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Chapter 370 The Fellowship of the Ring

Chapter 370 The Fellowship of the Ring

Gandalf's gaze remained fixed on Frodo, observing his expression ever since Bilbo gave him the mithril armor and the pouch containing the mountain of gold.

Seeing that he was unmoved by wealth and only felt reluctant to see Bilbo leave, a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes, along with a hidden plan.

Dui noticed Gandalf's expression and seemed to be deep in thought, but he made no comment.

"Duy, what do you think of Frodo as the Lord of the Rings?" Gandalf's voice echoed in Duy's mind.

Duy turned and looked at Gandalf, discovering that Gandalf was communicating with him telepathically.

"How so?"

"I have a premonition that the gears of fate will turn again, and a new war will come again, and it will be more threatening than ever before! I can feel that Sauron's power has become very strong, not much less than at his peak."

"The One Ring has always been a threat, especially as Sauron's power grows stronger. Their connection to each other strengthens, and they will try to reunite. Even Tom Bombadil cannot stop this connection," Gandalf said.

"Tom Bombardier doesn't belong to either side. He's already done a huge favor by keeping the Ring safe for us for decades. We can't keep bothering him and dragging him and Lady Goldberry into the war."

"Therefore, we need to find another Ringbearer who is unaffected by the Ring's power, take the Ring away from the Old Forest, and then destroy it completely!"

"So what are you planning to do?" Dui asked.

Gandalf looked at Frodo and said with a smile, "I intend to assemble another expedition to escort the One Ring to Mount Doom, where Sauron forged the One Ring. Only the molten lava there can destroy the Ring completely."

Dui frowned. "But that's the heart of Mordor, right under Sauron's nose. Now that Sauron has regained his power, his control over Mordor is stronger, not to mention his deeper connection with the One Ring. I'm afraid Sauron will sense it as soon as the One Ring gets close to Mordor."

I'm afraid that instead of destroying the Ring, we'll end up delivering it to their doorstep.

In the original timeline, Frodo and his companions were able to secretly carry the One Ring, reach Mount Doom right under Sauron's nose, and successfully destroy it.

Besides Gollum's guidance and luck, it was also because Sauron's physical form was no longer intact and his power had not yet been restored that his connection with the Ring was not strong enough to allow him to sense it.

But now Sauron is likely to have Morgoth's help, and his strength is far greater than before. His connection with the One Ring is becoming increasingly stronger, and even Tom Bombadil cannot stop their connection.

Once the Ring and Sauron get close, Sauron will likely sense it immediately and frantically try to reclaim the Ring.

If Sauron were to reclaim the One Ring, no one would be able to stand against him.

"Therefore, I intend to lure Sauron out of Mordor, with myself, Lady Galadriel, Lord Elrond, and you..."

Kildan and the other members of the White Way were tasked with keeping Sauron occupied on the main battlefield, preventing him from being distracted.

Then, they secretly sent a team to escort the Ring to Mordor and throw it into Mount Doom.

The One Ring was imbued with most of Sauron's soul and power; the two were symbiotic. If the Ring were destroyed, Sauron would vanish into nothingness, with no possibility of rebirth.

"But would Sauron be willing to leave Mordor?" Dui asked again.

"He will!" Gandalf said confidently. "Sauron's power has been restored, which has given him confidence. He will no longer cower in Mordor, after all, it does not align with his ambition to rule the world."

"More importantly, even if he doesn't come out, we will force him to!"

"He's always wanted the One Ring, so we'll spread the word about it and announce that we're sending it across the sea to the Blessed Lands in the West for purification." Gandalf smiled shrewdly, winking. "Sauron won't want that outcome; he'll definitely intervene personally. That's our chance!"

Upon hearing Gandalf's plan, Dui's eyes lit up.

This plan is indeed feasible. As long as Sauron is lured out of Mordor, or even far away from Mordor, the Fellowship of the Ring can be secretly infiltrated into Mordor and completely destroy the Ring.

"So you're planning to choose Frodo as the Ringbearer and send him to Mount Doom with the Ring?"

Gandalf nodded, glanced at Bilbo and Frodo, and sighed, "Actually, I favor Bilbo more. He has experience in expeditions and his will is strong enough; he is the perfect choice to be the Ringbearer. But he is old. Although his appearance and body have not aged, his heart has become weary, and I'm afraid he can no longer bear the heavy responsibility."

"Frodo is the younger version of Bilbo. Their mothers both come from families with an adventurous bloodline, their fathers come from the easygoing and resilient Baggins family, and they even share the same birthday."

This makes me feel that perhaps it was all preordained, which is why Frodo and Bilbo became family and why we awaited this day.

Du Yi thought to himself, "You really guessed right. After all, this uncle and nephew are the main characters, spanning decades and determining the fate of Central Continent."

"But Gandalf, how do you plan to persuade Frodo?" Duy asked. "After all, escorting the Ring to Mount Doom is no easy task. One wrong move and their lives are in danger. Moreover, the Ring's power is growing stronger, and he will suffer its corrupting influence along the way—a pain that no ordinary person could endure. Do you think he will agree?"

In the original timeline, Frodo embarked on the journey to protect the Ring, mainly because Sauron had learned from Gollum that the Ring was in the Shire and had sent the Ringwraiths and other minions to search for it.

For his own safety and the safety of the Shire, Frodo had no choice but to leave the Shire and take the Ring to the Valley of the Dead.

But now the Ring is no longer in Bilbo's hands, and with the enormous wealth he left behind, he can live a carefree life.

Why risk your life and be corrupted by the Ring, only to lose more than you gain by escorting it?

Gandalf sighed, "I don't want him to bear such a burden either, but there is no one else who can resist the temptation of the Ring."

Hobbits are naturally optimistic, easygoing, love life, and are not driven by desire or strife, which makes them far more resistant to the Ring than other races.

But because of this characteristic of hobbits, they prefer to stay at home rather than go out and take risks.

Only those like Bilbo and Frodo, who possess both the nature of a hobbit and the courage and impulsiveness to adventure, can shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the Ringbearer.

Duy did not participate in the formation of the Fellowship of the Ring and the persuasion of Frodo to join; he left these matters entirely to Gandalf.

After Bilbo finished packing and said goodbye to Frodo, Dui took Bilbo, along with Elses,

Ellos left through the fireplace.

Gandalf, on the other hand, stayed in Bag End for the time being, preparing to persuade Frodo to join the Fellowship of the Ring, just as he had persuaded Bilbo.