The Starforge Nexus pulsed with dimming starlight, its crystalline spires casting fractured shadows across the void-rift floor. Ye Tian faced the Court Ritualist, a Core Formation Stage 10 figure cloaked in corrupted Starshatter Qi, its blade pulsing with malice from a jade slip etched with void runes. 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 unveils the soul's shadow." The Void Scar in his dantian throbbed, its black Qi weakened but persistent, a jagged reminder of the Celestial Court's curse.
The Starlit Relic's vision of Zhao Wuji's coercion and Hua Qing's betrayal—"The Oath's heart forges trust in sacrifice"—burned in his mind. The ritualist'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, recovering but still pale, 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 ritualist's blade flared, its aura a tide of corrupted starlight. "The Oath's heart belongs to Hua Qing. Your soul will break."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent rippling the air. "My blade unveils 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, resolute despite her weakness. "We'll unveil 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 nexus's fading light.
Xiao Lan's voice snapped, sharp with frustration. "End this traitor!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry flaring. "You're too weak to fight," she hissed, her words sharp. 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 spite."
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The ritualist's tied to a Void Shard array. Find it!"
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low. "The array's in the nexus's core. 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 ritualist struck, its blade a storm of corrupted 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, chanting in a Court ritual, Void Shards circling a shadowed altar under a blood moon. "The Oath's heart will make me divine," she declared. Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The nexus's starlight surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the ritualist's arm, blood and starlight spraying.
Su Mei's Starlit Melody, though weakened, summoned a faint Starlit Phoenix, its wings scattering the ritualist's dark Qi. The bird dove, talons grazing its chest, but the ritualist's blade lashed, shattering the phoenix and sending Su Mei stumbling. 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 ritualist's legs.
Xiao Lan's slashes carved the ritualist's side, blood spraying, but its blade grazed her arm, her grunt sharp. Lian Yue's Crescent Moon Slash unleashed a blue arc, slicing its cloak, but the ritualist pressed forward, relentless. Chen Wei struck, his blade precise, but his eyes darted to the nexus's core, hesitation flickering. "The shard—destroy it!" he shouted.
Ye Tian's gaze snapped to him, doubt coiling. "Find it!" He ducked the ritualist's strike, the corrupted blade nicking his shoulder, blood dripping. Pain surged, but Su Mei's faint melody wrapped around him, a Starlit Barrier shielding him. "Stay strong," she urged, her jade eyes fierce despite her weakness.
The ritualist'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 ritualist. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its chest. Blood arced, the ritualist staggering, but its jade slip flared, summoning Void Specters, Stage 9, their red eyes glowing in the nexus's shadows.
Xiao Lan and Lian Yue fought back-to-back, their blades felling specters, but more emerged. Chen Wei dashed to the nexus's core, his blade striking a Void Shard at its 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 ritualist's core. The figure collapsed, its jade slip dimming.
The nexus 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 broke their chains," 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 nexus. "I won't let you fall."
Her eyes softened, a flicker of fear beneath her resolve. "Then we unveil the truth together," 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 slowing us down," 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 relic's clue—'the soul's shadow.' A relic tied to the Oath's creation lies here."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes mention a starlit relic, linked to Zhao Wuji's coercion. I saw it in the vale."
Ye Tian's gaze hardened, the Void Scar pulsing. "Show us." He supported Su Mei, a vision flashing—Zhao Wuji, his sworn brother, forging a Void Shard under a Court elder's threat, his eyes filled with guilt. Hua Qing watched, her ambition clear.
They searched the nexus's core, finding a hidden compartment with a Starshatter Relic, its star runes etched with the Oath's creation: "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, Zhao Wuji at his side, coerced by the Court. "The Oath demands a soul's price," his master warned. Hua Qing stood nearby, her eyes cold, plotting betrayal. Pain spiked, but Su Mei's faint melody steadied him. "My mother paid that price," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Stop Hua Qing."
Their shared betrayal bound them tighter, her resolve a quiet vow. The nexus trembled, a celestial alignment stirring above, its light flooding the abyss. Before Ye Tian could study the relic, a massive aura surged. A Starlit Map glowed, revealing a path to the Starveil Shrine's heart, where the next fragment lay. A new clue read: "The blade's heart pierces the soul's shadow." But a shadow stirred—a Celestial Arbiter, Core Formation Stage 10, its form woven from starlight and void, its blade radiating pure Starshatter Qi. "The Oath's keeper must pierce the soul's shadow," it intoned, its voice ancient and solemn.
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 arbiter the final test of the Oath, or a herald of Hua Qing's ritual's peak?