The night after the Abyssal Gate cracked was unnaturally quiet. No stars shone. No winds blew. The heavens themselves seemed to be holding their breath.
Tianming stood atop the ruined cliffs near the Hollow Scar, the ground scorched from the voidfire and consecrated light that had clashed hours earlier. His Eternal Star Lance rested beside him, its once-glowing body dimmed, humming faintly like a warrior trying to stay conscious.
Zhao Yueyin approached, her steps heavy but resolute.
"The Gate is closed, for now," she said, her voice low. "But the wound it left… it's still bleeding into the ley lines. If we wait too long, the world itself may turn against us."
Tianming didn't answer at once. His mind was still tangled with what the Abyss had shown him—not just power, but reflection. Temptation. Truth twisted into allure.
Lan Mei joined them, cradling a scroll she'd taken from the Raven Herald's body.
"It's worse than we feared," she said grimly. "This isn't just about corruption. They're forging pacts—blood oaths—with remnants of old clans long thought extinct or banished."
She handed the scroll to Tianming. "They've already turned two of the Five Clans."
Tianming scanned the parchment. Ink written in blood. Glyphs of binding. Names that should've been buried in history:
The Hollow Serpent Clan of the Southern Deserts
The Obsidian Fang Clan of the Ice North
The Moonveil Clan of the Eastern Isles
The Crimson Thorn Clan of the Jade Forest
And worst of all—the Duskfire Clan of the Imperial East.
Zhao Yueyin narrowed her eyes. "The Duskfire? They were protectors once. How did they fall?"
Tianming's grip tightened. "Same way any guardian does. They forgot who they were guarding."
---
Summons Across the Empire
Back in the Celestial Capital, Emperor Xi Wenlong summoned his Grand Assembly—elders, generals, clan leaders, and mystics. The great hall, once serene, crackled with tension. The echoes of the Gate's awakening had reached every province.
Tianming, clad now in silver battle robes, stood beside the Emperor. His presence no longer that of a rising cultivator—but of a celestial warborn.
The Emperor raised a hand, and silence fell.
"The Abyss has returned. It corrupted the Ridge. It touched the Gate. And it seeks to bind our enemies through an ancient rite long outlawed—the Blood Pact of the Five."
Gasps echoed through the court. Old legends whispered of the pact: five clans bound by mutual sacrifice, exchanging their heirs' blood in a ceremony that allowed them to share strength, secrets… and madness.
"We cannot win this war alone," Xi Wenlong declared. "So I offer a treaty. A new pact—but of light."
He turned to Tianming. "You shall lead this. Not as a soldier. As a Vanguard Envoy. Go. Unite the remaining loyal clans. Forge a counter-pact. The Lightbinding Oath."
---
First Destination: The Moonveil Isles
The next morning, Tianming and his companions boarded the Spiritwind Ark—an imperial skyship fast enough to cross regions in days. Their first target was the Moonveil Clan.
Unlike the others, Moonveil had remained neutral for centuries, guarding ancient knowledge and sacred sea gates. But neutrality could be weakness. And weakness attracted the Abyss.
As they flew over crystal-blue waters, black clouds loomed ahead.
"The air tastes wrong," Lan Mei said, eyes narrowing.
Zhao Yueyin held a prism between her fingers. The light inside was flickering.
"We're too late," she said grimly. "The Isles have been touched."
The ark descended into ruin.
Moonveil's famed floating cities were shattered. Marble towers reduced to rubble. Water ran black with ink-like corruption. Moonlotus trees burned with ghostly blue fire.
But in the center of the devastation stood a dome of light—flickering, but intact.
"The last sanctum," Tianming said.
They approached quickly. The protective dome weakened as they neared, allowing them entry. Inside were the remnants of Moonveil warriors—tired, bloodied, barely alive.
An old man greeted them, leaning on a broken staff.
"I am Grandmaster Yue Shen," he rasped. "You're late, Starborn. But not too late."
Tianming bowed. "We've come to forge an alliance. A new oath. One the Abyss cannot touch."
Yue Shen nodded slowly. "Then speak your vow. And offer your blood."
---
The Oath Ceremony
Within the Sanctum's Heartstone Chamber, Tianming, Zhao Yueyin, Lan Mei, and Yue Shen formed a circle. In the center, a celestial brazier burned—a sacred flame said to judge the purity of intent.
One by one, they drew their blood, placing it into the brazier. The flames shifted, flickered—then turned white-hot.
Yue Shen spoke:
"In the name of stars unfallen, and light unbroken, we bind ourselves to resist the coming dark. Our strength, shared. Our secrets, one. Our downfall—never."
Tianming added:
"No shadow shall enter where light has sworn. No kin shall fall while oaths hold true."
As the final words were spoken, a burst of starlight exploded from the brazier, forming a sigil in the air—a five-pointed star within a circle of runes.
System Notification:
> You have initiated the Lightbinding Oath
Clans Bound: Moonveil
Effect: Linked Qi Resonance – Moonveil spells and formations now empower Starborn Vanguard abilities
New Title: Envoy of the Lightbound
---
Elsewhere: The Enemy Reacts
Deep in the Dragon's Spine, Corvus watched the flame die from one of his scrying bowls.
"So they seek oaths," he murmured. "Let them bind. Light makes for prettier corpses."
A figure knelt before him—tall, and wrapped in crimson bandages.
"The Fang Clan awaits your command."
Corvus smiled. "Then let them deliver a message."
---
Back Aboard the Spiritwind Ark
As the ark departed the ruins of Moonveil, a beacon now lit within its hold, Tianming stood at the bow, map in hand.
"Next," he said, "we ride for the Jade Forest. The Crimson Thorn will not fall without a voice."
Lan Mei approached, her wounds bandaged. "We've made one pact. Can we make four more?"
Tianming looked to the horizon.
"We must. Or we die alone."
---
In the Imperial Palace
The Prince of Dust observed the unfolding events from his mirror chamber. Silhouettes of the Five Clans pulsed in his chart of fate.
His fingers hovered over Tianming's name, now shining like a comet.
"Burn bright, Vanguard," he whispered. "But comets always fall."
---
To Be Continued in Chapter 49: Thorns Beneath the Jade Canopy