Chapter 114: The Power of Radiance

"Damn it!"

Mulan couldn't help but blurt out a swear word from his past life—a perfectly authentic pronunciation that no one in Dilga could possibly understand. Setting aside the fact that he was currently a Dilgan, even if he weren't, the sight of an airship dropping bombs on ordinary civilians in the city would have ignited his fury.

Clearly, the airship's bombing was not very accurate. Mulan could tell they were aiming for the square watchtower, but unfortunately, not a single one hit the mark; instead, the surrounding streets and houses bore the brunt of the destruction.

The city was in chaos. People fleeing and those rushing to put out fires were everywhere. The neighborhoods directly hit were in shambles, and the unaffected districts were just as panicked. Many ran toward their homes, others fled aimlessly, some followed the crowds to hide, and some believed that the war had reignited and reached their doorstep.

Chaotic emotions were as contagious as a plague; everyone on the streets had lost their heads.

Above, on the airship, the man who had been observing the ground through binoculars wore a look of annoyance.

"Ugh, what kind of aim is that? Not one hit! Are there any left? Reload and go for another round!"

"That's not easy. Even though we have twenty more large barrels, these aren't professional bombs. Fixing them in place is a real hassle and takes forever. Besides..."

"Fine, fine. Since they aren't specialized ordnance, don't expect precision. Plus, this sight is something we rigged ourselves; calibration is already an issue. If we can't hit the target, we'll just have to move to step two."

The people on the airship spoke with an air of ease. The man holding the binoculars stood by the observation window, peering down at the city, seemingly searching for something within the panicked crowds.

"Where is that Dilgan powerhouse? Surely he won't just sit by and do nothing, right?"

"He's formidable, but he's wounded!"

The man Mulan had repelled earlier spoke up. He was now draped only in a cloak; apart from his face and arms, his exposed torso was covered in purple magic runes, making him look almost like a member of the purple-skinned race.

A tall man nearby burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! Weren't you severely injured by him? Don't tell me you managed to wound him, too?"

"Hmph, I didn't wound him, but my nose is quite sharp. I can smell the stench of blood on him. He must have reopened his wounds during our skirmish. I deduced that his range of motion was restricted, and he intentionally left an opening to bait me into an ambush."

The tall man walked over and slapped the purple-skinned man heavily on the shoulder.

"And you were gullible enough to take the bait, nearly failing to make it back, right?"

The others joined in with jeers.

"Doesn't that just mean you're easy to fool?"

"Wow, looks like you're not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed!" "Exactly!"

The purple-skinned man jerked his shoulder, shaking off his companion's heavy hand. His expression darkened, but he remained stubborn.

"That was down to my specific traits. If it had been you, or you, or you, you wouldn't have made it back at all!"

"Hahaha, you're good at running away, but I excel at combat. If it had been me, the outcome would have been reversed."

"You! When have I ever been good at running away!"

...

"Alright, alright, stop bickering," the man with the binoculars finally lowered his device, clapping his hands to draw everyone's attention.

"That Dilgan powerhouse is not to be underestimated. If we encounter him, try to avoid a death match. If it doesn't interfere with our objective, leave. If he blocks us, do your best to stall him. Only resort to killing him if absolutely necessary. To be able to easily repel our purple friend while nursing wounds—he is no simple character."

"Understood!" "Don't worry."

"We've fought Dilgan armies before!"

"I'm not 'little purple,' hahahaha!"

The man with the purple runes merely sneered. The leader of the group raised his binoculars once more.

In the city of Sorens, the mass panic made moving through the streets incredibly difficult. Mulan chose to leap across the rooftops instead. He knew that all of Dilga currently lacked anti-aircraft units, and Sorens was even less likely to have them, but that did not mean he would allow that airship to run rampant in the sky.

Mulan knew there were tricky opponents on that airship, but today’s confrontation was almost inevitable. Since the grudge was already deep, there was no need for courtesy.

"In this era of transcendence, the high altitude isn't necessarily safe!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Mulan saw that in some parts of the city, individuals with great agility or special powers were also caught in the explosions. They often moved with incredible speed or used strange powers to insulate themselves from the flames—after all, there were many with mysterious abilities attending the auction. These people were clearly offended by the airship, many of them squinting at the sky.

