The Starforge Nexus trembled with fading starlight, its crystalline spires casting jagged shadows across the void-rift floor. Ye Tian faced the Court Ritualist's Trap, three Core Formation Stage 9 specters woven from corrupted Starshatter Qi, their 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 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 betrayal—"The Oath demands a soul's veil"—burned in his mind, Hua Qing's ambition for divinity nearing its peak. The lead specter's voice hissed, "Hua Qing's ritual claims the Oath's heart." 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 lead specter's blade flared, its aura a tide of corrupted starlight. "The Oath's heart is hers. You'll fade."
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, Hua Qing's cold eyes orchestrating it all. 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 shadow 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 dimming light.
Xiao Lan's voice snapped, sharp with frustration. "Destroy these shadows!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry flaring. "You're too frail 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 scorn."
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The specters are tied to a Void Shard. Find its source!"
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low. "The shard's 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 precise, Chen Wei." He stepped forward, the Lunar Fang ready, Su Mei at his side.
The lead specter 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, forging a Void Shard with a Court elder, her voice cold. "The ritual unveils the soul's shadow." Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The nexus's starlight surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the specter's arm, starlight mist spraying.
Su Mei's Starlit Melody, though weakened, summoned a faint Starlit Phoenix, its wings scattering the specters' dark Qi. The bird dove, talons grazing the lead specter's chest, but another specter'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 second specter's legs.
Xiao Lan's slashes felled the third specter, mist spraying, but the lead specter's blade grazed her shoulder, her grunt sharp. Lian Yue's Crescent Moon Slash unleashed a blue arc, slicing the second specter's form, but the lead specter 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 despite her weakness.
The lead specter 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 specter. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its chest. Starlight erupted, the specter staggering, but the nexus's runes flared, a Void Shard pulsing within, amplifying the trap's power.
Su Mei's voice, faint but urgent, broke through. "The shard holds her ritual's key. My lore can unravel it!" Her melody surged, her notes probing the shard's runes, revealing a pattern tied to Hua Qing's ritual.
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 nexus'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 shard's power is tied to the ritual. Break it."
Ye Tian approached the nexus's heart, the fragments in hand, channeling Starlight Resonance. The Void Shard pulsed, its light clashing with his Qi. A vision erupted—Hua Qing, her cold eyes fixed on a Void Shard, chanting in a Court ritual under a dying star. "The Oath's heart nears completion," she declared, her ritual requiring a soul's shadow and the Starshatter Fragments. Pain spiked, but Su Mei's melody anchored him, her notes a lifeline.
Ye Tian struck the Void Shard, the fragments flaring, their light shattering its dark radiance. The specters faltered, their forms dissolving into mist. The trap collapsed, the nexus's runes dimming. 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 unveiled her 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 end her ritual 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 shard's clue—'unveils the soul's shadow.' A relic tied to Hua Qing's ritual lies here."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes mention a starlit 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 starlit 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 Starlit Relic, its star runes etched with Hua Qing's ritual: "The blade's heart unveils the soul's shadow in sacrifice." As Ye Tian touched it, a vision erupted: Hua Qing, betraying Ye Tian's master, offering a Void Shard to a Court elder under a dying star. "The Oath's heart will make me divine," she declared, her ritual nearing its peak, requiring a soul's shadow and the Starshatter Fragments. Pain spiked, but Su Mei's faint melody steadied him. "My mother was her shadow," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Stop her."
Their shared betrayal bound them tighter, her resolve a quiet vow. The nexus trembled, a celestial alignment stirring above, its starfire flooding the abyss. Su Mei's voice, faint but clear, broke through. "The alignment amplifies her ritual. We're close to its heart." Her melody surged, her notes probing the relic's runes, revealing a pattern tied to the Starveil Shrine's sanctum.
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. The Starlit Map glowed, revealing a path to the shrine's core, where the next fragment lay. A new clue read: "The blade's heart burns the soul's truth."
Before Ye Tian could advance, the nexus quaked, a massive aura surging. A Celestial Alignment erupted, its starfire amplifying the nexus's power. But a shadow stirred—a Court Enforcer, Core Formation Stage 10, its blade radiating corrupted Starshatter 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 enforcer the key to Hua Qing's ritual, or a final barrier to the Oath's truth?