Tokyo Bay's morning light had barely faded when Team Rebellion's hovercar glided into the "Spiritual Vein Archive". Built with ancient spiritual patterns, this venue nestled in the deepest Cloudtop Plateau, its outer walls etched with the same dark gold spirals as the Rebellion core, like codes carved by time.
"Welcome to the 'Heart of Spiritual Veins'," greeted a white-haired elder, his spiritual core embedded in a chest bone ornament, dark gold patterns on its surface matching the Star Cocoon Core. "I am the chief advisor of the Guardians' Alliance—you may call me Old Watcher."
Xiaotao's Starmoon bracelet suddenly heated. She leaned close to Old Watcher's ornament, blue energy condensing into ancient characters on the patterns: "Origin of spiritual veins, beginning of life."
"This is..."
"A message from ancient pattern users," Old Watcher's voice carried the weight of years. "Three hundred years ago, the last guardian inscribed this at the vein's core when sealing the Star Beast with their life. Now, you have finally come."
Lin Ye's spiritual core thrummed violently. He sensed an unprecedented resonance between the venue's spiritual energy and his Rebellion core—a call from the vein's very origin.
"We need to see the Spiritual Vein Origin," he said.
Old Watcher's fingers grazed the ornament, and patterns on the venue's dome lit up, projecting a holographic star map. At its center, a dark gold sphere rotated, wrapped in countless light ribbons, mirroring the Rebellion core's spirals.
"This is the Spiritual Vein Origin," Old Watcher's voice turned solemn. "Formed from life energy at creation, it is the core from which all spiritual patterns branch and all life projects."
Ajiu's Shadow Ravens burst from her hair, circling the star map. Dark purple mist oozed from their feathers, condensing into the Rebellion totem on the map.
"It's responding to us," Sakura said in wonder, her Sakura Patterns blooming in her palm, pink petals floating toward the map. "The Origin says... 'Welcome home'."
Lin Ye's core flew out, and the moment it touched the map's central sphere, the entire venue trembled. The ground cracked like a spiderweb, spilling deep blue spiritual fluid that flooded their ankles.
"These are the veins' 'Purification Tears'," Old Watcher trembled. "They can wash away all corrupted patterns, including... Star Beast remnants."
Lin Ye felt something surge from the earth into his mind—memories of ancient pattern users: the finals night three hundred years ago, when he, Su Li, and the Mechanical Pattern User (then human) guarded the Origin. Star Beast remnants ran amok, and Old Watcher sealed them with his life, scattering the Origin's power among seven guardians.
"So that's why..." Su Li's voice shook as her Sakura Patterns resonated with the Origin's sphere. "I was one of the seven guardians."
Memories flooded back: teenage Su Li meeting Lin Ye backstage at the league, binding her spiritual core to his Burning Heaven Flames, vowing to protect the veins; the stormy night three hundred years ago, when she fused with the Origin to seal the Star Beast, only to be backlashed into a half-spirit.
"Therefore..." Lin Ye took Su Li's hand. "You never truly disappeared."
Tears welled in Su Li's eyes, Sakura Patterns blooming brightly on her face. "I was just... waiting for you."
The star map flickered wildly. Old Watcher's ornament shrieked, a blood-red warning flashing on the screen: "ALERT: STAR BEAST REMNANTS BREACH SEAL!"
The venue's dome cracked, black mist pouring in like a waterfall. The Mechanical Pattern User materialized within, his mechanical eye no longer dark gold but glowing with the Origin's blue—a sign of corruption by its power.
"You thought the veins purified me?" he raved. "The Origin's power is the Star Beast's nourishment! Now, I'll use it to awaken the true master!"
His mechanical skeleton expanded, dark gold core flying to the star map's center. Lin Ye's core blazed, golden flames wrapped in pink Sakura, blue Starmoon, and purple Shadow energy charging the sphere—only to be rebounded by the Origin's power. The Mechanical User's skeleton disintegrated, but his core merged with the sphere, turning its pure blue into a sinister purple-black.
"This is..."
"The Star Beast's 'primeval form'," Old Watcher despaired. "The Origin's power has activated its primal rage."
The Mechanical User dissolved, and a translucent figure emerged from the sphere: the true Star Beast, its body a giant python of dark gold and blue patterns, each scale etched with spiritual core spirals.
"Finally..." the Star Beast's voice rumbled like an earthquake. "Three hundred years, I can reclaim my power."
Lin Ye's core shuddered. He sensed the Star Beast's consciousness mingled with memories of countless devoured pattern users: the league founder's resentment, the Mechanical User's obsession, even Su Li's sorrow.
"You are not the Star Beast," Lin Ye said steadily. "You are the corrupted spiritual vein."
The Star Beast paused, its python body twisting as scale spirals peeled away, revealing dark gold chains beneath—Old Watcher's life-sealed bindings from three hundred years ago.
"You..."
"Spiritual veins should be bonds of life," Old Watcher staggered forward, pressing his ornament to the Star Beast's forehead. "Not tools for consumption. It's your heart, not power, that was corrupted."
The python body began to disintegrate, chains breaking to reveal a crouching figure: the ancient pattern user sealed three hundred years ago, face seven-tenths similar to Old Watcher's.
"Father..." the Star Beast's voice turned childlike.
Old Watcher's tears fell on the ornament. "I'm sorry. To seal you, I suppressed your consciousness with vein power, letting you be consumed by resentment..."
The ancient user raised a hand to Old Watcher's cheek, fingertips glowing with the Origin's blue, melting the ornament's dark gold chains. "I never knew... vein power is for protection, not control."
Lin Ye's core blazed. He realized the "Rebellion" power was never about confrontation, but connection—linking corrupted patterns, mending broken consciousness, uniting all who seek to protect.
He placed his palm on the Star Beast's forehead. Burning Heaven Flames, Sakura Patterns, Starmoon light, and Shadow energy wove the Rebellion totem within it.
"By the name of Rebellion," Lin Ye's voice thundered. "By the oath of partners—
"Awaken the true self, return to the light!"
Golden flames wrapped in pink aura poured into the Star Beast, peeling away dark gold scales to reveal snow-white patterns—the pure, uncorrupted vein power.
The python dissolved into light mist, its consciousness merging into the Rebellion core, leaving one final thought: "Thank you... for reminding me of my original purpose as a spiritual vein."
Morning light pierced the dome, gilding them in gold. The Origin's sphere cleared, blue patterns flowing like a stream to nourish the earth.
"So that's it..." Xiaotao teared up. "Vein power is love."
Ajiu's Ravens circled the sphere, dark purple mist forming the word "HOPE" in the patterns. Sakura's Patterns bloomed, petals merging with the veins to create a new totem.
Su Li stood beside Lin Ye, her Patterns touching his flames. "The Origin says it will remember our bond. From now on, no matter the difficulty..."
"We'll face it together," Lin Ye finished.
Old Watcher re-embedded his ornament, tears in his wrinkles. "The Guardians' Alliance's mission was never to fight, but to protect. Thank you for reigniting that purpose."
The hovercar started, its wake shattering dawn into prisms. Lin Ye's core thrummed, sensing global patterns like heartbeats in the clouds.
"Where to next?" Ajiu stroked her Raven.
"Wherever protection is needed," Lin Ye looked to the brightening horizon, where the sun gilded the sea. "Because pattern meaning has never been in temples or deserts."
"Then where?" Xiaotao tilted her head.
Lin Ye gazed at the awakening Spiritual Vein Origin, its patterns and the Rebellion core's dark gold weaving a star trail toward the future.
"Wherever life connects."