The Starshatter Forge roared with molten fury, its cavern walls aglow with starlit runes that pulsed with celestial energy. Ye Tian stood before the central 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 Starshatter Relic's vision of Zhao Wuji's betrayal—his sworn brother coerced into forging Void Shards for Hua Qing's ritual—burned in Ye Tian's mind, deepening the sting of treachery. The Core Formation Stage 15 Court Forgemaster, its form a fusion of molten starlight and void, loomed before them, its blade pulsing with corrupted Starshatter Qi, its voice hissing: "Hua Qing's ritual binds the Oath's heart."
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 fueling Ye Tian's suspicion.
The Forgemaster's molten eyes glowed, its voice cold and resonant. "Hua Qing's ritual awakens the Oath's heart. 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—Zhao Wuji, kneeling before Hua Qing, forging a Void Shard, his voice broken. "The Court's chains bound me, brother." 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 shatter 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. "Cut this pawn down!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry crackling, but she charged, her crescent slashes slicing the air.
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The Forgemaster'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 precise, Chen Wei." He stepped forward, the Lunar Fang ready, Su Mei at his side.
The Forgemaster struck, its blade 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—Hua Qing, chanting in a Court ritual, Void Shards circling a shadowed altar. "The Oath's heart awakens for my divinity," she intoned. Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The forge's starlight surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the Forgemaster's arm, molten blood spraying.
Su Mei's weakened Starlit Melody summoned a faint Starlit Phoenix, its wings scattering the Forgemaster's dark Qi. The bird dove, talons grazing its chest, but the Forgemaster's blade 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 Forgemaster's legs.
Xiao Lan's slashes carved the Forgemaster's side, molten blood spraying, but its blade grazed her shoulder, her grunt sharp. Lian Yue's Crescent Moon Slash unleashed a blue arc, slicing its form, but the Forgemaster reformed, 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 Forgemaster's strike, the molten blade 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 Forgemaster's blade flashed, aiming for Ye Tian's heart. He parried, Sword Intent quaking the air. Su Mei's melody shifted, vines tightening, slowing the Forgemaster. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its chest. Molten blood erupted, the Forgemaster staggering, but the forge's runes flared, a Void Shard Array summoning Void Wraiths, Stage 12, 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 Forgemaster's core. The specter 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 shadow," she said, a faint smile breaking through her pallor. "My mother's lore spoke of the Oath's heart… it's tied to you."
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 the Oath's heart awakening."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes mention a relic—Zhao Wuji's full betrayal, 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 threatened my clan, brother." The betrayal's depth 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 awakens the Oath's heart." The vision shifted, revealing the Oath's heart—a celestial core within the Starshatter Sword, pulsing with Fallen Moon's soul. 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 protect it."
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 Ritual Array flared, black runes summoning a Starvoid Monarch, Core Formation Stage 16, its form a fusion of void and starlight, its blade pulsing with corrupted Qi. "Hua Qing's ritual claims the Oath's heart," it intoned. "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 monarch the key to the Oath's heart, or a herald of Hua Qing's final awakening?