The deep breath that Gil held before sending the arrow high in to the air was the very same breath that everyone felt to hold. They knew that the importance of this research had been forced to the forefront because of a dangerous position they were all in.
The fact that the corrupted city was floating away wasn't necessarily good. They knew all about the fact that they had just lost one of their off limits holy grounds. A city that had been made with a lot of knowledge and had been home to the bodies of many fellow angels. That alone was a major loss for their people. It was a very clear insult to their entire race.
drop those golden tickets!