The Starforge Nexus glowed with celestial radiance, its crystalline spires trembling as a celestial alignment ignited the void-rift sky with streams of starfire. Ye Tian faced the Celestial Arbiter, a Core Formation Stage 10 entity woven from starlight and void, 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 pierces 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 Starshatter Relic's vision of Zhao Wuji's coercion and Hua Qing's betrayal—"The Oath demands a soul's price"—burned in his mind. The Arbiter's voice echoed, ancient and unyielding: "Pierce the soul's shadow, or the Oath rejects you."
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 Arbiter's blade flared, its aura a tide of starlight and void. "Your soul hides shadows. Prove its truth."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent rippling the air. "My blade pierces all shadows." 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 pierce the truth 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 radiant light.
Xiao Lan's voice snapped, sharp with frustration. "Cut through its lies!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry flaring. "You're too frail to matter," 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 envy."
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The Arbiter's tied to the alignment's power. Use it!"
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low. "The alignment's core is in the nexus'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 Arbiter struck, its blade a storm of starlight and void. 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 will make me divine," she declared. Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The nexus's starfire surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the Arbiter's arm, starlight mist spraying.
Su Mei's Starlit Melody, though weakened, summoned a faint Starlit Phoenix, its wings scattering the Arbiter's void Qi. The bird dove, talons grazing its chest, but the Arbiter'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 Arbiter's legs.
Xiao Lan's slashes carved the Arbiter's side, mist spraying, but its blade grazed her shoulder, her grunt sharp. Lian Yue's Crescent Moon Slash unleashed a blue arc, slicing its form, but the Arbiter reformed, its aura intensifying. Chen Wei struck, his blade precise, but his eyes darted to the nexus's heart, hesitation flickering. "The core—channel the alignment!" he shouted.
Ye Tian's gaze snapped to him, doubt coiling. "Find it!" He ducked the Arbiter's strike, the starlight blade nicking his arm, 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 Arbiter'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 Arbiter. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its chest. Starlight erupted, the Arbiter staggering, but the nexus's runes flared, a Celestial Core pulsing within, amplifying its power.
The celestial alignment blazed brighter, its starfire flooding the nexus. Su Mei's voice, faint but urgent, broke through. "The alignment empowers the Moonlit Purification Art. Now's the time!" Her melody surged, her lore knowledge guiding him, her notes weaving a path to the core.
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. He clutched the Starshatter Fragments, their glow merging with the alignment's light. Su Mei's melody enveloped him, its warmth syncing with his Qi, amplifying his focus.
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. Channel it."
Ye Tian knelt at the nexus's heart, the fragments in hand, channeling Moonlit Purification Art. The alignment's starfire 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 nexus's starfire. 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 Arbiter faltering. He lunged, the Lunar Fang piercing its core. The Arbiter dissolved into starlit mist, its voice echoing, "The Oath's heart lies where shadows burn."
The nexus 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 pierced the shadow," 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 burn the shadows 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 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 shadows burn.' A relic tied to Hua Qing's ritual lies here."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes mention a jade relic, linked to her ritual's heart. 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 relic, chanting in a Court ritual. The third betrayer's ambition burned clear.
They searched the nexus's heart, finding a hidden compartment with a Jade Relic, its star runes etched with Hua Qing's ritual: "The blade's heart burns where shadows lie." 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's heart will make me divine," 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 nexus trembled, a massive aura surging. A Court Ritualist, Core Formation Stage 10, emerged, its blade radiating corrupted Qi, a jade slip pulsing in its hand. "Hua Qing's ritual claims the Oath's heart," 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 ritualist the key to Hua Qing's ritual, or a final barrier to the Oath's truth?