Yet even so, after the impact of the forbidden spell, 'Crimson Lotus Hellfire,' the yellow barrier surrounding Dragon City had visibly faded, its color substantially diminished. Clearly, having endured the assault of a forbidden spell, the protective formation’s energy had been significantly depleted, resulting in this appearance.

The Dragonkin seemed to have no illusion that a single 'Crimson Lotus Hellfire' could shatter the magical shield of Dragon City. Before the effects of the first fiery spell had completely subsided, the mages among the Dragonkin immediately began casting their next enchantment. Mo Han could distinctly sense the fire-elemental magic elements in the west rapidly coalescing under the summons of the Dragonkin spellcasters.

It would not be long before the second 'Crimson Lotus Hellfire' was fully formed. Even if Dragon City could withstand the second forbidden strike, if the enemy were to unleash several such spells sequentially against the city’s magical shield, the barrier would absolutely not be able to endure it.

Worry began to gnaw at Mo Han’s heart as he realized that, given his current strength, he stood no chance against those Dragonkin. He had witnessed their monstrous power outside Moonrise City.

If there had only been one or two, Mo Han might have found an opportunity to attempt a surprise strike, perhaps achieving success. However, the number of Dragonkin now visible far exceeded that, not to mention those who had not yet made a move, whom Mo Han had not seen—it was simply impossible to halt this tide.

The inhabitants of Dragon City also seemed to sense that something was gravely wrong. Realizing that catapults and ordinary cavalry were proving utterly ineffective against the Dragonkin, the city's siege engines ceased firing. Instead, masses of mages poured onto the ramparts.

They prepared to unleash magical assaults upon the enemy. Under the guidance of an elderly mage clad in gold-trimmed robes, these practitioners began their incantations. Since the elemental affinities of the mages were not uniform, the sky immediately filled with countless magical elements of varying attributes.

Attacks of every conceivable element—spells like 'Spear of Stone' and 'Storm of Fury'—were brought under the mages' control and surged like a tidal wave toward the spellcasters among the Dragonkin. Observing this scene,

A daring idea suddenly flashed through Mo Han’s mind: perhaps he could exploit this chaos, find a way to strike at the Dragonkin amidst the turmoil. With this thought, Mo Han hastily broke into a run towards the direction of Dragon City.

The opposing Dragonkin seemed to have anticipated this possibility. Before them, a pale blue magical barrier instantly rose, intercepting all the incoming attack spells just as they arrived, completely nullifying them.

They were utterly incapable of harming the Dragonkin protected within the enchantment, let alone disrupting their ongoing spellcasting.

Meanwhile, the Dragonkin’s second 'Crimson Lotus Hellfire' was already complete.

Another colossal flame slowly materialized above Dragon City, landing precisely upon the city’s magical shield. Following another violent impact, the shield, having withstood two successive forbidden spells, showed severe depletion of its magical energy.

The shield's power was noticeably insufficient; the yellow barrier began to oscillate wildly—the initial sign of energy exhaustion.

At that moment,

The Dragonkin began casting their third 'Crimson Lotus Hellfire.' It appeared they intended to breach the magical defenses of Dragon City in one decisive push and deliver a fatal blow.

The leading elderly mage above Dragon City clearly perceived the Dragonkin’s intent. Furthermore, their current magical barrage, being of too low a tier, could not inflict any substantial damage on the Dragonkin. If this continued, the magical shield of Dragon City, no matter how sturdy, would inevitably fall, leading to disaster.

Realizing this, the old mage urgently halted the spellcasting mages who were still chanting and commanded aloud: "Mages of the same affinity, combine your efforts to cast high-tier magic against the enemy! Low and mid-level spells are useless against their shield. We need powerful advanced magic—the higher the tier, the better! All Earth attribute mages, gather here with me immediately."

This elderly mage was Silvester, the Grand Magus of Earth for the Dragon Empire and the Chief Magister of the empire, responsible for all magical affairs. Mo Han had never encountered him because, during Mo Han's time in Dragon City, Silvester had been in seclusion, elevating his cultivation. Thus, despite spending a considerable period in the city, Mo Han had no opportunity to meet the Dragon Empire's Chief Magister.

Upon hearing the old mage’s directives, all the mages divided into several teams according to their respective elements, preparing to launch higher-tier spells at the enemy. The Earth mages congregated around the elder, continuously channeling their mana into Silvester. It seemed these mages had undergone prior training for such contingencies; they remained unpanicked and swiftly marshaled their power, feeding it into Silvester to execute the advanced magic.

As the mages’ power began flowing into him, Silvester dared not delay and commenced his chant. He knew he had to use these advanced spells, perhaps even a forbidden one, to constantly expend the Earth mana being forced into him. Otherwise, no matter how powerful he was, he could not simultaneously contain such an influx of external power without ultimately facing self-detonation.

He began to chant in a low tone: "Silent Lord of the Earth, brave warrior, . by contract, beginning with the source of our bloodline, . inter your enemies...."

Silvester was invoking the Earth forbidden spell, 'Heaven's Collapse, Earth's Ruin.' Earth magic is inherently not focused on offense but on defense, making this spell arguably the highest in terms of attack power and destructive capability among Earth spells.

Under the guidance of Silvester’s incantation, Earth elemental energies rapidly amassed around him. The other elemental groups had elderly mages designated to lead the casting of their high-tier spells, while the remaining mages provided continuous mana support to ensure the spellcasters could complete their incantations smoothly.

Under the control of these lead casters, even more potent attack spells hurtled toward the blue magical shield protecting the Dragonkin.

The sheer number of spells this time was noticeably fewer than before, but the magical fluctuations they generated were significantly stronger, indicating that the destructive force of these advanced attacks was markedly greater.

However, the mages of the Dragon Empire could not suppress their rising disappointment upon seeing the results. The advanced spells, upon striking the Dragonkin’s blue barrier, only produced concentric ripples on its surface, failing to shatter it as everyone had hoped, thus posing no threat to the Dragonkin concealed within.

Disappointment etched the faces of all the Dragon Empire mages. They redirected their gazes and their hope toward Silvester and the Earth mages who were still casting, praying that Silvester's spell would be effective in halting the Dragonkin’s casting.

Just then, the Dragonkin's third 'Crimson Lotus Hellfire' was ready.

Another massive sphere of fire struck the Dragon City shield with precision. After a violent collision of magical energy, the shield, having endured three consecutive forbidden spells, was critically low on power. The entire barrier trembled violently, and the yellow light of the shield faded toward transparency, its original color nearly indiscernible—it seemed unable to withstand another blow.

At this very moment, Silvester’s Earth forbidden spell reached its completion. A brilliant yellow orb of energy, directed by Silvester, shot rapidly toward the Dragonkin’s blue barrier. The ground along its path vibrated violently under the immense magical drive of the yellow energy, leaping toward...