As league semifinal announcements plaster the city streets, Lin Ye stands on the second-floor terrace of the "Rusty Iron Tavern". The setting sun stretches his shadow long, and the Burning Heaven Flame Patterns on his wrist glow warm gold in the 余晖 (afterglow)—since fusing with Su Li's spiritual pattern core in the underground battle, the patterns have never surged again. Instead, they move beneath his skin like tamed stars, radiating a gentle warmth.
"Team Rebellion is in Group B's final," Xiaotao squeezes over with a tablet, milk tea stains still on her hair. "Against the combined team of Eclipsis and Oracle—'Eternal Night Alliance'."
Ajiu leans on the railing sucking a lollipop, Shadow Raven patterns dancing at her fingertips: "Eclipsis's ravens, Oracle's Fated Pupil, plus that masked man... This lineup means to crush us."
Lin Ye takes the tablet. The poster shows Eternal Night Alliance's emblem: a coiling black mist embedded with a half-spiritual pattern core—the same half the masked man displayed before the match.
"They challenged us to the Spiritual Pattern Temple," he says suddenly.
Xiaotao's tablet clatters to the floor. The Spiritual Pattern Temple is a legendary ruin sealing ancient beasts, hidden in an abandoned mine north of the city. The league has never acknowledged it, but old spiritual pattern user notes mention: "It holds the origin of patterns and the Heaven-Burning Beast's secrets."
"How do you know?" Ajiu narrows her eyes.
Lin Ye takes out a metal box Chen Zhuo gave him last night. A yellowed map lies at the bottom, its edge written in blood: "Temple entrance at 'Tear Spring' in the mine's depths. Bring Su Li's spiritual pattern core."
—
Mine wind stinks of rust as it rushes into Lin Ye's collar. His flashlight sweeps across ancient carvings on the rock wall—twisted symbols identical to those on spiritual pattern cores. Xiaotao's Starmoon Meteorite bracelet suddenly burns hot, illuminating a pool ahead: three meters wide, its center gushes deep blue water, floating a half-core that perfectly matches the one in Lin Ye's hand.
"Tear Spring," Su Li's voice comes from behind. Her phantom is clearer now, divination patterns at her eyelids glowing soft gold. "When I was corrupted three years ago, the Heaven-Burning Beast's power purged the evil here."
The pool suddenly boils. The masked man rises from the water, maskless at last. His entire face is covered in dark golden patterns: his left eye is Su Li's divination pupil, his right a vertical Heaven-Burning Beast slit.
"Welcome to the true Spiritual Pattern Temple," his voice mixes two tones—Su Li's sweetness and a beast's growl. "You thought the league was a competition? It's a sacrifice—using your cores to awaken the sealed Heaven-Burning Beast's true form."
Lin Ye's core burns hot. He notices the half-core in the pool oozes black mucus, which turns gold when resonating with his.
"This is..."
"Su Li's core was corrupted," the masked man (or the corrupted Su Li) laughs. "I couldn't fully merge with her three years ago. Now, with your cores, the Heaven-Burning Beast will be reborn—and you'll be its 养料."
The pool explodes. Dozens of black chains burst from the water, coiling around Lin Ye's wrists. He strikes them, but they tighten like living things, his core's golden light scorching marks into the chains.
"Look out!" Xiaotao's bracelet blazes, blue light slicing the chains like a blade. Ajiu's Shadow Ravens dive at the masked man, their wings 掀起 (stirring) a hurricane that flips up his coat, revealing writhing black tendrils—no human body lies beneath.
"You think cores are just vessels?" The masked man's pupils narrow to slits. "They're the Heaven-Burning Beast's eyes! Su Li's eyes!"
He raises his hand, and the half-core flies from the pool, colliding with Lin Ye's. Golden flames erupt, illuminating the wall carvings—symbols that suddenly animate, forming a giant array trapping Team Rebellion at its center.
"This is the Heaven-Burning Beast's seal array," Su Li's phantom appears in Lin Ye's mind. "Breaking it needs three patterns resonating: Burning Heaven Flames, Starmoon Meteorite, Shadow Raven... and my core."
Lin Ye looks at Xiaotao and Ajiu. Their patterns burn hot, intertwining with his into a new design—the array's very core.
"Su Li, what do we do?" he yells.
"Your blood," Su Li's voice hardens. "Cores need pure spiritual energy, and your blood is the cleanest medium."
Lin Ye draws his dagger, slashing his wrist. Blood drips onto the core, purifying the black mucus and revealing golden patterns beneath. Xiaotao and Ajiu slash their wrists too, three streams of blood merging on the core. The wall array suddenly roars.
"No—!" The masked man's body collapses, black tendrils pouring from his orifices. "The Heaven-Burning Beast will devour you! It will consume all patterns and become a new god!"
The core's light intensifies. Lin Ye feels something rise from the earth: a massive serpentine body of dark gold scales, each embedded with burning talismans; its head is a maiden's face, divination patterns overlapping with Su Li's phantom—this time, her gaze holds warm light, not emptiness.
"It's Su Li..." Xiaotao whispers.
"No," Lin Ye looks into Su Li's eyes. "It's the Heaven-Burning Beast... and the guardian."
The giant snake opens its mouth, spewing not fire but golden runes that float to the masked man, 融入 (melting into) his body. The black tendrils wither instantly. His final scream fades into golden dust, leaving only a half-core resting in Tear Spring.
—
On league finals day, the arena is packed. Lin Ye stands in the waiting area, his Burning Heaven patterns no longer burning hot, but gently thrumming like a caress. Xiaotao and Ajiu stand at his sides, their bracelet and patterns glowing in unison with his core.
"Finals opponent is the remains of Eternal Night Alliance," Su Tang's voice comes from a tablet. "But they... withdrew."
Lin Ye looks to the stands. Chen Zhuo holds his camera, lens focused on an elder in VIP seats—the league's founder, the mysterious man behind him in the finals three years ago. Now, the elder's core glows, its patterns identical to the Heaven-Burning Beast's scales.
"So that's how..."
"Time to go on," Xiaotao tugs his sleeve.
As spotlights flare, Lin Ye hears Su Li's voice in his mind: "Remember, patterns aren't weapons—they're partners."
He looks up, seeing the seal array projected on the arena's spiritual energy dome—the resonance trajectory of the Heaven-Burning Beast and their three patterns, forming a blooming golden lotus.
"Let's go," he smiles at Xiaotao and Ajiu. "This time, we'll show everyone that real spiritual pattern competition is about protection, not conquest."
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