Remembrance of Regret

Rip.

The giant claws raked viciously against the ground, their razor-sharp tips carving fine fissures into the hardened earth. A moment later, the beast's massive paw slammed down with crushing force. A deep crater formed instantly, and using this immense leverage, the beast lunged forward over a dozen meters, roaring furiously as it pounced toward Bai Ina.

A colossal shadow cast an oppressive gloom over the ground; Bai Ina looked up at the gargantuan creature, which felt like Mount Tai collapsing upon him.

Bai Ina's expression turned grave. He bent his knees slightly, kicked off the ground with all his might, and his arched body shot away like an arrow released from a bow, fleeing frantically in the opposite direction of the beast.

Seeing Bai Ina attempt to escape, the thoroughly enraged beast landed on all fours, its speed surging once more as it gave chase to the ant running before it.

The speed of the beast on all fours was far beyond what Bai Ina could match. Less than a minute into the pursuit, Bai Ina felt the stench of the creature growing thicker behind him; clearly, the monster was steadily closing the distance.

Bai Ina gritted his teeth, a fierce look crossing his face. His sprinting body suddenly pivoted, and he swung his Black Blade in a wide arc.

"Black Prison!"

Accompanied by a low shout, a crescent-shaped, pitch-black slash struck directly at the beast's neck. The moment it touched the creature's throat, the slash suddenly expanded, its ends connecting to form a pitch-black collar around the beast.

Yet, it kept spinning, continuously cutting into the beast's neck. The effect, however, was minimal; after a series of sparks erupted, the attack dissipated.

This defense...

Seeing this, Bai Ina's expression grew even uglier.

During the time wasted on that strike, the beast had closed in behind him. Its giant paw descended with terrifying force; if this blow landed true, even with Bai Ina's superior muscular flexibility, he would be flattened into a meat patty.

"Iai Slash—Black Flame!"

Bai Ina's Black Blade returned to its sheath with lightning speed, only to be drawn again even faster. A giant slash wreathed in black flames flew out, but it was not aimed at the beast—it struck the ground beneath the creature's claws.

BOOM—

With a thunderous roar, a massive hole appeared under the beast's feet. The sudden loss of footing caused the beast's body to tilt, and the giant claw swinging toward Bai Ina shifted trajectory, grazing past the top of his head.

The immense force sent Bai Ina stumbling, but once he regained his footing, he stomped hard on the ground. With a muffled thud, he exploded forward, leaving a crater in his wake.

"Fang Thrust—Elegy of the Soul!"

The Nine Nether chill gathered upon Black Blade Dawn, making it appear as if the blade had expanded countless times over. Carrying a biting gale, it tore through the air, striking directly at the beast's other, unshielded pupil.

Since the beast's physical defense was impenetrable, this exposed eye was his only chance to land a lethal blow.

As he drew closer, a glimmer of joy couldn't help but surface on Bai Ina's face.

However, the instant the giant blade was about to touch the beast's pupil, Bai Ina clearly felt a look of mockery flash through the creature's eye, causing his heart to skip a beat.

CLANG—

The sound of metal striking metal rang out. The beast had closed its eye the moment the blade arrived, forcing the sword to collide with the hardened eyelid. A jarring vibration traveled from the palm holding the sword through his entire body, leaving him momentarily numb.

SWISH—

In that very instant, the beast's giant claw arrived, striking Bai Ina's body without obstruction.

Bai Ina was sent flying backward, blood painting the sky as he tumbled for dozens of meters before finally slamming into a massive tree, which shattered into splintered branches upon impact.

His body slid down limply, his clothes soaked in blood, and he began to cough up blood uncontrollably.

"ROAR—"

Seeing the annoying fly finally swatted away, the beast excitedly pounded its chest with its paws, emitting a series of dull thuds.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

After hacking up several mouthfuls of blood, Bai Ina used Black Blade Dawn to prop himself up. Feeling the agony throughout his body, a bitter smile appeared on his face.

THUD.

With a muffled sound, a shadow obscured his vision. He looked up, and what greeted his eyes was the beast's hideous, snarling face. With another roar, the creature's claw descended straight toward him.

If this blow landed, there would be no way out for Bai Ina!

Am I going to die?

A bitter smile curled the corners of Bai Ina's lips. Though he had imagined how he might die, he never expected to be swatted to death by a beast as if he were nothing more than a fly!

Perhaps it was the final flash of life, but faces began to emerge in his mind.

Kuina, Loxi, Zongcilang, Hijikata Yoshitoyo... Kubo Yamato and others; one familiar face after another flickered through his consciousness.

And then, the anomaly occurred...

Time seemed to freeze in that moment. The surroundings suddenly grew silent, and all manner of profound, mysterious sounds resonated deep within his soul. This sudden change left the desperate Bai Ina stunned for a heartbeat, but then, he understood.

"Even without that wooden board, I still couldn't enter. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm missing a certain catalyst. Only when I encounter that catalyst will I truly be able to reach that realm."

The words he had previously spoken to Sa Kaiyang flooded his mind.

A catalyst... he had found it.

The catalyst he had been lacking was found; it was the epiphany between life and death, a realization only possible when standing on the brink of extinction.

"I hear... your breathing!"

The whisper drifted slowly from Bai Ina's lips. The delicate face of Kuina appeared in his mind.

A sudden, tender beauty graced Bai Ina's features. His expression flickered with nostalgia, reminiscence, and pity, finally settling into a poignant, sorrowful love. Black Blade Dawn was raised without a sound.

"A ripple of green water in the heart, a breeze brushes the soul's sorrow, three thousand beautiful ripples, following the quiet and slow, the autumn water between the brows remains unspread, for whom does the heart gaze? By whom is the heart circled?"

A silvery-white radiance rippled over Black Blade Dawn, turning the pitch-black blade as white as snow, gentle and... sorrowful!

"First Slash—Remembrance of Regret!"

The silvery-white radiance erupted suddenly; not even the daylight could obscure the brilliance of that instant, which felt like a fleeting moment, yet also like ten thousand years...

As the radiance dissipated, the figures of Bai Ina and the giant beast emerged, but the beast's claw did not strike down, remaining frozen in mid-air.

Bai Ina slowly sheathed his sword, and the very moment the black blade clicked fully into its scabbard, a line of blood appeared across the giant beast's body. In an instant, blood sprayed into the sky, forming a vast rain of gore that blotted out the horizon.

Thud—

Accompanied by a dull impact, the giant beast split into two halves and collapsed to the ground, causing the earth to tremble.

As the beast fell, Bai Ina's body staggered, but he forced himself to stand firm, casting a gentle smile toward the people on the warship who were wearing expressions of wild joy.

He began to pace toward the warship.

"Roar!"

But at that very moment, beast roars echoed once more, and several more giant beasts leaped from the deep forest, lunging straight at Bai Ina.

Seeing this, Bai Ina paused his steps, then looked toward the crowd on the warship, a smile of reluctance appearing on his face...

ps: Thanks to 'Qing Chen?', 'Long Sheng Yun Xiao De Shu Mi', and 'Book Friend 151113000630753' for the tips, thank you for the support!

ps: Just got out of the Little Black Room, the update is a bit late.