The sun rose over the Eternal Night Mountains like molten gold spilling across stone and sky. A low hum of excitement rippled through the sect grounds — it was the day of the Inner Herbal Forest Trial, the first in decades.
The vast Grand Courtyard of the Eternal Night Mansion teemed with disciples, their robes fluttering in the wind, their faces tense with anticipation. Rows upon rows of cultivators, from young aspirants to elder-rank disciples, stood in formation. The murmurs of speculation filled the air — talk of spirit beasts, treasures, and rivalries.
On the raised platform stood thirteen elders, their robes representing their divisions — medicine, weaponry, spirit formations, and more. Behind them loomed the Patriarch himself — tall, broad-shouldered, with long silver hair bound in a single braid that shimmered faintly with spiritual energy. His presence alone silenced the restless crowd.
When he stepped forward, the mountain winds seemed to hush in reverence.
