The qualifiers victory catapults Team Rebellion to third place in the league standings. On the lounge's electronic screen, the battle poster for "Team Rebellion vs. Team Oracle" scrolls endlessly. The background features the teams' spiritual pattern emblems: Rebellion's intertwined flames, starmoon, and shadow raven form a dark golden vortex, while Oracle's emblem depicts a maiden with closed eyes, golden divination patterns trailing from her eyelids.
"Team Oracle were semi-finalists last season," Su Tang's voice comes from a tablet as she appears in the lounge doorway, clutching a device analyzing data. "Their captain, 'Oracle,' wields the 'Fated Pupil'—it reads opponents' action trajectories three seconds into the future. The vice-captain, 'Karma,' controls the 'Karma Lock,' which rebounds enemy attacks."
Ajiu leans on the sofa sucking a lollipop, her Shadow Raven patterns flickering in her hair: "Mind-reading? I'm curious—"
"Don't underestimate them," Lin Ye cuts in, unconsciously rubbing the Starmoon Meteorite bracelet on his wrist. He hasn't removed it since the qualifiers; Xiaotao says it activates automatically when his patterns surge. "Oracle's files don't list their pattern concentration, but the league official site marks them as 'SS-Class Threat'."
Xiaotao pulls a baked sweet potato from her bag, steam fogging her glasses: "What's there to fear? We're 'Rebellion'." She shoves the potato into Lin Ye's hand. "Eat, then win."
—
The arena's dome has transformed into a starry sky, countless lights simulating a flowing galaxy. Team Oracle stands opposite: Captain Oracle wears a moon-white robe with a crystal hairpin, golden divination patterns at her eyelids pulsing with each breath; Vice-Captain Karma is wrapped in a black trench coat, a string of bronze prayer beads on his left hand, each inscribed with twisted talismans.
"Let the match begin."
Before the referee finishes, Oracle's Fated Pupil suddenly glows. Lin Ye feels an icy needle pierce his temple, fragments flashing before his eyes: Xiaotao's Starmoon Meteorite tangled in Karma Lock, Ajiu's Shadow Ravens scorched by divination patterns, himself standing in the arena center as his spiritual pattern core shatters into dust...
"Watch out!" He yanks Xiaotao aside as a black chain whizzes past her hair, embedding itself in the spiritual pattern circuit behind them with an ear-piercing hum.
"Karma Lock · Prejudgment," Karma's voice is ice-cold. "I see your future clearly."
Oracle raises her right hand, a golden orb condensing at her fingertips: "First second: Team Rebellion activates 'Starmoon Meteorite Field Control'; second second: Shadow Raven Patterns strike Karma; third second—"
"Third second: Burning Heaven Domain!" Lin Ye interrupts.
Xiaotao's bracelet lights up, the meteorite's deep blue energy spreading into a net that perfectly entraps Karma's chain. Ajiu's swarm of Shadow Ravens emerges from beneath the net, the airflow from their black wings twisting the Karma Lock out of shape.
"How is this possible?" Karma's pupils contract. "My prediction showed—"
"Because our patterns are resonating," Xiaotao wipes her forehead, "Lin Ye's flames, my starmoon, your shadow raven—they're 'seeing' each other's futures."
Oracle's face shifts. The divination patterns at her eyelids turn dark red, the golden orb trembling violently in her palm: "No... Your pattern concentrations are skyrocketing!"
Lin Ye feels something awakening within him. Burning Heaven Flame Patterns crawl from his wrist to his hand, overlapping with Xiaotao's ginkgo leaf and Ajiu's shadow raven patterns to form a new design—a golden lotus in bloom. He senses clearly: the Starmoon Meteorite transmits cooling commands to the flames, while the Shadow Raven patterns guide the flames' attack trajectory.
"Is this...?" Old Jin's voice rings from the stands. "The advanced form of twin spiritual patterns! Three years ago, Lin Ye's core couldn't possibly hold this much energy!"
Oracle's forehead beads with sweat. He bites his fingertip, drawing a golden rune in the air: "Fated Finale · Burning Heaven Forbidden Technique!"
The golden orb expands tenfold, crashing toward Team Rebellion wrapped in black incantations. Lin Ye tries to dodge but finds his body pulled toward the orb—his patterns are choosing the battlefield.
"Catch this!" Xiaotao's voice pierces the roar. The Starmoon Meteorite bracelet she throws explodes in the orb, its deep blue energy surging out to corrode a massive hole through the golden light.
Ajiu charges forward, pressing both hands against Oracle's chest: "Shadow Raven Devour · Karma Reversal!" Black shadows seep into Oracle's patterns, causing the divination marks at her eyelids to shatter. The golden orb goes out of control, hurtling back toward him.
"No—!"
The explosion's shockwave demolishes the arena railing. Lin Ye slams into the wall, tasting blood in his throat. He looks up to see Oracle kneeling, hands over his bleeding eyes, while Karma's chain lies broken, prayer beads scattered and cracked.
"Who... exactly are you?" Oracle's voice quavers. "My Fated Pupil... saw the shadow of the Heaven-Burning Beast..."
The arena falls silent. Su Tang's voice comes from the commentary booth, trembling in disbelief: "Abnormal spiritual energy detected! Team Rebellion's combined pattern concentration exceeds 50%—that's beyond pro league limits..."
Lin Ye wipes the blood from his mouth, looking at Xiaotao and Ajiu. Their patterns fade slowly, yet the designs still weave beneath their skin like intertwined star trails.
"We're Rebellion," he says. "Scales that won't break."
—
At the post-match press conference, reporters swarm forward with microphones. Before Lin Ye can speak, a commotion erupts in the VIP section. Chen Zhuo pushes through the crowd, slamming a photo in front of him—it shows Lin Ye on the finals stage three years ago, his spiritual pattern core releasing a golden orb, within which a maiden with closed eyes and identical divination patterns to Oracle's faintly appears.
"This is..."
"The seal in your spiritual pattern core," Chen Zhuo's voice is grave. "Three years ago, during the surge, you were awakening her."
The back of the photo bears a message:
"When Burning Heaven Flame Patterns resonate with Fated Pupils, the Ancient Heaven-Burning Beast shall return—and you are her chosen vessel."
The arena lights suddenly go out. In the dark, Lin Ye feels the Starmoon Meteorite bracelet burning on his wrist as Xiaotao and Ajiu grab his hands simultaneously. Distant screams mingle with a bestial growl rising from deep underground...