in the same formation as before.
"15 kilometers!" the sailor reported.
Lu Xuanyu no longer speculates on the opponent's strategy. If you sink your warship, no matter what strategy you have, it will be in vain.
Lu Xuanyu ordered to fire! The battle started when the two sides were about fifteen kilometers apart!
The roar of artillery finally broke out on the sea, and the flames were rolling. But in the first bombardment, there were only three warships in total, and they also used small cannonballs.
Ten seconds later, a shell landed near the Xiaoyao faction and exploded. The water column rushed to a height of more than 30 meters, and gunpowder smoke exploded.
Countless masters watching the battle in the sky opened their mouths... What a strange fighting method! But what surprised everyone more was the attack distance, and judging from the explosion, the power was not small.
Even though many of them have seen artillery on land, this is their first time seeing a battle on the sea. Especially, this new, large-scale, steel battleship battle!
After an attack, the fleet immediately adjusted, and the next moment the fleet fired a salvo. The 19 warships, bow, stern, and the guns on the left side of the ship opened fire at the same time.
The largest one has a caliber of 460 mm, and the smallest one has a caliber of 160 mm - this is almost the new artillery of the Ocean Group, which makes up for the lack of artillery caliber. All current warships have also been modified.
The battleship fired a salvo, and the water on the right side of the battleship was stirred up and splashed into the air; against the flames of the muzzle, it showed a wild and domineering appearance.
Twenty kilometers across the sea, hundreds of naval guns fired volleys, flames and gunpowder smoke rolled on the left side of the ship, and the sea water surged on the right side of the ship.
The entire sea and sky seemed to tremble under this salvo. After the explosion, a piercing scream filled the air.
However, the shooting did not stop there! From now on, the attacks... are like waves, one after another!
The speed of the warship has soared to 110 kilometers, tearing through the sea like a sharp sword; the cannons roar incessantly, leaving billowing smoke wherever the warship passes - that is left by the muzzle propellant.
The first wave of shells finally fell; most of the shells fell into the sea, the water column rose to the sky, and the sea was rolling.
Only a small number of shells hit the target. But for the Xiaoyao faction's warships, barriers were raised on the surface of the warships, and some shells hit the target, but they did not seem to have much impact.
At this time, the Xiaoyao faction's warships and warships still did not fire and were still moving forward.
But just when everyone was a little disappointed, two 460mm artillery shells suddenly fell below the waterline of a skinned warship. The attack of the twin artillery broke out at this moment.
Two cannonballs exploded underwater, and the 10,000-ton warship was lifted directly into the air. Although the formation barrier was good, the huge pressure from the sea water directly caused the warship to deform and rupture.
The structure of the warship changed, and the formation barrier broke down without any attack. The warship broke directly in mid-air, at a height of about three meters, and a large number of sailors panicked. Those whose cultivation level was above the foundation building stage began to fly, but many of them had insufficient cultivation level.
Those in the foundation building stage fell into the sea water.
And this was just the beginning. As a large number of cannonballs fell, and as the accuracy began to improve, the Xiaoyao faction lost more than 20 warships in less than three minutes of fighting. These warships may be able to withstand one or two cannonballs, but there are also
limit!
A skinned warship is just a thin-skinned and stuffed crab roe bun! It can’t compare to a real warship. Even a dark iron battleship is much more powerful than a skinned warship!
The five warships in front of the Xiaoyao Sect also took a lot of cannonballs, but they are safe for the time being - the Xuanzhen Sect has not used 'advanced artillery shells' yet.
On the sea, the battleships of the Xuanzhen Sect were still roaring, and the smoke in front of the battleships had gradually become one.
But the warships of the Xiaoyao faction still did not fight back!
The fleets on both sides, continue to approach! The fleets on both sides have spread out for more than 30 kilometers, and it is impossible to completely stagger them.
Although the battleships of the Xuanzhen Sect turned south, the heavy battleships could not turn around immediately. The overall direction of their advance was to the southeast; like a tilted file, they quickly penetrated into the fleet of the Xiaoyao Sect.
The number of Xiaoyao faction's warships has dropped from more than 300 to just over 250; more than 50 warships have been destroyed.
At a certain moment, Lu Xuanyu heard a new report from the sailor: "Ten kilometers away!"
Lu Xuanyu's eyes suddenly sharpened: "460mm main gun, replace it with advanced shells!"
At the same time, the Xiaoyao faction finally made a move. More than 250 warships in the rear began to disperse, and a complex formation gradually began to form.
The two steel battleships and three black iron battleships in front finally opened fire!
On the bow of the Hailong, Ma Jianliang, the naval commander of Langya Kingdom, roared: "Just use high-end artillery shells for me! Aim more accurately!"
At this moment, both sides used advanced artillery shells at the same time.
Ten seconds later, the Xuanzhen Sect took the lead in making a contribution. A 460mm high-level artillery shell with the ability to break the ban hit the Xuantie battleship, the Magic Dragon III. The shell passed through the defensive barrier at an angle of about 40 degrees and hit the ship.
stern.
The violent explosion directly tore the deck: fragments of the shells and those steel fragments cut the deck like blades, and the shock wave lifted the cracked deck away. A large number of sailors were blown away or even torn apart. A main gun at the stern of the ship directly
Misfire.
The explosion caused the stern of the ship to sink suddenly, and the bow of the ship to tilt up, almost out of the water; waves rolled around the Magic Dragon III battleship.
But relying on Xuan Tie's body and Xuan Zhen's extensive weapon refining methods and welding techniques, the battleship withstood the attack!
