Ms. Diviner: The Prodigal Daughter's Return Chapter 1448: Have You Cried Enough?

Leaning against the wall's corner, Dan Tai Xuan's longsword slashed down with ferocious might. The leopard, a foe as formidable as an Eighth Rank Sword Master, fell with a pained cry, its blood spraying across his face and hair. Before he could even gasp for air, two Golden Porcupines shrieked, charging forward relentlessly.

Around him lay the remnants of the hundreds of young elites who had emerged from the Holy Court – nearly all were either dead or gravely wounded. Compared to the scions of the Five Great Families, these young elites had exhibited far greater strength and resolve. From the initial onslaught of the Netherworld Beast to the chaotic stampede of Exotic Beasts through the breach in Qingyang Pass, it was these elites who consistently bore the brunt of the assault, suffering the most devastating casualties.

Dan Tai Xuan had long lost count of the Exotic Beasts he had slain. As the final Holy Court elite beside him succumbed, a profound sense of despair washed over him.

Had he, like Fang Zhe, chosen to flee Qingyang Pass earlier, he might have at least preserved his own life. Yet, who could have possibly anticipated the Netherworld Beast's targeting of Qingyang Pass? With every Holy Court elite now fallen and the sons of noble families scattered like dust, even the Young Masters were nowhere to be found, rendering any organized resistance impossible.

The soldiers tasked with defending the pass, along with the civilians, displayed commendable training, swiftly forming a defensive perimeter outside the General's Mansion to shelter the populace within. However, their efforts were focused on self-preservation; who could spare a thought for him? More critically, Dan Tai Xuan observed that no one showed any inclination to rescue him. Their earlier indifference had left him utterly isolated and betrayed, with no one willing to risk their life for his sake.

At this juncture, his only hope for salvation rested with Mu Hanyan. But would Mu Hanyan truly save him? Placing himself in her position, Dan Tai Xuan felt a pang of sorrow; were he her, he certainly wouldn't save himself, perhaps even wishing for his demise instead.

Porcupines are not generally regarded as a terrifying presence within the beast kingdom. Even with an awakened innate ability, they typically inspire little fear; this is, however, the general assumption. The Golden Porcupine stands as a distinct exception, its innate ability diverging significantly from that of ordinary porcupines and indeed, from the majority of other Exotic Beasts.

Dan Tai Xuan continued to parry the lunges of the two Golden Porcupines with his longsword, deliberately avoiding a fatal blow. Though utterly spent, his hands feeling as heavy as lead, he remained meticulously careful in conserving his Qi.

After all, his body was not made of iron. His Qi had been severely depleted, and the intense exhaustion coupled with the concentration required to manage his Qi soon led to a sharp, needle-like pain in his mind, causing his mental state to falter.

The instant his focus wavered, one Golden Porcupine seized the opportunity, launching itself upward directly towards his face.

Dan Tai Xuan’s senses snapped back, and he instinctively unleashed a full-powered sword strike.

"Ow..." The Golden Porcupine shrieked in agony as blood erupted from its wound.

The second Golden Porcupine ceased its advance, emitting a simultaneous, sorrowful wail.

Yet, Dan Tai Xuan felt no triumph; his face remained blank, his complexion draining to an ashen hue.

One Golden Porcupine lay fallen on the ground, while the other, suspended in mid-air, began to swell alarmingly, its spikes rigidifying.

Accompanied by their cries of anguish and grief, both Golden Porcupines initiated a simultaneous self-destruction, unleashing their spikes like a dense volley of arrows towards Dan Tai Xuan. Each spike shimmered with golden light, imbued with a soul-chilling murderous intent.

This was the Golden Porcupine's unique innate ability – the Death Sword Rain. When faced with imminent death, they unhesitatingly opt for self-destruction, launching their quills like deadly projectiles at their foe.

This represented the Golden Porcupines' ultimate, life-ending attack. Each individual spike carried a force comparable to the Qi arrows fired by the potent bows of a Beginner Sword Master cultivator. Naturally, one or two such spikes would pose little actual threat to Dan Tai Xuan. However, the crux of the problem lay in the sheer volume – a Golden Porcupine possesses hundreds of spikes. Even a Ninth Rank Sword Master would find themselves in a precarious position facing the concentrated barrage of Qi arrows from hundreds of Beginner Sword Masters simultaneously, especially in his current state of exhaustion with greatly diminished combat power.

What amplified the terror was the Golden Porcupines' pack behavior: they invariably appeared in pairs. Should one be threatened and self-destruct, the other would invariably follow suit. He was now confronted with a situation akin to being shot at point-blank range by thousands of Beginner Sword Masters.

"It's over. It's truly over." Dan Tai Xuan's limbs grew weak with sheer terror, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face.

"Ow..." A barrage of golden arrows descended, and with the first sharp projectile piercing his flesh, Dan Tai Xuan let out a piercing shriek.

The cry was so agonizing, the tears streaming down his face so desperate, that it pierced the hearts of those who heard it and brought forth tears from those who witnessed it.

The desolate, wolf-like howl reverberated throughout Qingyang Pass, drowning out the monstrous roars and the thunderous war cries of the soldiers, sounding more like a lament.

"Hey, have you finished crying? If you're done sobbing, get up!" Abruptly, a clear female voice laced with disdain echoed from nearby.

"I'm not dead?" Dan Tai Xuan's eyes snapped open, only to discover a mere two or three spikes lodged within his body, with the remaining nearly a thousand lying scattered across the ground. Mu Hanyan and Huayue stood before him, gazing down with expressions of utter contempt.

"You saved me?" Dan Tai Xuan gazed at Mu Hanyan, stunned, then quietly pinched his own leg, flinching from the sharp pain to confirm he was indeed alive.

"My intention wasn't to save you, but rather the innocent soldiers and civilians," Mu Hanyan stated coldly, turning her back and hurrying towards the General's Mansion.

From the beginning to the end, she had not spared Dan Tai Xuan a direct glance.

Dan Tai Xuan watched Mu Hanyan's retreating figure, his face flushing and paling with embarrassment, almost too mortified to raise his head. Finally, clenching his teeth, he extracted the spikes from his body, retrieved his longsword, and followed in Mu Hanyan's path.

At this immediate juncture, apart from those who had met their demise instantly, the majority of fortunate survivors had sought refuge within the General's Mansion situated atop Qingyang Pass. Outside the mansion's imposing gates, hundreds of soldiers clad in heavy armor maintained a defensive formation, valiantly repelling the onslaught of the Netherworld Beast and the maddened Exotic Beasts pressing in behind it.

Despite Xu Ming's severe earlier injuries inflicted by Mu Hanyan, its revealed true form was still vastly superior to typical Exotic Beasts. Even with the heavily armored soldiers forming an impenetrable phalanx, its claws proved devastatingly effective; the robust armor forged from Refined Steel offered little resistance, with every sweep of its claws drawing forth profuse blood.

For each soldier that fell, valiant civilians possessing notable cultivation would swiftly step forward to fill the void, employing their own bodies to shield against the relentless attacks of the Exotic Beasts.

Jiang Yuzhe and the others, initially harboring resentment towards Qingyang Pass for its delayed assistance and disinclined to intervene, found themselves silenced by the unfolding scene. Witnessing the desperate struggle, their own blood began to boil, and they eagerly vied to charge forth and join the fray.