The Sword Sovereign Has Returned

The black glow pulsed through Blackpine Forest, a sinister beacon in the dark. Ye Tian gripped his short sword, its dull edge catching the moonlight. Xiao Lan crouched beside him, her blade drawn, eyes locked on the light. The mournful song grew louder, its notes weaving a chilling spell, not quite human. The Void Scar in Ye Tian's dantian throbbed, black Qi twisting like a living curse.

Body Refinement Stage 2 was no match for the power he sensed. But he was the Sword Sovereign, who once shattered sects with a glance. Whatever this glow was, he'd face it. Xiao Lan's face was pale, her arm's wound bleeding through her bandages, but her gaze held steady.

"Careful," Ye Tian whispered. "It's not your master."

Xiao Lan nodded, gripping her blade. "That song… it's Fallen Moon's anthem, but twisted. Wrong."

The glow moved closer, weaving through gnarled trees. Ye Tian's thigh wound stung, the Void Scar slowing its healing. He followed the light, Xiao Lan at his side, their steps silent on the pine needles. The song's melody tightened his chest, stirring memories of betrayal—Lin Feng's smirk, Zhao Wuji's silence.

They reached a clearing. A stone pillar stood, cracked, its moon crest barely visible. At its base, a jade slip glowed black, pulsing like a heartbeat. Runes covered it, not Fallen Moon's—older, sharper, radiating malice. Ye Tian's Void Scar flared, pain spiking as if the slip called to it.

"That's it," Xiao Lan whispered, voice trembling. "The shadow in the tomb held one like it."

Ye Tian stepped forward, sword raised. "Celestial Court?"

"Maybe," she said. "But it's more. My master warned of artifacts tied to the Void. Forbidden, even to them."

The song stopped. Silence crushed the clearing. The jade slip's glow intensified, shadows writhing like serpents. Ye Tian's dantian burned, the Void Scar reacting violently. He gritted his teeth, probing the slip with his senses. It wasn't just an artifact—it was alive, its Qi resonating with his curse.

He reached for it. The air grew heavy, pressing on his shoulders. His fingers brushed the jade, and pain exploded—visions of his tomb, the seal cracking, a shadow laughing. A voice hissed, "You're free, Sovereign, but bound forever." The Void Scar surged, black Qi flooding his meridians, threatening deviation.

Ye Tian yanked his hand back, gasping, dropping to one knee. Xiao Lan grabbed him. "What's wrong?"

"It's tied to my curse," he rasped, clutching his chest. "The Void Scar… it's their work."

Before Xiao Lan could respond, the ground quaked. Shadows peeled from the trees, forming six figures—cloaked, faceless, their auras cold as death. Body Refinement Stage 6, their blades glowing with black Qi. The jade slip pulsed faster, as if summoning them.

"Trap!" Xiao Lan shouted, raising her blade.

Ye Tian stood, forcing the pain down. His sword hummed, Sword Intent stirring. "Stay behind me."

The shadow figures attacked, their blades silent but deadly. Ye Tian moved, Body Sword Stance weaving through their strikes. His fist cracked a figure's chest, but it dissolved into mist, reforming instantly. His sword slashed, Iron Vein Slash cutting the air, but the shadows were untouchable, their blades real, slicing his arm. Blood sprayed.

Xiao Lan fought, her blade a crescent blur. Her strike passed through a shadow, doing nothing. "They're not human!" she cried, dodging a slash that tore her robe.

Ye Tian's mind raced. The jade slip controlled them. He lunged for it, the Void Scar screaming, pain blinding him. A shadow's blade grazed his side, blood welling. He roared, Sword Intent surging. The air trembled, his sword glowing with faint light.

"Break!" he shouted, slashing the slip. His blade struck, Iron Vein Slash infused with Sword Intent. The jade shattered, black light exploding. The shadows screamed, dissolving into mist. The clearing stilled, the song silenced.

Ye Tian collapsed, panting, blood dripping. The Void Scar quieted, but its pain lingered. Xiao Lan knelt beside him, her face pale. "That was… a Void Shard," she whispered. "Fallen Moon's records spoke of them. Celestial Court artifacts, forged to bind gods."

Ye Tian clutched a shard, its edges cold, runes pulsing faintly. "Bind gods?" he growled. "They used it on me."

