The Whispering Vale unfolded like a dream woven from starlight, its cliffs jagged as broken blades, draped in luminescent vines that pulsed with celestial Qi. Mist swirled, thick with the scent of ancient earth and blooming night orchids, their petals glowing faintly under the moon. Ye Tian stood at the vale's edge, the Moonlit Compass in his hand trembling, its needle locked on a path deeper into the valley where the next Starshatter Fragment lay hidden.
The Void Scar in his dantian stirred, a low burn that sent black Qi threading through his meridians, a constant reminder of the Celestial Court's curse. His Lunar Fang hummed at his hip, its blue steel resonating with the vale's energy, as if it recognized this sacred ground of Fallen Moon Pavilion.
Behind him, Xiao Lan adjusted her bloodied bandages, her crescent blade catching the starlight, her face taut with exhaustion but unyielding. Elder Lian Yue, her silver hair flowing like a river, scanned the mist with her Core Formation Stage 1 aura, her eyes sharp for threats.
Chen Wei lingered at the rear, his scarred face shadowed, his hand twitching near his sword. His cryptic warning from the vault—"a spy, not me"—hung heavy, sowing doubt. Ye Tian's senses prickled; the vale felt alive, watching, its whispers stirring a memory—a woman's voice, soft and familiar, singing under a moonlit sky. His mother? A disciple? The Void Scar blurred the answer, pain spiking.
A melodic note cut through the mist, clear as a temple bell yet sharp with intent. "You tread sacred ground, Sword Sovereign. State your purpose."
Ye Tian's hand flew to the Lunar Fang, his Body Refinement Stage 3 aura flaring. A figure emerged, her silver robes flowing like liquid moonlight, her black hair cascading in waves that shimmered with starlight.
Her jade eyes held a storm of warmth and wariness, her aura at Body Refinement Stage 9 refined to a razor's edge. A jade flute hung at her waist, its star runes glowing faintly, pulsing with celestial Qi. Her presence stirred something in Ye Tian—a flicker of recognition, buried deep.
"I am Ye Tian," he said, voice steady but laced with resolve. "I seek the Starshatter Fragment hidden here. It's mine by right."
Her eyes flickered, softening for a heartbeat before hardening like jade under pressure. "I am Su Mei, guardian of the Whispering Vale. This is Fallen Moon's sacred ground. The fragment is not yours to claim lightly." She raised her flute, a single note weaving through the air, and the vines stirred, their tips glowing with starlight, forming a shimmering barrier that pulsed with intent.
Xiao Lan stepped forward, her blade half-drawn, her voice tight. "He is Fallen Moon's Sovereign. His blade proves it."
Su Mei's gaze shifted to Ye Tian, searching, lingering. "I heard tales of you as a child," she said, her voice softening, a trace of vulnerability breaking through. "My mother, a disciple of Fallen Moon, spoke of a Sovereign whose blade split the stars. She died defending this vale when the Court came." Her eyes shimmered, loss echoing Ye Tian's own. "Prove you're the one she believed in."
The Void Scar burned, pain lancing through his chest, but Ye Tian nodded, his gaze meeting hers. "Test me."
Su Mei's flute sang a haunting melody, Starlit Melody, weaving celestial Qi into the air. The vines lashed out, their glowing tips sharp as blades, slicing through the mist. Ye Tian flowed into Body Sword Stance, his movements a dance of precision, the Lunar Fang slashing through the vines with bursts of silver light. Sparks danced, the air humming with his Sword Intent.
The Void Scar flared, a vision searing his mind—Lin Feng, his disciple, laughing under a blood moon, his blade gleaming with ambition. "You taught me too well, Master." Ye Tian gritted his teeth, shoving the memory aside, channeling Starlight Resonance. The vale's celestial light surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes cutting deeper.
Xiao Lan darted to his left, her crescent slashes felling vines with practiced grace, though her shoulder wound slowed her. Elder Lian Yue's Crescent Moon Slash carved a blue arc through the air, severing a cluster of vines, her aura a steady anchor.
Chen Wei guarded the rear, his blade flashing to block stray attacks, but his eyes kept darting to Su Mei, a flicker of unease Ye Tian couldn't ignore.
Su Mei's melody shifted, sharper, summoning a spectral beast—a Starlit Serpent, its scales shimmering like a night sky, its Stage 8 aura rippling the mist. It lunged, fangs dripping with celestial Qi, aiming for Ye Tian's heart. He dodged, the Lunar Fang grazing its scales, sparks flying. The serpent's tail whipped, slamming him into a cliff. Stone cracked, blood trickling from his lips, the Void Scar screaming like a caged beast.
Su Mei paused, her flute lowering, her jade eyes wide. "You fight through that curse," she said, voice soft with awe. "Why risk everything?"
