The ancient hall remained solemn and dignified as ever.
The Venerable was, as usual, the first to arrive. He tried his best not to look at the dense, twisted runes all around the hall, but his thoughts were irresistibly drawn to them. One glance would bring a terrifying mental impact, causing his head to throb in agony.
"What a terrifying hall," he murmured in reverence.
Seeing that the other three elders had not yet arrived, the Venerable deftly pulled out a holy and grand cloth he had prepared in advance. With reverence, he began to wipe down the large round table, carefully cleaning all nine grand chairs, inside and out.
"What are you doing?" A voice filled with curiosity sounded.
"Just making it cleaner, so the elders will feel more comfortable when they sit," the Venerable answered instinctively, then suddenly froze and looked up in surprise.
He saw a figure shrouded in mist, seemingly wearing a monocle and leaning on a cane. The mist was hazy and obscure, making it hard to discern clearly, but the figure gave him a deep, oppressive feeling in the dim light.
"Who are you?" the Venerable asked, confused, then smacked his forehead in sudden realization.
"I see now. You must be the new council member, right?"
He pondered briefly. It seemed the three elders had obtained another council token. The Venerable smiled generously, his demeanor becoming stern and solemn as he sat upright in the high-backed bronze chair, shadowy hues swirling beside him.
With dignity, he spoke, "Newcomer, you may address me as the Venerable, which is my codename. In the council, we refer to each other by codenames. The other three members are the First, the Emperor, and the Prophet."
Pausing for a moment, the Venerable added lightly, "Newcomer, you should choose a codename for yourself."
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He felt a sense of satisfaction, thinking that now, with the arrival of a new member, he was no longer the newest one. He was now a 'senior'!
The figure in the mist seemed to smile, and a hoarse voice replied, "You can call me Mentor."
"Mentor?" The Venerable shook his head slightly, advising, "Perhaps you should choose a different name? 'Mentor' doesn't sound mysterious or powerful. You might want to consider 'Professor'—it sounds much more impressive."
"No, I'll stick with Mentor."
The figure in the mist leisurely sat down. The Venerable frowned, feeling that this newcomer was quite unruly, and issued a warning, "That seat belongs to Dusk. He was the former council leader, who perished in a fierce battle."
Mentor smiled and said, "It's fine."
The Venerable became even more displeased and shook his head slightly. "Newcomer, you should listen to your elders. I may be easygoing, but the First, Emperor, and Prophet are not. When they arrive, you must stand and show respect."
Out of kindness, he softly reminded, "Those three were the first members of the council, and each has already reached the true god level. May I ask, Mentor, how far have you progressed?"
Chen Xiang remained silent for a moment before replying, "You are indeed being a bit presumptuous."
He thought to himself that this guy must be crazy, as mad as that lunatic who broke mirrors.
The Venerable frowned. "Newcomer, your attitude is troubling. You can behave like this with me, but when the others arrive, you must show respect."
He gave one final warning, "Especially the Prophet—the only female member of the council. She is the most cold and temperamental of us all. Do not anger her, or you'll face her wrath."
"The Prophet... bad-tempered?" Chen Xiang thought for a moment. She didn't seem that bad to him—quite gentle, actually.
Seeing that Mentor was nonchalant, the Venerable frowned further. "Newcomer, who brought you in? You don't seem to understand the rules."
Before he could finish, three ripples spread through the air, and the Venerable instantly straightened, standing up quickly. Despite being annoyed with the newcomer, he still motioned urgently, "Get up! Show respect!"
The newcomer didn't move.
The Venerable sighed inwardly, casting a regretful glance at the figure shrouded in mist, then bowed respectfully to the three awe-inspiring figures slowly emerging from the void.
"You've arrived."
The First, Emperor, and Prophet appeared one after another, all pausing when they saw the mist-shrouded figure sitting calmly.
"The newcomer's in big trouble," thought the Venerable with a tinge of pity.
He sighed softly. "Perhaps I am too soft-hearted... too kind."
He quickly explained, "This is the new member. Perhaps due to inexperience, they don't fully understand the rules, but they mean no harm. Elders, please don't take offense..."