The Silenced Radiance (Part One)

In the Pansy's command cabin, everyone watched the footage of Saint Lan Cathedral with great interest.

"He's so brave!" Even Beianqi couldn't help marveling at Augustus's prowess. "He actually took a hypersonic shell head-on with his bare body. Why didn't Augustus catch all ten? Then we'd have accomplished half our goal for today!"

"In your dreams," Newman said. "Destroying their headquarters in one attack was remarkable enough. You want to take out the enemy's leader too?"

Meanwhile, in the Radiant Holy City.

Tiny flecks of golden light lit up across the city walls, winding through the gaps between the bricks like dormant fireflies. In an instant, they intertwined into a fine net of light and converged into a brilliant circular band.

The radiant ring then rose into the air, contracting and condensing until it met above the very center of the city.

A massive semicircular defensive shield spread out, resembling an inverted glass dome. Colored halos drifted across its surface, refracting a rippling sheen, and even the sunlight was dimmed somewhat by the barrier.

The second salvo of ten shells arrived on its heels, screaming through the air as they struck the shield. The successive impacts pressed the barrier inward, leaving a pronounced dent. In the end, however, it held against the assault and slowly sprang back into shape, leaving only ripples spreading across its surface.

"It really is sturdy!" Su Ming exclaimed.

It could even withstand hypersonic armor-piercing darts. The Radiant Holy City's defensive system showcased the Temple of Light's thousand years of accumulated resources.

"It took an enormous amount of magical materials to build that," Newman said with deep envy as he looked at the alchemy arrays covering the Radiant Holy City's walls. "Just how much wealth have those holy frauds amassed?"

In the area at the city's