The vault's damp air buzzed with tension, the faint black glow of a jade slip in the shadowed figure's hand casting twisted shadows across the ancient stone walls. Ye Tian tightened his grip on the Lunar Fang, its blue steel blade humming with a subtle resonance.
His Void Scar—a jagged curse etched into his dantian—pulsed in sync with the slip's dark energy, sending a stab of pain through his core. Behind him, his allies stood poised: Xiao Lan, her lithe form coiled like a spring; Elder Lian Yue, her silver hair glinting in the dim light; and Chen Wei, his scarred face unreadable, hand hovering near his sword.
The figure's voice scraped the silence, dry and menacing. "You've uncovered the fragment, but it's useless alone. You'll never wield its full power."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, the Void Scar's ache sharpening his focus. "Who are you?"
A hollow laugh echoed through the chamber. "A herald. The Celestial Court sends its greetings."
The figure struck without warning, its blade a streak of midnight. Ye Tian flowed into the Body Sword Stance, his movements fluid as water, parrying with a shower of sparks. The impact rattled his bones, the Void Scar flaring with black Qi that clouded his vision.
Gritting his teeth, he countered with Iron Vein Slash, the Lunar Fang tearing through the figure's cloak. A masked face flashed briefly—pale, eyes glowing with hate—before vanishing behind fabric.
Xiao Lan sprang forward, her crescent slashes slicing the air, but the figure deflected with eerie precision, sending her stumbling back. Elder Lian Yue unleashed a Crescent Moon Slash, a shimmering blue arc of Qi, only for the figure to twist away with unnatural agility.
Chen Wei lingered, blade half-drawn, his gaze flickering between the fight and the pedestal cradling the Starshatter Fragment—a shard of black steel radiating faint power.
"Chen Wei!" Ye Tian barked, blocking another strike. "Fight or run—decide!"
Chen Wei's jaw tightened, and he surged into action, his blade disarming the figure's next blow with a swift cut. The figure hissed, retreating a step, its jade slip glowing brighter. "Traitor," it snarled, glaring at Chen Wei.
Ye Tian's mind whirled. Traitor? To whom? He pressed the attack, channeling Sword Intent. The air quivered, his blade igniting with silver light. The Lunar Fang clashed against the figure's dark steel, sparks cascading. The figure faltered, its aura surging in defiance, shoving Ye Tian back.
The Void Scar erupted, a blinding wave of pain. A memory seared through him—Lin Feng, his former disciple, forging the curse with a cold laugh. "You'll never be whole again, Master." Ye Tian roared, shoving the vision aside. He wasn't broken—not yet.
Elder Lian Yue's voice pierced the chaos. "The shard—it's a Void Shard! Destroy it!"
Ye Tian's gaze locked on the jade slip, the figure's power source. He lunged, but the figure's blade slashed his arm, blood spraying. The Void Scar screamed, yet he pressed on.
Xiao Lan's strike grazed the figure's side, drawing a grunt, but it kicked her back, crashing her into the pedestal. Chen Wei moved, his blade slashing the figure's wrist. The jade slip fell, its light dimming as it hit the stone floor.
The figure shrieked, its form flickering like a dying flame. Ye Tian seized the opening, Sword Intent blazing. His blade pierced the figure's chest, black mist pouring out like blood. The figure crumpled, its mask shattering to reveal a pale, unfamiliar face frozen in shock.
Ye Tian staggered, panting, blood dripping from his wound. The Void Scar quieted, its pain easing slightly. Xiao Lan rose, clutching her ribs, while Elder Lian Yue knelt by the body. "Not one of ours," she muttered. "A puppet of the Celestial Court."
Chen Wei sheathed his blade, his voice low. "I knew him. A rogue cultivator, turned by the Court."
Ye Tian's stare hardened. "You knew?"
Chen Wei met his gaze, steady. "I've been tracking their agents. That's how I found this vault."
The Void Scar pulsed—a half-truth. Ye Tian stepped closer. "And the spy you spoke of?"
Chen Wei's expression tightened. "Not here. But near."
Before Ye Tian could dig deeper, the vault shuddered. The pedestal's Starshatter Fragment glowed, its black steel pulsing with a faint, otherworldly light. Ye Tian approached, heart pounding. The shard was small, a piece of the hilt, but its Qi sang to his soul. He touched it, and energy surged through him.
Visions flooded his mind—the Starshatter Sword forged beneath a blood moon, its blade a symphony of power, a vow to defy the heavens. Then, Lin Feng's betrayal, the sword shattering as the Void Scar pierced his core. Pain and fury intertwined, the Void Scar flaring, but Ye Tian's will held firm.
The vision faded, leaving him breathless. The fragment's glow softened, yet its presence burned bright. "It's real," he whispered. "A piece of my blade."
Xiao Lan's eyes widened. "Then the rest—"
"Scattered," Elder Lian Yue interjected, her tone grim. "Likely held or hidden by the Celestial Court."
Chen Wei stepped forward, urgency in his voice. "There's a map in the vault's archives. It marks the fragments' locations."
Ye Tian's pulse quickened. "Show me."
They ventured deeper, passing shelves of scrolls and relics. Chen Wei stopped at a stone tablet, its surface carved with a map of the Nine Heavens Continent, dotted with glowing points. "Here," he said, pointing. "The fragments lie in sacred sites, guarded by the Court's agents."
Ye Tian studied the map, mind racing. Each fragment was a piece of his past, his strength. Reclaiming them could restore the Starshatter Sword—and his full power. But the Void Scar pulsed, a chain on his soul. He turned to Elder Lian Yue. "The vault holds techniques to counter the Void Scar, doesn't it?"
She nodded, grave. "The Moonlit Purification Art. Forbidden, but it might purge the curse."
Ye Tian's resolve hardened. "Teach me."
"It's perilous," she warned. "Requires a celestial alignment, and the pain—"
"I've endured worse," he cut in, voice like steel. "I'll master it."
A sudden explosion rocked the vault, the entrance collapsing in a hail of stone. A new figure emerged from the dust, cloaked in black, its aura at Core Formation Stage 2. Its blade shimmered with dark, swirling Qi, and its eyes gleamed with malice. "You've found the map," it sneered, "but you'll never leave with it."
Ye Tian raised the Lunar Fang, the Void Scar igniting with pain. "Try me."
The figure's laugh was a twisted echo. "You're not the only one with a fragment." It lifted its blade, revealing a shard of the Starshatter Sword embedded in its hilt, its black steel pulsing with corrupted Qi.
It attacked, its blade a whirlwind of darkness. Ye Tian parried, the clash shaking his frame. The Void Scar roared, pain threatening to overwhelm him, but he stood firm, his will unyielding. The true battle had begun—and the stakes were higher than ever.