The Starfall Abyss loomed beneath a starless sky, its depths swirling with void mist that shimmered with faint celestial embers. Ye Tian stood at the abyss's edge, the Lunar Fang in one hand, its blue steel humming, and the Starshatter Fragment in the other, its black steel pulsing 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 Starshadow Wraith, a Stage 10 entity woven from void and starlight, hovered before the shrine, its blade radiating corrupted Starshatter Qi, its voice echoing Hua Qing's ritual: "The Oath's heart claims you." 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 fueling Ye Tian's suspicion.
The wraith's voice hissed, cold and ethereal. "Hua Qing's ritual binds the Oath. You'll fade, Sovereign."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent rippling the air. "My blade severs her chains." The Void Scar pulsed, a memory flashing—Hua Qing, her cold eyes fixed on a Void Shard, chanting in a Court ritual under a blood moon. "The Oath will make me a god," she had 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 as one," 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. "Destroy it already!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry crackling, but she charged, her crescent slashes slicing the air.
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The wraith's 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 wraith struck, its blade a storm of void and 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, forging a Void Shard with Lin Feng, her voice cold. "The ritual ascends me." Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The abyss's faint embers surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the wraith's form, starlit mist spraying.
Su Mei's Starlit Melody swelled, summoning a Starlit Phoenix, its wings scattering the wraith's void Qi. The bird dove, talons grazing its flank, but the wraith's blade lashed, shattering the phoenix and sending Su Mei staggering. 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 wraith's form.
Xiao Lan's slashes carved the wraith's side, mist spraying, but its blade grazed her arm, her grunt sharp. Lian Yue's Crescent Moon Slash unleashed a blue arc, slicing its form, but the wraith reformed, its aura intensifying. Chen Wei struck, his blade precise, but his eyes darted to the shrine, hesitation flickering. "The shards—destroy them!" he shouted.
Ye Tian's gaze snapped to him, doubt coiling. "Find them!" He ducked the wraith's strike, the void blade nicking his shoulder, blood dripping. Pain surged, but Su Mei's melody wrapped around him, a Starlit Barrier shielding him. "Stay strong," she urged, her jade eyes fierce with resolve.
The wraith'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 wraith. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its core. Starlit mist erupted, the wraith staggering, but the shrine's runes flared, a Void Shard Array activating, summoning Void Specters, Stage 9, their red eyes glowing in the abyss.
Xiao Lan and Lian Yue fought back-to-back, their blades felling specters, but more emerged. Chen Wei dashed to the shrine, his blade striking a Void Shard at its core. It cracked, black light erupting, the specters faltering. Ye Tian seized the moment, Starlight Resonance peaking, his blade a silver comet. He struck, the Lunar Fang piercing the wraith's core. The entity roared, dissolving into starlit mist, the array dimming.
The abyss stilled, the fragment's glow softening. Ye Tian panted, blood dripping from his shoulder, the Void Scar quiet but lingering. Su Mei steadied him, her hand lingering on his arm, her touch a warmth against his pain. "You shattered their shadow," she said, a faint smile breaking through. "My mother's faith in you was eternal."
Ye Tian's heart stirred, her faith a mirror to his resolve. "Her courage lives in you," he said, their gazes holding, a spark of unspoken connection flaring in the abyss. He paused, his voice softer. "I won't let you face her fate."
Her eyes softened, a flicker of fear beneath her resolve. "Then don't face this alone," she whispered, her hand tightening briefly, a quiet vow sealing their bond.
Xiao Lan's voice cut through, sharp. "We're exposed! They'll come for the fragment." Her eyes lingered on Su Mei, tension raw, her rivalry a smoldering flame.
Lian Yue frowned, her aura probing. "The map points to a shrine in the abyss, holding the fragment."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes mention a vision—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 Void Shard, sealing a pact with a Court elder. The third betrayer's ambition burned clear.
They searched the shrine, finding a hidden compartment with a Starshatter Fragment, its glow resonating with the others. As Ye Tian grasped it, a vision erupted: Hua Qing in a Court ritual, Void Shards circling a shadowed altar, her voice cold. "The Oath's heart will crown me divine." Her pact with the Court promised godhood through the Starshatter Sword. 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 fragment, the abyss trembled, a massive aura surging. A Celestial Guardian—Core Formation Stage 10—emerged from the void, its form woven from pure starlight, its blade radiating uncorrupted Starshatter Qi. "The Oath's keeper must prove their soul," it intoned, its voice ancient and solemn.
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 guardian a test of the Oath, or a final barrier to Hua Qing's ritual?