Xiao Lan's eyes widened. "Your Void Scar… it's not just a curse. It's a seal, tied to the Void Shards. That's why the shadow was at your tomb."

Ye Tian stood, wincing. The shard's runes matched the pain in his dantian. The Celestial Court hadn't just betrayed him—they'd chained his soul. "Where's your master?"

"Fallen Moon's stronghold," Xiao Lan said, standing. "Across the river. But if the Void Shard was here, Heaven's Edge is closer than we thought."

"Lead," Ye Tian said, sheathing his sword. The Void Scar ached, but the Lunar Fang, a Fallen Moon relic, waited. He needed its strength.

They crossed the river, icy water stinging their wounds. The forest thinned, revealing a hidden valley. A stone gate stood, carved with moon crests, veiled by vines. Xiao Lan whispered a chant, the gate rumbling open. Inside, a cavern glowed with spirit stones, walls etched with sword forms. Empty. No disciples. No elders.

"Where are they?" Ye Tian asked, gripping his sword.

Xiao Lan's face darkened. "Hiding. Or gone. Heaven's Edge has hunted us for years."

They moved deeper, entering a tunnel. The air grew colder, the walls humming with faint Qi. A chamber opened, vast, with a pool of spirit water shimmering. An altar stood at its center, holding a sword—blue steel, moon-shaped hilt. The Lunar Fang.

Xiao Lan gasped. "My master's blade."

Ye Tian approached, senses sharp. The Void Scar pulsed, warning of danger. "Where's Elder Lian Yue?"

A laugh echoed, cold and sharp. A figure stepped from the shadows—not the cloaked watcher, but a man in Iron Cloud robes, Body Refinement Stage 9. His aura was heavy, his saber glowing with crude Qi. "She's gone," he sneered. "And you're trapped."

Ye Tian raised his sword, the Void Scar burning. "Who sent you?"

"Heaven's Edge," the man said, smirking. "They know you're awake, Sovereign. This stronghold's your grave."

Xiao Lan drew her blade, trembling. "Where's my master?"

"Dead or dying," the man said. "Surrender, and you might see her corpse."

Ye Tian's eyes narrowed. A trap. The Void Shard, the shadows, now this. Heaven's Edge was tightening the net. He stepped forward, Sword Intent humming. The man's smirk faltered, his saber rising.

The Void Scar erupted, pain spiking through Ye Tian's chest. He ignored it, Body Sword Stance flowing. The man attacked, his saber a blur of force. Ye Tian parried, sparks flying, the impact jarring his wounds. Blood dripped, the Void Scar clouding his vision.

Xiao Lan struck, her blade grazing the man's arm. He roared, kicking her back. She hit the altar, gasping. Ye Tian lunged, Iron Vein Slash slashing the air. The man blocked, but Ye Tian's strikes were relentless, each blow infused with faint Sword Intent. The saber's glow dimmed, the man retreating.

The Void Scar surged, black Qi threatening to cripple him. Ye Tian stumbled, the man's blade slashing his shoulder. Blood sprayed. Xiao Lan shouted, her blade blocking a killing blow. Ye Tian roared, Sword Intent flaring. His sword struck, slicing the man's chest. The man cursed, fleeing into the tunnel, blood trailing.

Ye Tian panted, clutching his wound. The Void Scar was a fire, but he stood. Xiao Lan grabbed his arm. "We can't stay. More will come."

He nodded, grabbing the Lunar Fang. Its weight was perfect, its blade humming with faint Qi. Better than his stolen sword. "Move."

They ran deeper into the stronghold, the walls glowing with moon runes. A new chamber opened, vast, with a pool of spirit water. A figure stood there, robed in blue, moon crest shining. An old woman, her aura Core Formation Stage 1, eyes sharp as blades.

"Elder Lian Yue?" Xiao Lan whispered, hope and fear mixing.

The woman turned, her gaze locking on Ye Tian. "You," she said, voice trembling. "The Sword Sovereign."

Ye Tian gripped the Lunar Fang. "Ye Tian. Prove you're Fallen Moon."

Lian Yue's eyes narrowed, but before she could speak, the stronghold shook. A black glow flared outside, like the Void Shard's light. The mournful song rose, louder, its notes heavy with malice. A shadow loomed at the chamber's edge, its jade slip pulsing.

Was it the tomb's shadow, hunting them? Or had Heaven's Edge unleashed a deadlier trap?