The White Serpent Temple loomed in Mei's dreams again, its icy spires piercing a blood-red sky. She woke shivering, her cursed veins throbbing like frozen lightning. The serpent-shaped key around her neck burned cold against her skin, its whispers louder now. *"Closer… you're almost there."*
She trudged through the Wailing Peaks, snow crunching underfoot. A blizzard howled, swallowing the path behind her. When the storm grew unbearable, she stumbled into a cave, lighting a fire with trembling hands. The flames danced blue, casting long shadows on the walls—shadows that moved on their own.
A figure materialized from the dark, its form flickering like smoke. Frost clung to its translucent robes, and its eyes glowed the same violet as Mei's curse.
"Lost, little sister?" it crooned, voice echoing like wind through bones.
Mei gripped her dagger. "Who are you?"
"Call me Frostbite. A fellow prisoner of the Temple." The spirit circled her, trailing ice. "I can guide you past the guardians… for a price."
---
**System Alert (Mei's Perspective):**
**Entity Detected:** Wandering Spirit (Frostbite).
**Intent:** Possession (Temporary).
**Risk:** Soul corruption (Permanent if duration exceeds 12 hours).
**Reward:** Safe passage through Temple's outer wards.
---
Mei hesitated. The key pulsed, and the Temple's whispers sharpened into screams. "What do you want?"
"Your body. Just for a day." Frostbite's grin split its face like a crack in ice. "Think of it as… a rental."
Before she could refuse, the spirit surged into her chest. Cold seared her veins, and her vision blurred. When it cleared, the cave walls glittered with frost patterns—a map.
"Northwest," Frostbite hissed through her lips. "The Temple awaits."
---
Back at the Verdant Cloud Sect, Zhang Wei faced a different storm.
"We didn't sign up to fight ice witches!" Old Teng, a burly farmer-turned-disciple, slammed his shovel into the half-built wall. "We're tillers, not killers!"
Luo Yan leaned against a spiritwood pillar, picking his teeth with a dagger. "Want me to stab him, Boss? Free of charge."
---
**Quest Alert:** Quell Dissent (Urgent).
**Options:**
1. **Diplomacy (Persuasion):** Promise non-combat roles (Morale +10).
2. **Intimidation:** Threaten expulsion (Loyalty -20, Morale -15).
3. **Bribe:** Share spirit herbs (Resources -30%, Loyalty +10).
---
Zhang Wei stepped forward, channeling qi into his voice. "You think the Black Vipers care if you're a farmer? They'll burn your fields either way. Train today, harvest tomorrow."
Old Teng's grip on the shovel loosened. "And if we die?"
"Then we die defending something worth growing."
Grudgingly, the farmers returned to work.
---
**Sect Morale:** 70/100 (Cautious Unity).
**New Facility:** Terraced Fields (Food Stability +25%).
---
That evening, the system pinged—a harsh, urgent chime.
---
**Crisis Alert:** Lady Bai Detected (25 Miles South).
**Estimated Arrival:** 48 hours.
**Recommended Action:** Activate fire defenses (Incomplete).
**New Quest:** Recruit Fire Cultivator (Jiang Chao) – Location: Red Canyon.
---
Zhang Wei found Xiao Ling sketching explosive talismans in the dirt, his fingers stained with ink. "Pack up. We're hunting a pyromaniac."
The boy grinned. "Finally, a field trip!"
---
The Red Canyon lived up to its name. Rivers of molten rock cut through crimson cliffs, and the air shimmered with heat haze. Jiang Chao wasn't hard to find—he stood atop a basalt column, juggling fireballs while singing off-key.
"*~Burn, baby, burn! Disco inferno!~*"
Below him, a lava serpent coiled, its obsidian scales dripping magma.
"Is he… *flirting* with it?" Xiao Ling whispered.
"Distract the serpent," Zhang Wei ordered. "I'll grab the idiot."
Xiao Ling hurled a freezing talisman. The serpent hissed as the magma around it solidified, and Jiang Chao whooped.
"Nice one, kid! Let's light it up!" He launched a fireball the size of a wagon, incinerating the serpent's head.
---
**Combat Summary:**
- **Jiang Chao's Fireball:** Critical hit (Lava Serpent eliminated).
- **Loot:** Fire Core (Rare Alchemy Ingredient).
- **Xiao Ling's Progress:** Talisman Mastery +15%.
---
Jiang Chao slid down the column, his grin wild. "You're the sect leader? Heard you've got an ice problem. I'm in—as long as I get to blow stuff up daily."
Zhang Wei tossed him a spiritwood torch. "Welcome aboard."
---
Lady Bai struck at dawn two days later.
She descended on a glacier-winged phoenix, her cryomantic qi frosting the terraced fields. Farmers fled as ice encased the crops.
"You've had your warning," she intoned. "Surrender the girl, or perish."
"She's not here," Zhang Wei said, tightening his grip on the Ironhide Amulet. "But we've got a welcoming committee."
Jiang Chao leapt from the watchtower, twin fire whips cracking. "Hey, Snowflake! Let's melt you down!"
---
**Battle Phase 1:**
- **Jiang Chao vs. Lady Bai:** Fire vs. Ice (Qi Clash).
- **Sect Actions:** Activate Flamethrower Turrets (Spiritwood Ignition).
- **Risk:** Overheat (Turret durability -10% per use).
---
Lady Bai's phoenix shrieked as flames licked its wings. She retaliated with a blizzard, freezing Jiang Chao's whips mid-swing.
"Xiao Ling!" Zhang Wei barked. "The talisman!"
The boy slapped a paper seal on the ground. "Firestorm Array—activate!"
The sect's perimeter erupted in a ring of fire, melting Lady Bai's ice. She retreated, her phoenix shedding frost feathers.
"This isn't over," she hissed, vanishing into a snow vortex.
---
**Victory Rewards:**
- **Sect Reputation:** Notorious → Feared.
- **Loot:** Frost Phoenix Feather (Epic Crafting Material).
- **Jiang Chao's Loyalty:** 80/100 (Respect Earned).
---
---
In the Wailing Peaks, Mei's borrowed body faltered. Frostbite's control slipped, the spirit's laughter echoing in her skull.
"Almost there, little sister. Just a bit further…"
The Temple gates towered ahead, guarded by stone serpents with eyes of frozen flame. Mei's hand—guided by Frostbite—raised the key. The serpents stirred, their jaws creaking open.
"Now," Frostbite whispered. "Let's claim our destiny."
Mei's vision darkened as the spirit surged forward, but not before she glimpsed the High Priestess inside—a mirror image of herself, veins black with the same curse.
---
Zhang Wei stood amid the scorched fields, Jiang Chao's laughter mixing with the farmers' relieved cheers. The system flickered.
---
**New Quest:** Rebuild (Again).
**Objective:** Repair fire damage, replant crops.
**Bonus:** Discovered Frost Phoenix Feather unlocks Ice-Fire Fusion research.
---
As the disciples gathered, a villager ran in, breathless. "Sect Leader! Riders from Pine Ridge—they say Mei's in trouble!"
Xiao Ling paled. "We have to go!"
Zhang Wei eyed the northern horizon. "Pack the fire cores. We're done waiting for storms to find us."