The Starfall Abyss pulsed with fading starlight, its cliffs shrouded in void mist that swirled with celestial echoes. Ye Tian stood before the shrine, the Lunar Fang in one hand, its blue steel humming, and the Starshatter Fragment in the other, its black steel resonating with the Starlit Map's clue: "The blade's heart burns where stars die." The Void Scar in his dantian throbbed, its black Qi weakened but persistent, a jagged reminder of the Celestial Court's curse. The shrine's glow flickered, the Starshatter Fragment secured, but a Court ambush loomed, tied to Hua Qing's ritual for divinity.
Behind Ye Tian, Xiao Lan gripped her crescent blade, blood seeping from her wounds, her eyes fierce with defiance. Elder Lian Yue's silver hair gleamed, 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 chaos. Chen Wei lingered, his scarred face tense, clutching the stone tablet, his knowledge of Hua Qing's ritual deepening Ye Tian's suspicion.
The abyss trembled as three Court Agents, Core Formation Stage 9, emerged from the mist, their blades radiating corrupted Starshatter Qi, jade slips pulsing with malice. Their leader hissed, "Hua Qing's ritual claims the Oath's heart. You'll fall, Sovereign."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent rippling the air. "Her ritual ends with my blade." The Void Scar pulsed, a memory flashing—Hua Qing, her cold eyes fixed on a Void Shard, chanting in a Court ritual. "The Oath will make me divine," she vowed. Pain blurred the vision, but Su Mei's melody cut through, steadying him.
Her jade eyes met his, fierce yet warm. "We'll break her ritual 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 in the void.
Xiao Lan's voice snapped, sharp with frustration. "Cut these pawns down!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry crackling, but she charged, her crescent slashes slicing the air.
Lian Yue's aura surged. "They're tied to a Void Shard array. Find the shards!"
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low. "The array's in the shrine's core. I saw its runes in the vale."
Ye Tian's gaze hardened, the Void Scar whispering doubt. "You know too much, Chen Wei." He stepped forward, the Lunar Fang ready, Su Mei at his side.
The lead agent struck, its blade a storm of corrupted Qi. Ye Tian flowed into Body Sword Stance, parrying with a burst of silver sparks. The impact rattled his bones, the Void Scar flaring, a vision searing—Lin Feng, his disciple, forging a Void Shard under Hua Qing's command. "The ritual binds the blade's heart," he intoned. Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The abyss's starlight surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the agent's arm, blood spraying.
Su Mei's Starlit Melody swelled, summoning a Starlit Phoenix, its wings scattering the agents' dark Qi. The bird dove, talons grazing the leader's shoulder, but another agent's blade lashed, shattering the phoenix and sending Su Mei stumbling. Ye Tian caught her, their hands clasping briefly, her touch a warmth against his pain. "I'm with you," she whispered, her melody rising again, vines binding the second agent's legs.
Xiao Lan's slashes felled the third agent, blood spraying, but the leader's blade grazed her side, her grunt sharp. Lian Yue's Crescent Moon Slash unleashed a blue arc, slicing the second agent's arm, but the leader pressed Ye Tian, its blade aiming for his heart. Su Mei's melody shifted, a Starlit Barrier shielding him. "Stay strong," she urged, her jade eyes fierce with resolve.
Chen Wei dashed to the shrine, his blade striking a Void Shard hidden in its core. It cracked, black light erupting, weakening the agents' aura. Ye Tian seized the moment, Starlight Resonance peaking, his blade a silver comet. He struck, the Lunar Fang piercing the leader's core. The agents collapsed, their jade slips dimming, the abyss's mist thinning.
The shrine stilled, the fragment's glow softening. Ye Tian panted, blood dripping from his side, the Void Scar quiet but lingering. Su Mei steadied him, her hand lingering on his arm, her touch a warmth against his pain. "You broke their line," she said, a faint smile breaking through. "My mother's faith in you was unshakable."
Ye Tian's heart stirred, her faith a mirror to his resolve. "Her sacrifice binds us," he said, their gazes holding, a spark of unspoken connection flaring under the starlight. Her jade eyes flickered with fear—not of the battle, but of losing him. "You're our light," she whispered, her voice soft but heavy with meaning.
Xiao Lan's voice cut through, sharp. "We're not safe! They'll send more." Her eyes lingered on Su Mei, tension raw, her rivalry flaring at their moment.
Lian Yue frowned, her aura probing. "The shrine holds a relic tied to the Oath's origin."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes mention a relic—Hua Qing's pact with the Court. I saw it in the vale."
Ye Tian's gaze hardened, the Void Scar pulsing. "Show us." He approached the shrine, a vision flashing—Hua Qing, her cold eyes fixed on a jade tablet, chanting to bind the Starshatter Oath. The third betrayer's ambition was clear.
They searched the shrine, finding a hidden compartment with a Starshatter Relic, a jade orb etched with star runes, pulsing with corrupted Qi. As Ye Tian touched it, a vision erupted: Hua Qing in a Court ritual, Void Shards circling a shadowed altar, her voice cold. "The Oath's heart will make me divine, and the Court will kneel." Her pact was clear—divinity through betrayal. Pain spiked, but Su Mei's hand steadied him, her jade eyes shimmering. "She betrayed my mother for power," she whispered, her voice breaking. "We'll end her."
Their shared betrayal bound them tighter, her touch a quiet vow. Before Ye Tian could study the relic, the abyss trembled, a massive aura surging. A Void Shard Trap activated, black runes flaring, summoning a Starvoid Beast, Core Formation Stage 10, its form a fusion of void and starlight, its roar shaking the cliffs. "The Oath's heart is sealed," it bellowed.
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 beast Hua Qing's final trap, or a guardian of the Oath's deeper secret?