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Unfortunately, this time the attackers were not just the Dragon Emperor Knights.

In the distance, yellow dust billowed and sand filled the sky, as if a hundred thousand cavalry were charging forth. Yet, the Sacred Dragon Mountain forces had purely relied on their flying speed to penetrate Fontainebleau, carrying no human ground troops, making this spectacle utterly bizarre.

Meanwhile, high in the sky, within a radius of several kilometers above the Sacred Dragon Mountain army, countless snow-white clouds and mist churned endlessly, like surging tides or as if some colossal beast were hidden within, ceaselessly exhaling and inhaling the vapors. Another invisible force permeated the scene, conjuring wild, tempestuous gales in the void, tearing apart the once-cohesive clouds and driving them forward like a mighty army toward the walls of Fontainebleau.

"Roaring winds and swirling clouds—this is the manifestation of the 'aura' once wielded by the Netherblade War Saint and the Onyxblade Sword Saint.' Whenever those two clashed, the skies would churn like raging tides. It seems their successors are gradually approaching the power of their predecessors."

"The yellow dust upon the earth is the unique 'aura' of the Blade Saint lineage. A pity the corresponding Flame Saint lineage has been completely severed, or else the sight of scorching sandstorms and golden flames sweeping the plains would have been another famed battle spectacle."

Standing atop the ramparts of Fort Azure, Catherine watched the approaching enemy forces without a trace of fear, calmly analyzing the scene.

As she spoke, the magical glow of the "Twelve Star Palace Gate" suddenly shifted, its surface flickering with mirage-like illusions. The defenders looked up to see countless colossal golden dragon projections flashing across the expanded barrier, accompanied by faint yet unmistakable draconic roars, exuding a subtle but undeniably real pressure.

"Hmph, the 'Wrath of Ten Thousand Dragons,' passed down through generations of the Dragon Saint. If not for this magical barrier forcing that intangible power to manifest, ordinary people would only feel the dragon's might without seeing its form."

Faced with the Dragon Saint, whose influence far surpassed that of the young Sword Saints and whose 'aura' extended all the way to Fontainebleau from over ten kilometers away, Catherine frowned slightly, and a resplendent power unfurled from her in response.

In an instant, a series of explosions seemed to echo through the void. Though no sound was heard, everyone felt as though their very organs were being shaken. On the luminous surface of the "Twelve Star Palace Gate," the countless golden dragon phantoms suddenly froze, then twisted in apparent agony before vanishing entirely.

From the sky, golden specks drifted down like snowflakes, landing on the people below—golden snow, the 'aura' of the War Saint Leimen, a force that once swept across the world.

Yet the clash of 'auras' meant little. True battles were always decided by bloodshed. Moments later, the formation of dragons and dragon-beasts finally closed in on Fontainebleau's walls. Even from a distance, a vast array of magical lights flared among the airborne legion.

Dragons were all naturally gifted mages. Though draconic magic differed from the elemental magic later developed by the elves—less suited for constructing magic arrays or crafting magical items—it was the most practical combat art for dragons. As for the eighth- and ninth-Tier dragon-beasts, though lacking the intellect to learn magic, each possessed innate mastery over several spells, unleashing them with no less potency. Additionally, under the Dragon Emperor Knights' command were dozens of dragon-mages, all at least ninth-Tier, with a few even reaching the tenth. Though called dragon-mages, most also studied elemental magic, making them stronger than ordinary mages.

Thus, the Sacred Dragon Mountain faction's first wave of attack was a concentrated barrage of hundreds of ninth- and tenth-Tier spells.

Dragon-Shadow Execution Wave, Golden Howl, Argent Annihilator, Kiss of the Depths, Supra-Resonance Field... Legendary draconic incantations and secret arts, almost mythical in rarity, struck Fontainebleau's walls in an instant. The violent explosions of magical energy engulfed nearly half the city, spanning several kilometers—enough force to level an entire mountain.

Yet compared to forbidden spells that could cover hundreds of kilometers, ordinary tenth-Tier magic was like an ant to a mammoth. And when measured against the Twelve Sages' joint forbidden spell, Twilight of the Gods, the difference was that of an ant to a dragon.

Thus, against the "Twelve Star Palace Gate," which had once withstood Twilight of the Gods, these hundreds of ninth- and tenth-Tier spells proved utterly ineffective. After minutes of dazzling brilliance, they dissipated entirely, leaving the colorful magic barrier over Fontainebleau merely trembling slightly, entirely unshaken.

However, the dragons and dragon-beasts of Sacred Dragon Mountain used this moment to close in on Fontainebleau's skies.

Though the "Twelve Star Palace Gate" could defend against super-tier forbidden spells, it did not possess absolute resistance to physical forces. In fact, large-scale magic barriers could not completely block phenomena like sound, light, or air—doing so would cause immense non-combat damage to the cities they protected. This was true even for the barriers of Saint Spirit Mountain or the elven realms. Seeing their magic attacks effortlessly deflected, the dragon-beast riders needed no orders to switch to direct physical assault. Dozens of them spiraled through the air, converging their massive, dragon-blooded bodies into a combined weight, pressing down heavily upon the barrier below.

"VOOOM——" Just as the dragon-beast riders anticipated, the "Twelve Star Palace Gate," impervious to all magic, was not invulnerable to physical force. Though the hundreds of tons of pressure failed to breach the magic barrier, the layered, curtain-like defenses sagged inward by over ten meters under the strain, showing no signs of rebounding.