Ye Tian stood, wiping blood, his gaze locking with hers. "I swore to rebuild Fallen Moon. For those I failed—your mother included." His voice carried a weight he rarely showed, a promise forged in loss. Su Mei's breath caught, her eyes softening, a spark of connection flaring—her mother's loyalty, his unyielding will, bound by shared grief.
She raised her flute again, but the notes were gentler, testing his heart rather than his blade. "Show me your resolve."
The serpent struck again, faster, its fangs grazing his arm. Blood welled, the Void Scar's pain a wildfire, but Ye Tian roared, Sword Intent surging like a storm. The air quaked, the Lunar Fang a comet of silver light.
He slashed, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, shattering the serpent into starlit mist. The vines stilled, the barrier fading. Su Mei lowered her flute, her chest heaving, a faint smile breaking through. "You are him. The Sovereign."
The mist parted, revealing a hidden shrine carved into the cliff, its walls etched with moonlit runes that pulsed in time with the Lunar Fang. At its center, a pedestal held a Starshatter Fragment—a blade shard, its black steel glowing with a faint, mournful light. Ye Tian approached, heart pounding.
His fingers brushed the shard, and a vision flooded him: forging the Starshatter Sword in a starlit forge, a woman's laughter—Su Mei's mother?—echoing beside him. "For the sect," she'd said, her voice warm. The Void Scar pulsed, pain mingling with a warmth he hadn't felt in centuries.
He clutched the shard, turning to Su Mei. "Your mother… I knew her."
Her eyes widened, shimmering with unshed tears. "She believed in you. Even at the end." She stepped closer, her flute still in hand, her aura softening. "This vale was her sanctuary. I guard it for her… and for you."
Ye Tian's heart stirred, a rare crack in his stoic mask. Her words, her gaze, carried a weight he couldn't name—loyalty, perhaps, or something deeper. "Join us," he said, voice low but firm. "Fallen Moon needs you. I need you."
Su Mei hesitated, her jade eyes searching his. "I've guarded this vale alone for years. But if you'll fight for our legacy…" She paused, a faint flush on her cheeks, her voice barely a whisper. "I'll fight for you."
Xiao Lan's brow furrowed, her grip tightening on her blade, a flicker of unease crossing her face. Elder Lian Yue nodded, a knowing glint in her eyes. Chen Wei's expression darkened, his hand twitching as if to speak, but he stayed silent.
The vale trembled, the shrine's runes flaring red. A black-robed figure emerged from the mist, its Core Formation Stage 3 aura a suffocating tide. Its blade radiated corrupted Starshatter Qi, a jagged shard embedded in its hilt. "The Sovereign's path ends here," it snarled, raising its weapon. A jade slip glowed in its other hand, its light pulsing with malice, mirroring the Void Scar's burn.
Ye Tian stepped forward, Su Mei at his side, her flute rising to weave a protective melody. The Void Scar roared, but her presence steadied him, her starlit notes a shield against the pain. "Who sent you?" he demanded.
The figure's laugh was a grating echo. "The Court sees all. You'll never reclaim what's theirs."
Su Mei's melody sharpened, vines surging to bind the figure, but it slashed them apart, its blade a whirlwind of dark Qi. Ye Tian lunged, the Lunar Fang clashing with the corrupted shard, sparks illuminating the shrine. The Void Scar burned, a vision flashing—a cloaked figure, not Lin Feng, chanting over his sealed body. The third betrayer?
Xiao Lan and Lian Yue struck, their attacks a flurry, but the figure's aura overwhelmed them. Chen Wei hesitated, then joined, his blade grazing the figure's side. The figure roared, its jade slip flaring, summoning shadows that lunged for the shard.
Ye Tian's Sword Intent erupted, the shrine quaking. He slashed, Starlight Resonance fueling his strike, the Lunar Fang severing the figure's arm. The jade slip fell, its glow dimming. Su Mei's melody peaked, a starlit barrier shielding them as the figure retreated, blood trailing into the mist.
The shrine stilled, but Ye Tian's heart raced. Su Mei's hand brushed his as she steadied him, her touch lingering a heartbeat too long. "You're not alone," she said, her voice a quiet vow.
Before he could respond, Chen Wei pointed to the pedestal. A hidden compartment had opened, revealing a scroll etched with star runes: "Seek the Starshatter's heart where the heavens weep." Another clue, another fragment.
The vale rumbled again, a distant horn sounding—Heaven's Edge closing in. Ye Tian clutched the shard and scroll, Su Mei's gaze anchoring him. But Chen Wei's eyes darted, and the Void Scar whispered a warning. Was the spy among them, or was the Court's true agent still lurking?