The Starshatter Forge blazed within the Starfall Abyss, its molten heart a cavern of roaring flames and starlit runes that pulsed with celestial fury. Ye Tian stood before a towering anvil, 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 Starlit Map had led them to this forge, where a new fragment lay, but a Core Formation Stage 14 Starflame Beast, its form a fusion of molten starlight and void, guarded the prize, its roar shaking the cavern. Its scales pulsed with corrupted Starshatter Qi, tied to Hua Qing's ritual.
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 trembling, blood staining her robe from her prior sacrifice, her weakened Starlit Melody a faint but resolute 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 beast's molten eyes glowed, its voice a guttural snarl. "Hua Qing's ritual binds the Forge. You'll burn, Sovereign."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent rippling the air. "Her ritual ends in these flames." The Void Scar pulsed, a memory flashing—Hua Qing, her cold eyes fixed on a Court altar, chanting to awaken the Starshatter Oath. "The Oath's heart is mine," she vowed. Pain blurred the vision, but Su Mei's faint melody cut through, steadying him.
Her jade eyes met his, fierce despite her pallor. "We'll break her ritual together," she said, her flute's notes weaving a fragile barrier. The melody, though weak, synced with his Qi, easing the Void Scar's burn, their bond a spark in the forge's heat.
Xiao Lan's voice snapped, sharp with frustration. "Slay this beast already!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry crackling, but she charged, her crescent slashes slicing the air.
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The beast's tied to a Void Shard array. Find the shards!"
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low. "The array's in the forge's core. I saw its runes in the vale."
Ye Tian's gaze hardened, the Void Scar whispering doubt. "You're too certain, Chen Wei." He stepped forward, the Lunar Fang ready, Su Mei at his side.
The beast lunged, its claws a storm of molten starlight. 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—Zhao Wuji, his sworn brother, forging a Void Shard under Hua Qing's command, his voice broken. "The Court's chains bound me, brother." Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The forge's starlight surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the beast's flank, molten blood spraying.
Su Mei's weakened Starlit Melody summoned a faint Starlit Phoenix, its wings scattering the beast's dark Qi. The bird dove, talons grazing its shoulder, but the beast's claw lashed, shattering the phoenix and forcing Su Mei to her knees. Ye Tian caught her, their hands clasping briefly, her touch a warmth despite her pain. "I'm still here," she whispered, her melody struggling to rise, vines weakly binding the beast's claws.
Xiao Lan's slashes carved the beast's side, molten blood spraying, but its tail grazed her leg, her grunt sharp. Lian Yue's Crescent Moon Slash unleashed a blue arc, slicing its hide, but the beast roared, its aura intensifying. Chen Wei struck, his blade precise, but his eyes darted to the forge's core, hesitation flickering. "The shards—destroy them!" he shouted.
Ye Tian's gaze snapped to him, doubt coiling. "Find them!" He ducked the beast's strike, the molten claw nicking his arm, blood sizzling. Pain surged, but Su Mei's faint melody wrapped around him, a Starlit Barrier shielding him despite her weakening state. "Stay with me," she urged, her jade eyes fierce with resolve, her voice trembling from pain.
The beast's claw flashed, aiming for Ye Tian's heart. He parried, Sword Intent quaking the air. Su Mei's melody shifted, vines tightening, slowing the beast. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its chest. Molten blood erupted, the beast staggering, but the forge's runes flared, a Void Shard Array summoning Void Wraiths, Stage 11, their red eyes glowing in the heat.
Xiao Lan and Lian Yue fought back-to-back, their blades felling wraiths, but more emerged. Chen Wei dashed to the forge's core, his blade striking a Void Shard at its heart. 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 beast's core. The creature roared, collapsing into ash, the array dimming.
The forge stilled, the anvil's glow softening. Ye Tian rushed to Su Mei, supporting her as blood dripped from her wound. Her hand clung to his, her touch a warmth despite her pain. "You broke their guardian," she said, a faint smile breaking through her pallor. "My mother's lore spoke of the Forge… it holds the Oath's truth."
Ye Tian's heart clenched, her sacrifice mirroring his guilt over Zhao Wuji's coercion. "Her wisdom guides us," he said, their gazes holding, a spark of unspoken connection flaring under the starlight. Her weakened state deepened their bond, her resolve a mirror to his own.
Xiao Lan's voice cut through, sharp. "We're not safe! They'll come for the fragment." Her eyes lingered on Su Mei, tension raw, her rivalry flaring at their moment.
Lian Yue frowned, her aura probing. "The forge holds a relic tied to Zhao Wuji's betrayal."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes mention a relic—the Oath's binding, linked to Hua Qing's ritual. I saw it in the vale."
Ye Tian's gaze hardened, the Void Scar pulsing. "Show us." He helped Su Mei to the forge's core, a vision flashing—Zhao Wuji, forging a Void Shard under Hua Qing's command, his voice broken. "The Court's chains bound me." The betrayal's weight was clear.
They searched the forge, finding a hidden compartment with a Starshatter Relic, a jade orb etched with star runes, pulsing with celestial Qi. As Ye Tian touched it, a vision erupted: Zhao Wuji in a Court ritual, Void Shards circling a shadowed altar, Hua Qing's voice cold. "Your betrayal seals the Oath's heart." Pain spiked, but Su Mei's hand steadied him, her jade eyes shimmering despite her wound. "My mother died for that Oath," she whispered, her voice breaking. "We'll stop her."
Their shared loss bound them tighter, her touch a quiet vow despite her pain. Before Ye Tian could study the relic, the forge trembled, a massive aura surging. A Court Forgemaster—Core Formation Stage 15—emerged from the flames, its blade radiating corrupted Starshatter Qi, a jade slip pulsing in its hand. "Hua Qing's ritual binds the Oath's heart," it hissed. "You'll fall, Sovereign."
Ye Tian raised the Lunar Fang, Su Mei's weakened melody rising beside him, their energies entwined despite her fading strength. The Void Scar burned, but her presence steadied him. Was this Forgemaster the key to the Oath's heart, or a herald of Hua Qing's final ritual?