The Starfall Abyss shimmered with void mist, its depths lit by faint celestial embers that cast eerie shadows across the shrine's starlit runes. Ye Tian stood before the Celestial Guardian, a Core Formation Stage 10 figure woven from pure starlight, its blade radiating uncorrupted Starshatter Qi. The Lunar Fang in Ye Tian's hand hummed, its blue steel resonating with the Starshatter Fragment, 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 guardian's voice echoed, solemn and ancient: "The Oath's keeper must prove their soul." 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 guardian's blade gleamed, its aura a radiant tide. "Prove your heart, or the Oath fades."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent rippling the air. "My heart forged that blade. Test me." 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 crown me divine," 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 face the trial 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. "Prove it with steel!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry crackling, but she readied her blade, her stance tense.
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The guardian's test is tied to the Oath. It seeks your resolve."
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low. "The tablet's runes mention a relic in the shrine, tied to the Oath's heart. I saw it 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 guardian struck, its blade a flash of starlight, pure and unyielding. 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, sealing a pact with a Court elder, her voice cold. "The ritual ascends me." Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The abyss's embers surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the guardian's arm, starlight mist spraying.
Su Mei's Starlit Melody swelled, summoning a Starlit Phoenix, its wings scattering the guardian's radiant Qi. The bird dove, talons grazing its shoulder, but the guardian'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 guardian's legs.
Xiao Lan's slashes carved the guardian'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 guardian reformed, its aura intensifying. Chen Wei struck, his blade precise, but his eyes darted to the shrine, hesitation flickering. "The relic—it's the key!" he shouted.
Ye Tian's gaze snapped to him, doubt coiling. "Find it!" He ducked the guardian's strike, the starlight 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 guardian'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 guardian. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its chest. Starlight erupted, the guardian staggering, but the shrine's runes flared, a Celestial Relic pulsing within, amplifying its power.
Chen Wei dashed to the shrine, his blade striking a hidden compartment. A Jade Orb rolled free, its star runes glowing, etched with the Oath's lore: "The blade's heart binds the sect's soul, forged in sacrifice." Ye Tian seized it, a vision erupting: a Court ritual under a blood moon, Hua Qing chanting, Void Shards circling a shadowed altar. "The Oath's heart is my divinity," she declared. The vision shifted—Ye Tian's master, forging the Starshatter Sword, his voice heavy. "The Oath demands a soul's price." Pain spiked, but Su Mei's hand steadied him, her melody anchoring him. "My mother paid that price," she whispered, her voice breaking. "She believed in you."
Their shared loss bound them tighter, her touch a quiet vow. Ye Tian crushed the orb, its light fading, the guardian faltering. He struck, the Lunar Fang piercing its core. The guardian dissolved into starlit mist, its voice echoing, "The Oath's heart lies where souls are judged."
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 passed their test," she said, a faint smile breaking through. "My mother's faith in you shines true."
Ye Tian's heart stirred, her faith a mirror to his resolve. "Her sacrifice guides us," he said, their gazes holding, a spark of unspoken connection flaring in the abyss. He paused, his voice softer. "I won't let her loss be in vain—or yours."
Her eyes softened, a flicker of fear beneath her resolve. "Then we face this together," she whispered, her hand tightening briefly, sealing their bond.
Xiao Lan's voice cut through, sharp. "We're not safe! They'll come for us." Her eyes lingered on Su Mei, tension raw, her rivalry a smoldering flame. "You're too close to him," she hissed, her words sharp, aimed at Su Mei.
Su Mei's gaze hardened, but she held her ground. "We fight for the same cause, Xiao Lan."
Lian Yue frowned, her aura probing. "The relic's clue—'where souls are judged.' It points to the Soulforge Sanctum."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes warn of a Court ambush there, tied to Hua Qing's ritual. I saw it in the vale."
Ye Tian's gaze hardened, the Void Scar pulsing. "Show us." He clutched the fragment, a vision flashing—Hua Qing, her cold eyes fixed on a Void Shard, chanting in a Court ritual. The third betrayer's ambition burned clear.
They searched the shrine, finding a hidden compartment with a Starlit Scroll, its star runes detailing the Soulforge Sanctum, where the next fragment lay. A new clue read: "The blade's heart judges the soul's truth."
Before Ye Tian could study it, the abyss trembled, a massive aura surging. A Court Ambush erupted—three Core Formation Stage 9 agents, their blades radiating corrupted Starshatter Qi, jade slips pulsing in their hands. Their leader sneered. "Hua Qing's ritual nears completion. You'll fall, Sovereign."
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 ambush Hua Qing's final stand, or a step closer to her ritual's heart?