At this moment, Dan Tai Xuan leaned against the corner of the wall, and his longsword slashed fiercely, the leopard comparable to an Eighth Rank Sword Master in front of him fell with a cry, blood splattering across his head and face. Before he could catch his breath, two Golden Porcupines screeched and charged forward.

Around him, the hundreds of young elites brought out from the Holy Court were almost entirely dead or wounded. Compared to the sons of the Five Great Families, these young elites were far superior both in strength and mental state. Whether it was when the Netherworld Beast first began its massacre or when the frenzied Exotic Beasts rushed into Qingyang Pass through the breach in the wall, they were the ones who stood in front, suffering the most severe casualties.

Dan Tai Xuan couldn’t remember how many Exotic Beasts he had already killed. When the last Holy Court elite fell beside him, a deep despair welled up inside him.

If earlier he had rushed out of Qingyang Pass like Fang Zhe, he might have at least saved his life. But who could have foreseen that the Netherworld Beast would choose to hit Qingyang Pass? All the Holy Court elites were dead, and the sons of noble families were like a heap of loose sand, with even the Young Masters nowhere to be found, unable to organize any semblance of resistance.

The soldiers guarding the pass and the civilians were well-trained, quickly forming a defense outside the General Mansion to shield the civilians inside for refuge. But they could only protect themselves; who could spare a thought for him? More importantly, Dan Tai Xuan could see that they had no intention of rescuing him. Their previous indifference had left him isolated and betrayed, with no one willing to sacrifice their life for him.

Now, the only one who could save him was Mu Hanyan. But would Mu Hanyan save him? Putting himself in her shoes, Dan Tai Xuan felt a wave of sadness; if he were her, he surely wouldn’t save him, likely hoping for his death instead.

Porcupines aren’t typically considered a feared group in the beast kingdom. Even when awakened with an innate ability, they usually aren’t associated with terror, but that is generally speaking. Golden Porcupines are an exception because their innate ability is completely different from other porcupines, and even from the majority of other Exotic Beasts.

Dan Tai Xuan continued to wield his longsword, fending off the attacks from two Golden Porcupines, yet never delivering a killing blow. Despite being utterly exhausted, with hands that felt as heavy as lead, he was still very cautious in controlling his qi.

After all, he wasn’t made of iron. His qi was greatly depleted, and being utterly exhausted while concentrating on controlling his qi, before long, his mind began to pain him like sharp needles, and his mental state wavered slightly.

At the moment he lost focus, one Golden Porcupine seized the opportunity to leap up, aiming for his face.

Dan Tai Xuan snapped back to attention and instinctively delivered a full-force sword slash.

"Ow..." The Golden Porcupine let out a miserable scream as blood sprayed forth.

The other Golden Porcupine halted its attack, simultaneously letting out a mournful wail.

But Dan Tai Xuan felt no joy, his face showing a blank expression, his complexion turning ashen.

One Golden Porcupine lay on the ground while the other hung suspended in the air, simultaneously swelling up like inflated balloons, all spikes standing rigidly upright.

Accompanied by their either mournful or anguished cries, the two Golden Porcupines simultaneously self-destructed, sending their spikes shooting towards Dan Tai Xuan like dense arrows, each glittering with golden light, carrying a soul-seizing murderous intent.

This was the Golden Porcupine’s innate ability — Death Sword Rain. When their life is threatened, they will unhesitatingly choose to self-destruct, shooting their spikes like arrows towards the enemy.

These represent the Golden Porcupines’ final strike using their life. Every single spike carries power akin to the qi arrows shot by the strong bows of a Beginner Sword Master cultivator. Of course, if it were just one or two spikes, it wouldn’t pose any real threat to Dan Tai Xuan. But the problem is that the Golden Porcupines have hundreds of spikes, even if he were a Ninth Rank Sword Master, facing the qi arrows shot by hundreds of Beginner Sword Masters simultaneously wouldn’t be favorable, especially now that he was exhausted and his combat power greatly reduced.

More terrifying is the fact that Golden Porcupines always come in pairs; if one is endangered and self-destructs, the other will also self-destruct. He is now facing something equivalent to thousands of Beginner Sword Masters’ close-range shooting.

"It’s over. It’s really over." Dan Tai Xuan’s limbs went weak with fear, tears uncontrollably streaming down his face.

"Ow..." A rain of golden arrows approached, and when the first spike pierced his body, Dan Tai Xuan let out a scream.

The scream was so harrowing, the tears on his face so desperate, that it tugged at the heartstrings of those who heard it, and brought tears to the eyes of those who saw it.

The ghostly, wolf-like wail echoed over Qingyang Pass, overpowering the beastly roars and the thunderous battle cries of the soldiers like a mournful cry.

"Hey, cried enough yet? If you’re done crying, get up!" Suddenly, a clear female voice filled with disdain rang nearby.

"I’m not dead?" Dan Tai Xuan suddenly opened his eyes, only to find just two or three spikes embedded in his body, while the remaining nearly a thousand lay scattered on the ground. Mu Hanyan and Huayue stood before him, looking down at him, their eyes filled with contempt.

"You saved me?" Dan Tai Xuan stared dumbly at Mu Hanyan, quietly pinching his leg, wincing painfully to confirm that he was still alive.

"I didn’t want to save you, only the innocent soldiers and civilians," Mu Hanyan said coldly, turning and rushing towards the General Mansion.

From start to finish, she hadn’t even glanced at Dan Tai Xuan directly.

Dan Tai Xuan watched Mu Hanyan’s back, his complexion flushing red and white in embarrassment, almost too ashamed to lift his head. In the end, he grit his teeth, pulled out the spikes in his body, and picked up his longsword, following in Mu Hanyan’s wake.

At this moment, aside from those who perished on the spot, most of the lucky survivors had already taken refuge in the General Mansion located at the top of Qingyang Pass. Outside the mansion’s gates, hundreds of heavily armored soldiers formed a phalanx, struggling against the attack of the Netherworld Beast and the crazed Exotic Beasts behind it.

Although Xu Ming was previously severely injured by Mu Hanyan, its revealed true form remained far superior to ordinary Exotic Beasts. Despite the heavily armored soldiers forming a defense phalanx, its claws were invincible, even the heavy armor forged from Refined Steel was difficult to defend against, every swipe of its claws brought forth a great gush of blood.

For every soldier that fell, brave civilians with notable cultivation would soon take their place, using their own flesh and blood to block the Exotic Beasts’ attacks.

Jiang Yuzhe and others were initially resentful of Qingyang Pass for not aiding them earlier and were unwilling to lend a hand. But witnessing the scene, they couldn’t say a word, only feeling their blood reignite, competing to rush forward into battle.