Mulan withdrew his gaze and focused his attention on the heavens. He drew *Wheel of Light*, resting it on his left wrist, and raised the gun toward the sky with his right hand.

The effective range of a standard pistol bullet was not great, even less so when firing upward. But *Wheel of Light* was different, and at this moment, Mulan poured his heart into unleashing the ability he had just comprehended.

A totem gradually manifested behind Mulan—a towering, radiant figure slowly unfolding its wings. Even though the physical strain was immense, Mulan continued to condense his power, channeling his internal magic into his hands and into *Wheel of Light*.

The powerful magic distorted the air around him, making Mulan’s form appear blurry, as if he were bathed in a hazy light. His body began to hover, yet his aim remained rock steady.

The Radiant Knight totem stepped back, its body tensing into a powerful, pre-launch stance. The light in its hands gathered and condensed into a spear formed of brilliant radiance. At the tip of the spear, a circular magic rune spontaneously emerged—the magic rune of the Radiant Knight.

Down in the streets and surrounding blocks, those with mysterious powers were the first to sense the restless magic. Soon, ordinary people caught sight of the light as well.

"What is that?" "Where?"

"On the roof!"

"Ah, is that an emissary of the Holy Light?"

While the residents of Sorens felt a flicker of stability and excitement amidst their panic at the sight of the light, those with mysterious powers wore grave expressions; this was undoubtedly an immense display of force.

Mulan felt a slight sensation of suffocation. The continuously gathering magic was like holding his breath underwater—he would hold it as long as he could. Finally, he felt he had reached his limit; any further would severely impair his condition.

By now, Mulan was completely shrouded in light. The radiant figure of the totem had become extremely distinct, while Mulan’s own body within it appeared blurred. The muzzle of *Wheel of Light* rested perfectly against the circular magic rune, the tip of the Radiant Knight’s spear aligned with Mulan’s arm.

Mulan had been taking shallow breaths; now, he finally exhaled that long-held breath.

*Hiss—*

High above, the man with the binoculars finally spotted a light source on one side of Sorens. Even at such an altitude, he could vaguely discern a blurry figure of light. He immediately raised his binoculars to look, but it was already too late to react.

A sense of intense crisis welled up—not just for the man with the binoculars, but for everyone on the airship. Almost simultaneously, they felt their hair stand on end.

"Oh no!"

As the man on the airship shouted, Mulan pulled the trigger below.

*Dimension, Holy Spear of Radiance.*

*Bang—*

At the sound of the gunshot, the Radiant Knight totem unleashed its power in perfect synchronization, violently hurling the spear in its hand.

The circular magic rune blazed with brilliant light, becoming like a miniature sun for an instant. Along with the gunshot, a spear of light—far thicker, longer, brighter, and more refined than any Mulan had ever created—shot toward the sky.

The spear of light carved an arc through the high-altitude currents, traveling from the ground to the heavens in an instant, reaching the *Gilvari* airship.

Inside the airship, whether it was the man with the binoculars or those rushing to the windows, their vision was seared by the light. Their pupils dilated in unison, only to contract rapidly in the next instant as they scrambled to react.

The spear of light made contact with the *Gilvari* airship.

*Shing.*

Like a beam of pure light, it pierced straight through the underside of the *Gilvari*. Yet, the magic runes and radiance swirling around the spear acted like countless thorns and blades, tearing the airship apart and causing it to shatter from the point of impact.

Whether they were wielders of mysterious powers, transcendents, or ordinary crew members, they all screamed at the top of their lungs.

"Abandon ship!" "Abandon ship!"

"Run!" "Ah!"

"It's going to crash!"

"Hold on, hold steady!"

"No, it's on fire! The ammunition depot is going to explode!"

In the city of Sorens, countless people looked up. Even those who were panicked—provided they weren't struggling in the midst of fire—followed the crowd and gazed upward.

The massive airship in the sky still had the radiance of the spear clinging to its edges. It was already severely deformed, its hull plummeting as debris fell away and people were flung from the ship.

Then, the airship exploded. A flash of fire ignited, and only after a long delay did the sound finally reach the ground.

*Boom.*