Then, the Xiaoyao Sect also made a contribution. A high-grade artillery shell actually hit the flagship of the Xuanzhen Sect, which was Lu Xuanyu's car.
The shell directly penetrated the defensive barrier and hit the superstructure; the explosion was so violent that it was beyond imagination - Xiaoyao Sect's advanced shells also had storage space technology, and the shells contained nearly ten times more explosives!
This is equivalent to ten shells hitting the target at the same time. Even if the battleships of the Ocean Group are very technologically advanced, they cannot withstand the explosion at this time. About one-tenth of the area on the left side of the superstructure was directly distorted, and many sailors died on the spot.
In the captain's room, Lu Xuanyu was stunned by the huge explosion. There was a slight deformation on the left side of the captain's room behind him. It almost hit the captain's room.
But Lu Xuanyu remained calm and composed. The size of the flagship, with a displacement of 25,000 tons, was also reflected at this time. After being hit by a cannonball, the battleship barely shook. Unlike the opponent, it almost tilted up.
The distance between the two sides was getting closer; and taking advantage of the numerical advantage of the steel battleships, Lu Xuanyu concentrated fire once.
At one time, four 460mm high-end artillery shells hit the Xuanzhen Sect's Dragon Tooth steel battleship. This 10,000-ton steel battleship was still riveted - the welding technology later developed by the Xiaoyao Sect could not be welded.
Steel.
One of the four shells actually penetrated the chimney, entered the cabin directly, and exploded inside the cabin. The crazy explosion loosened the rivets, the steel plates spliced at the bottom of the battleship, and the keel. The formation structure was damaged, the keel was slightly twisted, and some of the ribs were damaged.
It broke and a large amount of sea water poured in.
In less than a minute, the seawater flooded the boiler, and the sailors around the boiler were injured and dead, unable to prevent the disaster from happening.
The Dragon Fang... lost its power and could only rely on inertial coasting; and the battleship itself began to sink.
The Nascent Soul stage was frantically busy, trying to save the battleship. However, a battleship that had lost power was a living target. Especially the battleship's defensive barrier was also ineffective due to the damage to the battleship's structure.
Three minutes later, three ordinary 460mm artillery shells hit the target again. One of the shells actually penetrated into the belly of the Dragon Tooth. The crazy explosion directly broke the Dragon Tooth. Amidst the twisting sound of steel,
The battleship Gululu sank rapidly.
Since the war, and even since the construction of steel battleships, this was the first steel battleship to be sunk by artillery shells; it was also the second steel battleship to be sunk.
On the Hailong, Ma Jianliang was stunned. This one was really out of plan! We only have two steel battleships in total! If one sinks, it means 50% of the battle damage.
However, the war continued, and the distance between the two sides was less than 8 kilometers.
On the Xuanzhen Sect's side, Lu Xuanyu calmly ordered: "Left the naval guns flat and fire! Prepare the crossbows!"
The effective range of the ballistae is short, less than five kilometers; but the hit rate of the ballistae is very high. But having said that, as the distance between the two sides approaches, the hit rate of both sides' naval guns begins to increase significantly.
At this time, it was not just the cannons on the battleships that were firing, but also the cannons on the skinned warships.
Unlike steel battleships, skinned warships have fragile foundations and cannot carry ultra-long-range artillery with large recoil. They can only install artillery with relatively small recoil - small recoil does not mean small caliber. It just means less propellant.
As a large number of skinned warships opened fire, the sea... was completely lively!
Gun smoke fills the air and water columns form forests.
Suddenly, the Xuanzhen Sect's Endeavor II was set on fire. Six 460mm high-end artillery shells from the Xiaoyao Sect hit the target. This is equivalent to the explosive power of 60 ordinary artillery shells.
The explosion tore the deck, penetrated the armor, and the superstructure of the battleship was directly blown away. However, the disaster broke out next... the explosion!
This time, an ammunition depot was detonated, igniting the propellant, and then a larger explosion occurred. On this 20,000-ton warship, more than 7,000 tons of shells, explosives, etc., most of which were destroyed
explode.
At that moment, the world seemed to tremble. The battleship burst into pieces and was completely torn into pieces. The flames were dazzling. The sea water instantly sunk a hundred meters, forming a giant crater with a diameter of more than 600 meters. A wave of waves hundreds of meters high suddenly spread, surrounding the battleships.
Bumping in the huge waves, all attacks failed.
A battleship of more than 20,000 tons just disappeared. Of the more than 2,500 naval officers on the battleship, only a few Yuan Yingqi escaped with their lives, but they were miserable.
The water began to flow backwards, and the entire sea was in chaos, with bursts of thunder.
The Xuanzhen Sect was a little dumbfounded. But the Xiaoyao Sect burst out into cheers! Ma Jianliang even shouted to keep up the good work.
However, for the Xuanzhen Sect, Lu Xuanyu quickly regained his composure. When the Mirage Dragon and Shark Dragon were surrounded and suppressed, the scene was even crazier than now.
Lu Xuanyu calmly commanded, and the two sides quickly approached.
The warships of the Xiaoyao faction have been deployed, and their plan has finally been revealed: using the warships as the base of the formation, 108 of their more than 300 warships (now less than 200) formed a... sealing the sky and locking the earth.
Big array!
At this time, the distance between the two sides was less than five kilometers.
At this moment, everyone in the sky and on the sea held their breath!
(The extra large chapter, almost three chapters, is uploaded together to ensure smooth reading for everyone.)