The Soulforge Sanctum loomed within the Starfall Abyss, its obsidian pillars glowing with ancient star runes that pulsed with celestial Qi. Ye Tian faced a Core Formation Stage 10 Court Enforcer, its blade radiating corrupted Starshatter Qi, a jade slip 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 Map's clue: "The blade's heart tests the soul's fire." 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 coercion and Hua Qing's ambition—"The Oath's heart will crown me divine"—burned in his mind. The enforcer's voice hissed, "Hua Qing's ritual nears its end." 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, pale from her sacrifice in the Void Shard trap, stood close, her jade flute raised, its star runes flickering, her Starlit Melody a faint 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 enforcer's blade gleamed, its aura a tide of corruption. "The Oath's heart belongs to Hua Qing. You'll burn."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent rippling the air. "My blade tests her lies." The Void Scar pulsed, a memory flashing—Zhao Wuji, his sworn brother, forging a Void Shard under a Court elder's threat, his eyes heavy with guilt. Pain blurred the vision, but Su Mei's faint melody cut through, steadying him.
Her jade eyes met his, weak but resolute. "We'll face her ritual together," she said, her flute's notes weaving a fragile 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. "End this pawn!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry flaring. "You're too weak to help him now," she hissed. She charged, her crescent slashes slicing the air.
Su Mei's eyes hardened, her voice faint but firm. "My strength is for the Oath, Xiao Lan, not your pride."
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The enforcer's tied to a Void Shard array. Find it!"
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low. "The array's in the sanctum's heart. 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 enforcer 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, chanting in a Court ritual, Void Shards circling a shadowed altar. "The Oath's heart is my divinity," she declared. Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The sanctum's embers surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the enforcer's arm, blood spraying.
Su Mei's Starlit Melody, though weakened, summoned a faint Starlit Phoenix, its wings scattering the enforcer's dark Qi. The bird dove, talons grazing its flank, but the enforcer's blade lashed, shattering the phoenix and sending Su Mei staggering. Ye Tian caught her, their hands clasping briefly, her touch a faint warmth against his pain. "I'm still here," she whispered, her melody rising again, vines weakly binding the enforcer's legs.
Xiao Lan's slashes carved the enforcer's side, blood spraying, but its blade grazed her shoulder, her grunt sharp. Lian Yue's Crescent Moon Slash unleashed a blue arc, slicing its armor, but the enforcer pressed forward, relentless. Chen Wei struck, his blade precise, but his eyes darted to the sanctum's heart, hesitation flickering. "The shard—destroy it!" he shouted.
Ye Tian's gaze snapped to him, doubt coiling. "Find it!" He ducked the enforcer's strike, the corrupted blade nicking his arm, blood dripping. Pain surged, but Su Mei's faint melody wrapped around him, a Starlit Barrier shielding him. "Stay with me," she urged, her jade eyes fierce despite her weakness.
The enforcer's blade flashed, aiming for Ye Tian's heart. He parried, Sword Intent quaking the air. Su Mei's melody, though faint, tightened the vines, slowing the enforcer. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its chest. Blood arced, the enforcer staggering, but the sanctum'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 sanctum's heart, 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 enforcer's core. The figure collapsed, its jade slip dimming.
The sanctum stilled, the fragment's glow softening. Ye Tian panted, blood dripping from his arm, the Void Scar quiet but lingering. Su Mei, barely standing, steadied herself against him, her touch a faint warmth. "You broke their chains," she said, her voice weak but resolute. "My mother's faith in you burns true."
Ye Tian's heart stirred, her sacrifice a mirror to his resolve. "Your strength carries her will," he said, their gazes holding, a spark of unspoken connection flaring in the abyss. "I won't let you fall."
Her eyes softened, a flicker of fear beneath her resolve. "Then we fight on," she whispered, her hand tightening briefly, sealing their bond.
Xiao Lan's voice cut through, sharp. "We're exposed! They'll come for the fragment." Her eyes bored into Su Mei, tension raw. "You're a liability now," she hissed, her rivalry a smoldering flame.
Su Mei's gaze held steady, her voice faint but firm. "My place is here, Xiao Lan, for the Oath—and him."
Lian Yue frowned, her aura probing. "The map points to the sanctum's heart, where a fragment lies."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes mention a vision—Hua Qing's ritual nearing completion. I saw it in the vale."
Ye Tian's gaze hardened, the Void Scar pulsing. "Show us." He supported Su Mei, 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 reached the sanctum's heart, 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 ascend me." The vision shifted—Ye Tian's master, forging the Starshatter Sword, his voice heavy. "The Oath demands a soul's fire." Pain spiked, but Su Mei's faint melody steadied him. "My mother burned for this," she whispered, her voice breaking. "End her ritual."
Their shared loss bound them tighter, her sacrifice a quiet vow. The sanctum trembled, a celestial alignment stirring above, its light flooding the abyss. Before Ye Tian could study the fragment, a massive aura surged. A Celestial Warden, Core Formation Stage 10, emerged, its form woven from starlight and flame, its blade radiating pure Starshatter Qi. "The Oath's heart tests the soul's fire," it intoned.
Ye Tian raised the Lunar Fang, Su Mei's faint melody rising beside him, their energies entwined despite her wounds. The Void Scar burned, but her presence steadied him. Was this warden the final test of the Oath, or a herald of Hua Qing's ritual?