Chapter 12: Echoes of the Starlit Path
The Whispering Vale's mist clung to Ye Tian like a second skin, its celestial Qi humming faintly as he led his group deeper into BlackPine Forest. The Moonlit Compass in his hand pulsed, its needle steady toward the next Starshatter Fragment, hidden "where the heavens weep."
The Void Scar in his dantian burned, a low throb echoing the Celestial Court's jade slip from the vale's shrine, its dark resonance a chain on his soul. The Lunar Fang at his hip glowed softly, its blue steel a quiet comfort against the encroaching threat of Heaven's Edge.
Behind him, Xiao Lan's steps were heavy, her crescent blade drawn, her eyes darting with unease. Elder Lian Yue's Core Formation aura scanned the shadows, her silver hair catching starlight. Su Mei walked close, her jade flute at her waist, its star runes pulsing in rhythm with the forest's energy. Chen Wei trailed, his scarred face tense, his cryptic knowledge of the vault gnawing at Ye Tian's trust.
The horn from the vale still echoed in Ye Tian's mind—Heaven's Edge was closing in. The scroll's clue, "where the heavens weep," pointed to the Celestial Weep Lake, a sacred site of Fallen Moon, but the path was fraught. A memory stirred—a night under a blood moon, forging the Starshatter Sword with a woman's laughter, perhaps Su Mei's mother, beside him. The Void Scar pulsed, blurring the face, pain spiking. He pushed it down, focusing on the path ahead.
Su Mei's voice broke the silence, soft yet clear. "This forest holds Fallen Moon's secrets. My mother said it was a sanctuary before the Court's shadow fell." Her jade eyes met Ye Tian's, a flicker of warmth softening her guarded expression. "You carry her hope, don't you?"
Ye Tian's chest tightened, her words stirring a rare vulnerability. "I carry more than hope. I carry their blood." His voice was low, resolute, but her gaze held him, a quiet strength that eased the Void Scar's ache for a moment.
Xiao Lan's grip tightened on her blade, her voice sharp. "We don't have time for stories. They're coming." Her eyes flicked to Su Mei, a spark of mistrust—or jealousy—flaring.
Elder Lian Yue raised a hand, her aura flaring. "She's right. I sense them—six, maybe seven. Stage 8 and 9. Heaven's Edge scouts."
Chen Wei's hand twitched toward his sword, his voice low. "There's a ravine ahead. Narrow. Good for an ambush."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, the Void Scar whispering doubt. "Lead us."
The ravine loomed, its walls jagged, moss dripping with dew that glowed faintly under starlight. As they descended, the air grew heavy, the forest's hum drowned by the thud of boots. Shadows moved above—grey-robed scouts, their cloud-embroidered cloaks glinting, blades drawn. A Stage 9 leader, a wiry man with a scarred jaw, sneered from the ridge. "The Sovereign's a dead man walking. Hand over the fragments."
Ye Tian raised the Lunar Fang, a cold smile curling his lips. "Come take them."
The scouts attacked, blades flashing with crude Qi. Ye Tian flowed into Body Sword Stance, the Lunar Fang parrying a strike, sparks illuminating the ravine. The Void Scar flared, pain lancing through his core, but he channeled Starlight Resonance, the starlight above amplifying his Qi. His blade glowed silver, slashing a scout's arm, blood spraying. Xiao Lan's crescent slashes felled another, her movements fierce but strained by her wounds.
Su Mei raised her flute, her Starlit Melody weaving through the air, a haunting tune that summoned glowing vines to bind a scout. Her notes steadied Ye Tian, her Qi syncing with his, easing the Void Scar's burn. Their eyes met briefly, a silent understanding passing—her music, his blade, a shared rhythm. The scout broke free, lunging at her, but Ye Tian's Iron Vein Slash severed his blade, saving her.
