In the grand hall of the Black Paradise Sect, Inner and Core Court Elders stood in disciplined rows, their expressions solemn as they awaited the beginning of the morning meeting.
At the head of the hall, Matriarch Shi Lan sat upon her ornate throne, her posture regal and authoritative. Her long black hair was bound by a silver hairpin shaped like a coiling serpent, its eyes glimmering with tiny teal sapphires that caught the flicker of spiritual flames lining the chamber.
Li Lian, among the distinguished Elders, took her seat with quiet grace, her eyes sharp and attentive.
Matriarch Shi Lan folded her hands neatly on her lap before raising her gaze to the assembly. "Let us begin," she commanded, her voice smooth and composed. "Supreme Elder Yao, please announce the results of the mock tournament."
Yao Wu stepped forward, her expression calm as she produced a scroll from her sleeve. With a fluid motion, she unfurled it, her eyes scanning the names written in bold calligraphy.
