The cathedral's center was a frozen altar, its ice carved with bell runes that glowed like a dying star, their light pulsing in time with the deafening chime. Qin Mo's shard burned, its heat a faint spark, the cold numbing his bones. Yi, Ren, and Lian stood ready, the FFD System's warnings urgent, the bells' song a relentless pull.
[FFD System: Frostflame Balance: Heat 6% / Cold 94%. Scan: Silent Tax ritual anchor, 30 meters ahead, threat level: Lethal.]
Ren's daggers trembled, his eyes locked on a figure chained to the altar—his brother, Ren Wei, eyes hollow, body etched with bell runes. "He's alive," Ren whispered, voice breaking. "I'm coming, Wei."
Yi's threads hovered, her face pale. "Those runes—they're like my village's scars."
Lian's bow was taut, her voice hard. "My family died to stop this. We free him."
A sect priest emerged, azure robes glowing, staff pulsing with frostfire. "Core-bearer," he sneered, "the Tax claims its sacrifice."
[FFD System: Sect priest essence detected. Frostfire aura active. Heat loss: 30%. Balance: Heat 5% / Cold 95%.]
The priest struck, staff summoning a frost array, blue lines snaking toward Qin Mo's shard. He dodged, Frostflame Pulse flaring—a burst of ice and fire that shattered the lines. Lian's arrows pierced the priest's arm, slowing him, while Yi's threads bound his staff, snapping it.
Ren lunged for his brother, daggers slashing the chains, but the runes flared, burning his hands. Qin Mo activated Eagle Eye, spotting a bell rune on the priest's chest—the anchor. Frost Fang bit deep, icy teeth tearing, frost blooming as blood froze.
[FFD System: Priest essence trace absorbed. Devour progress: 15%. Balance: Heat 4% / Cold 96%.]
Yi's threads freed Ren Wei, but his eyes were vacant, runes pulsing. "Ren… the bells… they sing," he whispered, collapsing.
Ren caught him, voice raw. "Stay with me, Wei!"
The priest laughed, falling. "The Tax claims all."
Qin Mo grabbed a bell fragment from the altar, the shard absorbing its cold, heat flickering.
[FFD System: Bell fragment absorbed. Silent Tax resonance: 96%. Binding risk: 85%.]
Yi's voice shook. "He's bound, like my village."
Lian notched an arrow. "We break the anchor."
Ren held his brother, eyes fierce. "For Wei."
The FFD System chimed, warning of the altar's collapse.
[FFD System: Silent Tax resonance: 97%. Core trace: Altar depths.]
The altar cracked, runes flaring, the bells' song a call to sacrifice.
[Word count: ~2800 Chinese characters / ~1400 English words]