The Ashen Void stretched before Ye Tian, a desolate expanse of gray mist and shattered stone, where starlight flickered like dying embers. The air thrummed with ancient malice, the Starveil Shrine's sanctum looming in the distance, its obsidian spires piercing the void's haze. The Lunar Fang in his hand hummed, its blue steel resonating with the Starshatter Fragment, its black steel glowing with the Starlit Map's latest clue: "The blade's heart defies the void's wrath." The Void Scar in his dantian pulsed, its black Qi weakened but persistent, a jagged reminder of the Celestial Court's curse. The Starlit Relic's visions of Hua Qing's ritual—"The Oath's heart will make me divine"—burned in his mind, her ambition for divinity now a tangible threat. A new vision haunted him: Zhao Wuji, his sworn brother, forging a Void Shard under Hua Qing's cold gaze, her ritual requiring the Starshatter Fragments and a soul's wrath. The lead Void Wraith, a Core Formation Stage 10 entity woven from ash and corrupted Starshatter Qi, hovered before them, its hollow eyes glowing red. "Hua Qing's ritual consumes the Oath's heart," it rasped, its voice echoing like a death knell.
Behind Ye Tian, Xiao Lan gripped her crescent blade, her wounds bandaged but her eyes blazing with defiance. Elder Lian Yue's silver hair shimmered, her Core Formation aura a steady bulwark against the void's oppressive weight. Su Mei, her strength slowly returning, stood close, her jade flute raised, its star runes flickering, her Starlit Melody a faint beacon against the Void Scar's chaos. Chen Wei lingered, his scarred face tense, clutching the stone tablet, his uncanny knowledge of Hua Qing's ritual deepening Ye Tian's suspicion.
The Wraith's form rippled, its aura a storm of ash and starlight. "The void's wrath claims you."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent slicing through the mist. "My blade defies all wrath." The Void Scar throbbed, a memory flashing—Zhao Wuji, his hands trembling as he forged a Void Shard, Hua Qing's voice cold: "The Oath's heart demands wrath's sacrifice." Pain seared his core, but Su Mei's faint melody cut through, steadying him.
Her jade eyes met his, resolute despite her lingering weakness. "We'll defy 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 void's gloom.
Xiao Lan's voice snapped, sharp with frustration. "Crush this wraith!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry flaring. "You're still too weak to fight," she hissed, her words cutting. She charged, her crescent slashes carving through the mist.
Su Mei's eyes hardened, her voice soft but firm. "My strength serves the Oath, Xiao Lan, not your venom."
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The Wraith's tied to a Void Shard array. Find it!"
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low. "The array's in the shrine's base. 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 Wraith struck, its ash-forged blade a tempest of corrupted starlight. Ye Tian flowed into Body Sword Stance, parrying with a burst of silver sparks. The impact shook his core, the Void Scar flaring, a vision searing—Hua Qing, her cold eyes fixed on a Void Shard, chanting in a Court ritual under a blood moon. "The ritual consumes wrath's essence," she declared. Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The void's faint starlight surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the Wraith's arm, ash and starlight scattering.
Su Mei's Starlit Melody, now stronger, summoned a vibrant Starlit Phoenix, its wings dispersing the Wraith's dark Qi. The bird dove, talons raking its chest, but the Wraith's blade lashed, shattering the phoenix and forcing Su Mei to stagger. Ye Tian caught her, their hands clasping briefly, her touch a warm anchor against his pain. "I'm still here," she whispered, her melody rising again, vines binding the Wraith's legs with newfound strength.
Xiao Lan's slashes carved the Wraith's side, ash 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 Wraith reformed, its aura intensifying. Chen Wei struck, his blade precise, but his eyes darted to the shrine's base, hesitation flickering. "The array—destroy it!" he shouted.
Ye Tian's gaze snapped to him, doubt coiling. "Find it!" He dodged the Wraith's strike, the ash-forged blade nicking his shoulder, blood dripping. Pain surged, but Su Mei's melody wrapped around him, a Starlit Barrier shielding him. "Stay strong," she urged, her jade eyes fierce, her strength growing.
The Wraith's blade flashed, aiming for Ye Tian's heart. He parried, Sword Intent quaking the air. Su Mei's vines tightened, slowing the Wraith. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash infused with Starlight Resonance, slashing its chest. Ash erupted, the Wraith staggering, but its jade slip flared, summoning Void Shadows, Stage 9, their hollow eyes glowing in the void's mist.
Xiao Lan and Lian Yue fought back-to-back, their blades felling shadows, but more emerged. Chen Wei dashed to the shrine's base, his blade striking a Void Shard embedded in its obsidian. It cracked, black light erupting, the shadows faltering. Ye Tian seized the moment, Starlight Resonance peaking, his blade a silver comet. He struck, the Lunar Fang piercing the Wraith's core. The figure dissolved into ash, its jade slip dimming.
The void stilled, the fragment's glow softening. Ye Tian panted, blood dripping from his shoulder, the Void Scar quiet but lingering. Su Mei steadied herself against him, her touch a warm anchor. "You defied its wrath," she said, her voice stronger, 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 void. "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 exposed! They'll come for the fragment." Her eyes bored into Su Mei, tension raw. "You're still too weak," she hissed, her rivalry a smoldering flame.
Su Mei's gaze held steady, her voice firm. "My place is here, Xiao Lan, for the Oath—and him."
Lian Yue frowned, her aura probing. "The shard's clue—'defies the void's wrath.' A relic tied to the Oath's heart lies here."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent. "The tablet's runes mention a starlit relic, linked to Hua Qing's 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 starlit relic, chanting in a Court ritual. "The Oath's heart nears completion," she declared. The vision burned clear.
They searched the shrine's base, finding a hidden compartment with a Starlit Relic, its star runes etched with the Oath's heart: "The blade's heart defies the void's wrath in sacrifice." As Ye Tian touched it, a vision erupted: Zhao Wuji, forging the Starshatter Sword under a dying star, his voice heavy. "The Oath was forged to defy the void," he said, before Hua Qing betrayed him, offering a Void Shard to a Court elder. "The Oath's heart will make me divine," she declared, her ritual requiring the Starshatter Fragments and a soul's wrath. Pain spiked, but Su Mei's melody steadied him. "My mother was her wrath," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Stop her."
Their shared betrayal bound them tighter, her resolve a quiet vow. The void trembled, a celestial alignment stirring above, its starfire flooding the expanse. Su Mei's voice, now clear, broke through. "The alignment amplifies her ritual. We're close to its core." 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 shatters the void's truth."
Before Ye Tian could advance, the void quaked, a massive aura surging. A Celestial Enforcer, Core Formation Stage 10, emerged, its blade radiating corrupted Starshatter Qi, a jade slip pulsing in its hand. "Hua Qing's ritual claims the Oath's heart," it hissed, its aura amplified by the alignment.
Ye Tian raised the Lunar Fang, Su Mei's melody rising beside him, their energies entwined. 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?