The Starfall Abyss pulsed with fading void mist, its cliffs aglow with the faint embers of celestial light as the shrine's starlit runes flickered. Ye Tian faced the Court Ambush, three Core Formation Stage 9 agents, their blades radiating corrupted Starshatter Qi, jade slips pulsing with malice. The Lunar Fang in his hand hummed, its blue steel resonating with the Starshatter Fragment, its black steel glowing with the Starlit Scroll's clue: "The blade's heart judges the soul's truth." The Void Scar in his dantian throbbed, its black Qi weakened but persistent, a jagged reminder of the Celestial Court's curse. The agents' leader sneered, "Hua Qing's ritual nears completion. You'll fall, Sovereign." 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 leader's voice hissed, cold and venomous. "Hua Qing's ritual binds the Oath's heart. Your soul is forfeit."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent rippling the air. "My blade judges traitors." 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's heart is my divinity," 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 end 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 abyss.
Xiao Lan's voice snapped, sharp with frustration. "Cut them down!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry flaring. "Stop clinging to him," she hissed, her words sharp, aimed at Su Mei. She charged, her crescent slashes slicing the air.
Su Mei's eyes hardened, but she held her ground. "We fight for the Oath, Xiao Lan, not for pride."
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The agents are tied to a Void Shard. Find it!"
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low. "The shard's in the shrine's altar. 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 leader 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—Hua Qing, forging a Void Shard with Lin Feng, her voice cold. "The ritual will make me eternal." Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The abyss's embers surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the leader'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.
The leader laughed, its jade slip flaring. "Hua Qing's ritual owns you." Ye Tian parried, Sword Intent quaking the air. Su Mei's vines tightened, slowing the leader. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its chest. Blood arced, the leader staggering, but its jade slip summoned 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 the altar's base. 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 leader's core. The agents collapsed, their jade slips dimming.
The abyss 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 chains," 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 drives us," 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 we end this together," she whispered, her hand tightening briefly, sealing their bond.
Xiao Lan's voice cut through, sharp. "Enough! They'll send more." Her eyes bored into Su Mei, tension raw. "You're too close, Su Mei. Back off."
Su Mei's gaze held steady, her voice calm but firm. "My place is here, Xiao Lan. For the Oath—and him."
Lian Yue frowned, her aura probing. "The scroll's clue—'where souls are judged.' The shrine holds a relic tied to the Oath's origin."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes mention a jade tablet, linked to Hua Qing's ritual. 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 in a Court ritual. The third betrayer's ambition burned clear.
They searched the shrine, finding a hidden compartment with a Jade Relic, its star runes etched with the Oath's origin: "Forged in sacrifice, the blade's heart binds the sect's soul." As Ye Tian touched it, a vision erupted: Ye Tian's master, forging the Starshatter Sword under a dying star, his voice heavy. "The Oath demands a soul's price." Hua Qing watched, her eyes cold, whispering to a Court elder. Pain spiked, but Su Mei's hand steadied him, her jade eyes shimmering. "My mother paid that price," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Hua Qing betrayed her trust."
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 Court Ritual Array flared, black runes pulsing, summoning a Void Sovereign, Stage 10, its form woven from void and malice, its blade radiating corrupted Qi. "Hua Qing's ritual claims the Oath's heart," it hissed.
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 Void Sovereign Hua Qing's creation, or the key to her ritual's heart?