The chamber where Lian's relic had unlocked the altar's vision still trembled, the cracked ice reflecting the fading blue glow of the runes along the walls. Qin Mo stood, the Frostflame Core's heat a steady pulse against the lingering cold, the bells' chime from his pouch a deep, resonant pull that echoed in his chest. The FFD System buzzed, its tone a quiet warning in his mind.
[FFD System: Frostflame Balance: Heat 35% / Cold 65%.]
The team moved forward, their steps cautious on the icy path, their breaths fogging in the frigid air. Ren supported Wei, whose pale face showed signs of returning strength, though his eyes remained clouded with exhaustion. Yi's frost threads coiled at her sides, her gaze sharp with a mix of hope and vigilance, while Lian clutched her relic and the new shard, their combined energy pulsing in time with the path ahead. Qin Mo led with his blade ready, the Frostflame Ascendancy tingling through him like a beacon of resolve.
The tunnel spiraled upward, its walls narrowing, the runes growing denser until they formed a tapestry of ancient symbols that seemed to pulse with life. The air warmed further, but the pressure mounted, the seventh bell's toll resonating from ahead, a sound that shook the ice beneath their feet. Shadows flickered, and the FFD System chimed a sharper warning.
[FFD System: Frostborn Sovereign detected, 30m ahead, threat level: Very High.]
The tunnel opened into a vast chamber, its ceiling lost in swirling mist, its floor a battlefield of jagged ice and towering pillars. At the center stood the seventh bell, a colossal structure of blackened steel and frost, its surface etched with runes that glowed a deep green. Beside it loomed a frostborn sovereign, its massive form wreathed in a storm of frostfire, its spear crackling with an energy that made the air hum. Its indigo eyes locked onto the team, and the bell tolled, unleashing a shockwave that forced them to brace.
"Only the worthy ascend," the sovereign rasped, its voice a hollow roar, and it charged with a speed that shook the chamber. Qin Mo met it head-on, the Frostflame Blade igniting as it clashed with the spear, sparks flying in the frigid air. The cold surged, testing his balance, but the Ascendancy flared, his movements fluid as he parried a second strike. The sovereign's frostfire tendrils lashed out, forcing him to roll aside, the heat draining from his limbs.
"Flank it!" Qin Mo shouted, his voice cutting through the toll. Yi's threads lashed out, coiling around the sovereign's legs, her movements fueled by a fierce determination. "Hold it!" she called, her threads tightening until the ice cracked. Ren darted in, supporting Wei against a pillar, then joined with his daggers flashing, striking at the sovereign's side, the blow drawing a hiss of steam. Lian raised her relic, the shard and stone merging their energy into a beam that struck the sovereign's chest, staggering it, the mist thinning.
The sovereign roared, its spear swinging in a wide arc, the frostfire wave forcing the team to scatter. Qin Mo raised the Frostmirror Shield, the barrier flaring to absorb the brunt, though the effort left his arms trembling. The Frostflame Harmony resonated, syncing his defense with Yi's threads and Lian's beam, weakening the wave's impact. Ren lunged, his daggers carving a path, and Qin Mo followed, channeling the Frostflame Surge. The wave of ice and fire crashed into the sovereign, shattering its armor, but it retaliated, its spear thrusting toward Lian.
Qin Mo intercepted, the blade grazing his side, the cold burning through his cloak. The shard drank the pain, fueling his next strike, and he drove the Frostflame Dominion into the sovereign's core. The shockwave erupted, the creature staggering, but the bell tolled again, its green light flaring, restoring the sovereign's strength. "The bell feeds it!" Lian shouted, her relic glowing brighter.
She channeled the shard's energy, a second beam striking the bell's base, the crack widening. Yi's threads pulled the sovereign off balance, while Ren's daggers struck its legs, drawing a roar. Qin Mo pressed the advantage, the Ascendancy surging, and with a final thrust, he pierced the sovereign's heart. The creature collapsed, its mist dissolving, and the bell's toll faltered, the green light fading.
[Devour progress: 30%. Balance: Heat 33% / Cold 67%.]
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 a madman," she said, her voice rough but warm. Ren checked Wei, a faint pulse strengthening, while Lian approached the bell, her relic dimming as she pulled a fragment from the wreckage—a piece that pulsed with the same energy.
The chamber shook, the seventh toll silencing, but a deeper resonance echoed from the eighth spire. The team gathered, their breaths visible, the fight's adrenaline fading into a weary resolve. The relic's call had weakened the Tax, but the path ahead promised a final confrontation, each step drawing them closer to the bells' heart.