The Ashen Void roared with resurgent starfire, its gray mist swirling around the Starveil Shrine's obsidian spires, their tips flaring under the celestial alignment's radiant surge. 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 void's origin."
The Void Scar in his dantian throbbed, its black Qi weakened by the Moonlit Purification Art but still persistent, a jagged reminder of the Celestial Court's curse. The Starlit Relic's vision of Hua Qing's ritual—"The Oath's heart will make me divine"—burned in his mind, her ambition for divinity a palpable threat. The Ritualist's voice hissed, "Hua Qing's ritual claims the Oath's heart."
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 nearly restored, stood close, her jade flute raised, its star runes glowing, her Starlit Melody a vibrant anchor 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 Ritualist's blade flared, its aura a tempest of corrupted starlight. "The void's origin consumes you."
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, Sword Intent slicing through the mist. "My blade unveils all origins." The Void Scar pulsed, a memory flashing—Hua Qing, her cold eyes fixed on a Void Shard, chanting in a Court ritual under a blood moon. "The ritual unveils the void's origin," she declared. Pain seared his core, but Su Mei's vibrant melody cut through, steadying him.
Her jade eyes met his, fierce and resolute. "We'll unveil her truth together," she said, her flute's notes weaving a radiant barrier. The melody synced with his Qi, easing the Void Scar's burn, their bond a beacon in the void's gloom.
Xiao Lan's voice snapped, sharp with frustration. "End this ritualist!" Her gaze flicked to Su Mei, rivalry flaring. "You're still too weak to lead," she hissed, her words cutting. She charged, her crescent slashes carving through the mist, her movements sharp but reckless.
Su Mei's eyes hardened, her voice clear and firm. "My strength serves the Oath, Xiao Lan, not your jealousy."
Lian Yue's aura surged. "The Ritualist's tied to a Void Shard array. Find its source!"
Chen Wei's hand twitched, his voice low, eyes flickering with unease. "The array's in the shrine's core. I saw its runes in the vale."
Ye Tian's gaze hardened, the Void Scar whispering doubt. "Your knowledge is 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 shook his core, the Void Scar flaring, a vision searing—Hua Qing, forging a Void Shard with a Court elder, her voice cold. "The ritual demands the void's origin." Ye Tian roared, channeling Starlight Resonance. The alignment's starfire surged into his blade, amplifying his Qi, his strikes glowing as he slashed the Ritualist's arm, blood and starlight scattering.
Su Mei's Starlit Melody, now radiant, summoned a vibrant Starlit Phoenix, its wings dispersing the Ritualist's dark Qi. The bird dove, talons raking its chest, but the Ritualist'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 Ritualist's legs with fierce strength.
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 armor, but the Ritualist pressed forward, relentless. Chen Wei struck, his blade precise, but his eyes darted to the shrine's core, hesitation flickering. "The array—destroy it!" he shouted.
Ye Tian's gaze snapped to him, doubt coiling. "Find it!" He dodged the Ritualist's strike, the corrupted 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 blazing.
The Ritualist's blade flashed, aiming for Ye Tian's heart. He parried, Sword Intent quaking the air. Su Mei's vines tightened, 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 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 core, 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 Ritualist's core. The figure collapsed, its jade slip dimming, the array dissolving.
The void stilled, the fragment's glow softening. Ye Tian panted, blood dripping from his shoulder, the Void Scar quieter but lingering. Su Mei steadied herself against him, her touch a warm anchor. "You unveiled the origin," she said, her voice clear and 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—'unveils the void's origin.' A relic tied to the Oath's heart lies here."
Chen Wei's voice was urgent, his eyes flickering with unease. "The tablet's runes mention a jade relic, linked to the Oath's origin. I saw it in the vale."
Ye Tian's gaze hardened, the Void Scar pulsing with doubt. "You know too much, Chen Wei." He supported Su Mei, a vision flashing—Hua Qing, her cold eyes fixed on a jade relic, chanting in a Court ritual under a blood moon. "The Oath's heart nears completion," she declared, her voice laced with triumph. The vision burned clear, revealing the Oath's origin: forged by Zhao Wuji to bind the void, corrupted by Hua Qing's ambition. Pain spiked, but Su Mei's melody steadied him. "My mother was her truth," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Stop her."
Their shared betrayal bound them tighter, her resolve a quiet vow. Su Mei's voice, clear and urgent, broke through. "The relic's runes hold the Oath's origin. My lore can unravel it." 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 pierces the void's wrath."
Before Ye Tian could advance, the void quaked, a massive aura surging. A Jade Relic emerged from the shrine's heart, its light pulsing with uncorrupted Starshatter Qi. But a shadow stirred—a Void Shard's Challenge, three Core Formation Stage 9 specters, their forms woven from corrupted Starshatter Qi, jade slips pulsing in their hands. Their leader hissed, "Hua Qing's ritual claims the Oath's heart."
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 challenge the key to the Oath's heart, or a final barrier to its wrath?