The Soulforge Sanctum glowed with celestial light, its obsidian pillars pulsing with star runes as a celestial alignment blazed above, bathing the abyss in radiant flames. Ye Tian faced the Celestial Warden, a Core Formation Stage 10 entity woven from starlight and flame, its blade radiating pure Starshatter Qi. 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 warden's voice echoed, ancient and solemn: "The Oath's heart tests the soul's fire." 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 but recovering from her sacrifice, 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 warden's blade flared, its aura a tide of starfire. "Prove your soul, or the Oath burns you."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent rippling the air. "My soul forged that blade." The Void Scar pulsed, a memory flashing—Zhao Wuji, his sworn brother, coerced by a Court elder, his eyes heavy with guilt as he forged a Void Shard. 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 the fire 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 sanctum's light.
Xiao Lan's voice snapped, sharp with frustration. "Burn it down!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry flaring. "You're barely standing," she hissed. She charged, her crescent slashes slicing the air.
Su Mei's eyes hardened, her voice faint but firm. "My strength serves the Oath, Xiao Lan, not your envy."
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The warden's tied to the sanctum's core. Find its source!"
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low. "The core'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 certain, Chen Wei." He stepped forward, the Lunar Fang ready, Su Mei at his side.
The warden struck, its blade a storm of starfire. 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 warden's arm, starlight spraying.
Su Mei's Starlit Melody, though weakened, summoned a faint Starlit Phoenix, its wings scattering the warden's flames. The bird dove, talons grazing its flank, but the warden'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 warden's legs.
Xiao Lan's slashes carved the warden's side, starlight 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 warden reformed, its aura intensifying. Chen Wei struck, his blade precise, but his eyes darted to the sanctum's heart, hesitation flickering. "The core—destroy it!" he shouted.
Ye Tian's gaze snapped to him, doubt coiling. "Find it!" He ducked the warden's strike, the starfire blade nicking his shoulder, 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 warden's blade flashed, aiming for Ye Tian's heart. He parried, Sword Intent quaking the air. Su Mei's melody tightened the vines, slowing the warden. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its chest. Starlight erupted, the warden staggering, but the sanctum's runes flared, a Celestial Core pulsing within, amplifying its power.
The celestial alignment intensified above, its light flooding the sanctum. Ye Tian felt the Void Scar stir, but the alignment offered a chance to weaken it further. Su Mei's voice, faint but urgent, broke through. "The alignment empowers the Moonlit Purification Art. Now's the time."
Ye Tian's eyes met her jade gaze, her resolve strengthening his own. "Guide me," he said, his voice low, her faith a spark against his pain.
Xiao Lan's voice snapped, sharp with tension. "Hurry! We're exposed!" Her eyes lingered on Su Mei, tension raw, her rivalry a smoldering flame.
Lian Yue nodded, her aura probing. "The alignment's power is fleeting. Focus."
Su Mei raised her flute, her Starlit Melody weaving a protective barrier of celestial Qi, faint but steady. "Harmonize with the stars," she whispered, her notes syncing with the alignment's light. Her melody enveloped Ye Tian, its warmth dulling the Void Scar's burn, their energies entwining.
Ye Tian knelt at the sanctum's heart, the Starshatter Fragment in hand, its glow merging with the alignment's light. He channeled the Moonlit Purification Art, guided by Su Mei's melody. The alignment's power surged through him, his Qi clashing with the Void Scar's black Qi. Pain erupted, a vision searing—Hua Qing, her cold eyes fixed on a Void Shard, sealing a pact with a Court elder. "The Oath's heart is my ascension," she vowed. Ye Tian gritted his teeth, Su Mei's melody anchoring him, her notes a lifeline.
The Void Scar writhed, black Qi seeping from his core, dissipating into the sanctum's flames. Ye Tian's aura flared, Body Refinement Stage 3 stabilizing, the Scar's grip loosening further. Su Mei's hand brushed his, steadying him, her touch lingering. "You're breaking free," she whispered, her jade eyes shimmering with awe and quiet resolve.
Ye Tian struck the Celestial Core, its light fading, the warden faltering. He lunged, the Lunar Fang piercing its core. The warden dissolved into starlit mist, its voice echoing, "The Oath's heart lies where betrayal burns."
The sanctum stilled, the fragment's glow softening. Ye Tian panted, blood dripping from his shoulder, the Void Scar quiet but lingering. Su Mei, barely standing, steadied herself against him, her touch a faint warmth. "You faced the fire," she said, her voice weak but resolute. "My mother's faith in you shines true."
Ye Tian's heart stirred, her resolve a mirror to his own. "Your strength carries her will," he said, their gazes holding, a spark of unspoken connection flaring in the sanctum. "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 not safe! They'll come for the fragment." Her eyes bored into Su Mei, tension raw. "You're too weak to keep up," 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 core's clue—'where betrayal burns.' A relic tied to Hua Qing's betrayal lies here."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes mention a jade tablet, linked to her ritual. 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 jade tablet, chanting in a Court ritual. The third betrayer's ambition burned clear.
They searched the sanctum's heart, finding a hidden compartment with a Jade Relic, its star runes etched with Hua Qing's betrayal: "The blade's heart burns where trust dies." As Ye Tian touched it, a vision erupted: Hua Qing, betraying Ye Tian's master, offering a Void Shard to a Court elder. "The Oath will make me a god," she declared. Pain spiked, but Su Mei's faint melody steadied him. "My mother trusted her," she whispered, her voice breaking. "She burned for it."
Their shared betrayal bound them tighter, her resolve a quiet vow. Before Ye Tian could study the relic, the sanctum trembled, a massive aura surging. A Court Vanguard, Core Formation Stage 10, emerged, its blade radiating corrupted Qi. "Hua Qing's ritual awakens," it hissed.
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 vanguard the key to Hua Qing's betrayal, or a final barrier to the Oath's truth?