The chamber where the frostflame altar had shattered still hummed with fading energy, the broken ice glinting under the pale light. Qin Mo stood, the Frostflame Core's heat a steady glow against the lingering cold, the bells' chime from his pouch a soft but insistent pull. The FFD System buzzed, its tone a quiet guide in his mind.
[FFD System: Frostflame Balance: Heat 40% / Cold 60%.]
The team gathered, their breaths fogging in the frigid air, their faces marked by the weight of Ling Shou's sacrifice and the fragile hope of Wei's returning pulse. Ren knelt beside his brother, his hands trembling as he checked the faint beat, his eyes hollow with a mix of relief and dread. Yi's frost threads coiled at her sides, her gaze sharp with resolve, while Lian clutched her relic, the rune-carved stone pulsing in sync with the new path ahead. The glowing ice bridge stretched upward, its surface slick and unstable, promising both challenge and revelation.
"We keep going," Qin Mo said, his voice firm despite the exhaustion tugging at his limbs. He lifted his blade, the Frostflame Ascendancy tingling through him, a power that sharpened his senses and steadied his team. They nodded, their resolve hardening, and stepped onto the bridge, the ice creaking under their weight.
The ascent was steep, the tunnel spiraling upward, its walls alive with runes that pulsed in time with the bells' chime. The air grew warmer yet heavier, the cold biting less but the pressure mounting with each step. Shadows danced along the ice, hinting at unseen threats, and the FFD System chimed a warning.
[FFD System: Frostborn Legion detected, 50m ahead, threat level: High.]
The bridge opened into a vast chamber, its ceiling lost in a swirling mist, its floor a battlefield of jagged ice and ancient carvings. At the far end loomed the fifth spire, its peak crowned with a cluster of bells that rang a discordant melody. Between them and the spire stood a frostborn legion, their forms a sea of crystalline armor and frostfire spears, their eyes glowing a uniform red under the Tax's command. The air crackled, the legion's numbers overwhelming, a test of the team's newfound unity.
"Stay close!" Qin Mo shouted, charging forward with the Frostflame Blade igniting. The first rank of legionnaires met him, their spears thrusting in unison, and he parried, the clash sending sparks flying. The cold surged, testing his balance, but the Ascendancy flared, his movements fluid as he countered with a Frostfang Strike, shattering an enforcer's armor. The shard drank the essence, a rush that steadied his stance, but the legion pressed harder, their numbers endless.
Yi's frost threads lashed out, coiling around a cluster of legionnaires, her movements fueled by a fierce determination. "We've got this!" she called, her threads tightening until the ice cracked, pulling several down. Ren joined, his daggers flashing as he struck at a legionnaire's core, the blow drawing a hiss of steam, his grief for Wei driving each strike. Lian's arrows flew, each shot piercing an enforcer, her relic's energy amplifying her aim, the rune-carved stone glowing brighter with each release.
The legion retaliated, a frostfire wave surging toward the team, and Qin Mo raised the Frostmirror Shield, the barrier flaring to absorb the brunt. The effort drained his heat, but the Frostflame Harmony resonated, syncing his shield with Yi's threads and Lian's arrows, weakening the wave's impact. Ren darted through the gap, his daggers carving a path, and Qin Mo followed, the Frostflame Surge erupting in a wave of ice and fire that shattered a dozen legionnaires, their mist dissolving into the air.
The spire's bells rang louder, the legion's red eyes flaring, and a hulking commander emerged, its spear wreathed in a storm of frostfire. It roared, charging with a speed that shook the ice, and Qin Mo met it head-on, the Frostflame Blade clashing with the spear, the impact sending a shockwave that cracked the floor. The cold bit deep, sapping his strength, but the Ascendancy held, his strike cutting through the commander's armor.
Yi's threads wrapped its legs, pulling it off balance, while Ren's daggers struck its side, drawing a hiss of steam. Lian's arrow pierced its shoulder, the relic's energy resonating, and Qin Mo drove the Frostflame Dominion into its chest. The shockwave erupted, shattering the commander, the shard devouring the essence in a torrent that made his vision blur.
[Devour progress: 25%. Balance: Heat 38% / Cold 62%.]
The legion faltered, their forms thinning, and the team pressed forward, the bells' chime softening as they neared the spire. Qin Mo dropped to one knee, the shard stabilizing, the cold receding slightly. Yi rushed to his side, her threads retracting, her face flushed. "You're pushing too hard," she said, her voice rough but warm. Ren checked Wei, a faint strength returning to his brother's limbs, while Lian lowered her bow, her gaze lingering on the spire. "The bells call stronger here," she murmured.
The chamber's runes pulsed, the spire's peak revealing a shadowed figure—Wei, his red eyes glowing, the Tax's hold unbroken. The team gathered, their breaths visible, the fight's adrenaline fading into a wary hope. The fifth ascent had tested their limits, and the path ahead promised a reckoning with Wei, each step drawing them closer to the bells' heart.