The Celestial Weep Lake pulsed with fading starlight, its waters lapping against the stone altar where the Starshatter Fragment had been claimed. Ye Tian stood firm, the Lunar Fang gripped tightly, its blue steel humming with residual celestial Qi. The Void Scar in his dantian throbbed, a jagged pulse of black Qi echoing the malice of the Core Formation Stage 5 figure before them, its cloaked form radiating corrupted Starshatter Qi from a jagged shard embedded in its blade.
The scroll's clue—"The Starshatter Oath lies where the heavens kneel"—burned in Ye Tian's mind, a beacon to the next fragment. Behind him, Xiao Lan's crescent blade gleamed, her wounds bandaged but her eyes fierce with defiance.
Elder Lian Yue's silver hair caught the moonlight, her Core Formation aura a steady shield. Su Mei stood close, her jade flute raised, its star runes glowing, her Starlit Melody a quiet anchor against the Void Scar's pain. Chen Wei lingered, clutching the broken Starlit Relic, its defaced runes hinting at a traitor, his scarred face tense with secrets.
The cloaked figure's voice was a venomous hiss. "The Oath binds your blade, Sovereign. You'll kneel before the Court."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent rippling the air. "My blade kneels to no one." His voice was steel, but the Void Scar pulsed, a memory flashing—a duel with a Court elder under a blood moon, their blade clashing with his Starshatter Sword, a vow spoken: "For the sect, I swear." Pain blurred the elder's face, but Su Mei's melody cut through, steadying him.
Her jade eyes met his, fierce yet soft. "We'll break their chains together," she said, her flute's notes weaving a shimmering barrier. The melody synced with his Qi, easing the Void Scar's burn, their bond a spark of light in the chaos.
Xiao Lan's voice snapped, sharp and edged. "Save the vows for later. Fight!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry flaring, but she charged, her crescent slashes slicing the air.
Lian Yue's aura surged. "It's not alone—shadows in the mist!"
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low. "The relic's runes—they're tied to a trap. I saw it in the vale."
Ye Tian's gaze hardened, the Void Scar whispering doubt. "You see too much, Chen Wei." He stepped forward, the Lunar Fang ready, Su Mei at his side.
The cloaked figure struck, its blade a storm of corrupted Starshatter Qi, dark and jagged. Ye Tian flowed into Body Sword Stance, parrying with a burst of silver sparks. The impact shook his bones, the Void Scar screaming, a vision searing—Lin Feng, his disciple, forging a jade slip under a cloaked figure's gaze. "The Oath will bind him," Lin Feng whispered. Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The lake's fading starlight surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he countered the figure's onslaught.
Su Mei's Starlit Melody swelled, summoning a Starlit Phoenix, its wings scattering the figure's dark Qi. The bird dove, talons grazing its shoulder, drawing blood. The figure snarled, its jade slip flaring, summoning Void Wraiths, Stage 8, their red eyes glowing in the mist. Xiao Lan's slashes felled one, blood and mist spraying, but another clawed her leg, her grunt sharp. Lian Yue's Crescent Moon Slash carved a blue arc, dispersing two wraiths, but more formed, relentless.
Chen Wei struck, his blade precise, felling a wraith, but his eyes darted to the figure's jade slip, hesitation flickering. "The slip—it's powering the trap!" he shouted.
Ye Tian's gaze snapped to him, doubt coiling. "Prove it." He ducked the figure's strike, the corrupted shard nicking his arm, blood welling. Pain exploded, but Su Mei's melody surged, a Starlit Barrier shielding him. "Stay with me," she whispered, her voice a lifeline, her jade eyes fierce with resolve.
The figure laughed, its blade flashing. "The Scar owns you, Sovereign." Its strike aimed for Ye Tian's heart, but he parried, Sword Intent quaking the air. Su Mei's melody shifted, vines binding the figure's legs, slowing it. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its chest. Blood arced, the figure staggering, but its jade slip glowed brighter, summoning a wave of dark Qi that shoved Ye Tian back.
Xiao Lan and Lian Yue fought back-to-back, their blades a flurry, but the wraiths pressed harder. Chen Wei moved to the figure, his blade striking the jade slip. It cracked, black light erupting, the wraiths faltering. Ye Tian seized the moment, Starlight Resonance peaking, his blade a silver comet. He struck, the Lunar Fang piercing the figure's shoulder. The figure roared, retreating into the mist, its jade slip dimming.
The lake stilled, the wraiths dissolving. Ye Tian panted, blood dripping from his arm, the Void Scar quieting. Su Mei steadied him, her hand lingering on his shoulder, her touch a warmth against his pain. "You're unstoppable," she said, a faint smile breaking through, her jade eyes shimmering. "Like the tales my mother told."
Ye Tian's heart stirred, her faith a mirror to his resolve. "Your mother's tales kept me fighting. So do you." Their gazes held, a spark of unspoken connection flaring under the moonlight.
Xiao Lan's voice cut through, sharp. "We're exposed here. Move!" Her eyes lingered on Su Mei, tension crackling, her rivalry raw.
Lian Yue nodded, her aura probing. "The scroll's clue—'where the heavens kneel.' It's a sacred peak nearby."
Chen Wei's voice was low, urgent. "The relic mentioned the Starshatter Oath—a vow tying the fragments to Fallen Moon's heart. I found a map in the vale, etched on a stone."
Ye Tian's gaze hardened, the Void Scar pulsing. "Show us."
Chen Wei produced a small stone tablet, its surface carved with a map of the Nine Heavens Continent, a peak marked with a moon crest. "The Kneeling Heavens Peak," he said. "The next fragment's there."
The Void Scar burned—a half-truth. Ye Tian clutched the tablet, a vision flashing—a disciple, face hidden, swearing the Starshatter Oath before a Court elder, their amulet glowing. The third betrayer, closer than ever. "You've kept too many secrets, Chen Wei," he said, voice low.
Su Mei's fingers brushed his, her face pale. "My mother swore that Oath. She died for it." Her eyes shimmered, their shared loss binding them tighter.
Before Ye Tian could press Chen Wei, the lake trembled, a massive aura surging. Spectral guardians rose from the depths—Starlit Sentinels, Stage 9, their forms woven from moonlight and shadow, wielding blades of celestial Qi. Their leader pointed at the fragment in Ye Tian's hand. "The Oath's keeper must prove their heart," it intoned, its voice echoing with ancient power.
Ye Tian raised the Lunar Fang, Su Mei's melody rising beside him, their energies entwined. The Void Scar burned, but her presence steadied him. Was this a test of Fallen Moon, or a trap set by the Court?