Elder Lian Yue's Crescent Moon Slash carved a blue arc, dropping two scouts, but the Stage 9 leader charged Ye Tian, his sword radiating a fiery aura—Blazing Cloud Strike. The impact shook Ye Tian's arms, the Void Scar roaring, a vision flashing: Lin Feng, forging a jade slip under a shadowed figure's gaze. "Bind him," the figure whispered. Ye Tian staggered, pain blinding, but Su Mei's melody surged, a starlit barrier shielding him.
"Stay with me," she whispered, her voice cutting through the chaos, her flute's notes a lifeline. Ye Tian roared, Sword Intent erupting. The air quaked, his blade a comet of light, slashing the leader's chest. Blood arced, the man collapsing, his eyes wide with shock.
The remaining scouts fled, their cries echoing. Ye Tian panted, blood dripping from a gash on his arm, the Void Scar quieting. Su Mei stepped closer, her hand brushing his to steady him, her touch lingering. "You're reckless," she said, a faint smile softening her words. "But I'm starting to see why she believed in you."
Ye Tian's heart stirred, her closeness a warmth against his pain. "Your mother's faith wasn't misplaced. Nor is yours."
Xiao Lan's eyes narrowed, her voice tight. "We need to move. They'll bring more."
Chen Wei pointed to the ravine's end. "The lake's close. But I saw something in the vale—a Void Shard trap, like the one in the vault."
Ye Tian's gaze sharpened. "You saw it?"
Chen Wei's jaw tightened. "I studied the Court's traps to survive. It's real."
The Void Scar pulsed—a half-truth. Ye Tian gripped the Lunar Fang, doubt coiling. "Show us."
They emerged from the ravine, the Celestial Weep Lake shimmering ahead, its waters glowing with starlight, tears of the heavens pooling in its depths. A stone altar stood at its center, pulsing with celestial Qi, a Starshatter Fragment embedded in its surface. Ye Tian's breath caught—the fragment was larger, a piece of the blade's edge, its power singing to his soul.
As they approached, the lake's surface rippled, a mournful wail rising. Shadows coalesced, forming spectral beasts—Void Wraiths, Stage 8, their forms woven from black mist, eyes glowing red. A Void Shard glowed at the altar's base, its runes mirroring the curse in Ye Tian's dantian.
Su Mei's flute sang, her Starlit Melody weaving a barrier, but the wraiths surged through, their claws slashing. Ye Tian struck, Sword Intent shattering one, but another grazed his side, blood welling. The Void Scar screamed, a vision of Zhao Wuji's regretful eyes flashing—"Forgive me, brother." He pushed it down, slashing another wraith.
Xiao Lan and Lian Yue fought back-to-back, their blades a whirlwind, but the wraiths reformed, relentless. Chen Wei's strikes were precise, but his hesitation lingered, his eyes on the shard. Su Mei's melody shifted, summoning a Starlit Phoenix, its wings dispersing the wraiths temporarily. She stumbled, her Qi draining, and Ye Tian caught her, their hands clasping briefly, her jade eyes steadying him.
"We destroy the shard," Ye Tian said, voice firm. He lunged, the Lunar Fang striking the Void Shard. It shattered, black light exploding, the wraiths dissolving with a scream. The lake stilled, the fragment's glow softening.
Ye Tian retrieved the fragment, its weight heavy with memory. A vision hit—him wielding the Starshatter Sword, splitting a mountain, Su Mei's mother cheering. The Void Scar pulsed, but Su Mei's hand on his arm anchored him. "You're closer," she said, her voice a quiet vow. "We're closer."
Before he could respond, the forest shook. A Core Formation Stage 4 aura surged, a black-robed figure emerging, its blade radiating corrupted Starshatter Qi. "You've taken too much," it hissed, raising a jade slip that pulsed with malice. "The Court claims your soul."
Ye Tian raised the Lunar Fang, Su Mei's melody rising beside him. The Void Scar burned, but her presence was a shield. Was this figure the spy Chen Wei feared, or another pawn in the Court's game?