The Matriarch’s Test

Chapter 7 – The Matriarch's Test

The halls of the Dual Cultivation Sect were bathed in a dim crimson glow, the soft flickering of enchanted lanterns casting long, shifting shadows across the walls. The air was thick with the scent of incense, a mix of sandalwood and an exotic floral fragrance that clung to the senses.

Shen Tian's bare feet touched the cool, polished jade tiles as he followed behind Xiao Mei, her flowing crimson robes swaying with each step. The corridor was silent except for the rhythmic tap of their footsteps and the occasional distant whisper of disciples murmuring behind silk-draped doorways.

The deeper they walked, the heavier the atmosphere became. The very air seemed to pulse with unseen energy—an intoxicating mix of Yin and Qi, wrapping around his body like unseen hands testing, probing, analyzing.

The pressure grew.

Shen Tian's breathing remained steady, but he could feel it—a presence at the end of the hall, waiting.

The Matriarch.

At last, they reached an ornate set of doors, tall and lacquered in blackwood, with delicate golden carvings of entwined serpents and blooming lotuses. The patterns seemed almost alive, shifting under the lantern's glow, as if whispering secrets of forbidden knowledge.

Xiao Mei stopped, placing a single hand against the cool wood.

"The Matriarch is inside," she said, her voice low, almost reverent. She turned slightly, her violet eyes sharp. "Speak carefully. Move carefully. If she wills it, you won't leave this room alive."

Shen Tian smirked slightly, though his muscles remained tense. "Then let's hope I entertain her."

Xiao Mei pushed the doors open with a slow, deliberate motion.

A gust of warm, fragrant air rushed out, carrying a blend of exotic spices and something more… alluring. It was an overwhelming presence, like stepping into the domain of a being that transcended mortality itself.

Shen Tian stepped inside.

The chamber was vast, bathed in soft red and gold light from floating crystal orbs suspended midair. Sheer silk curtains, embroidered with golden vines and mythical beasts, hung from the ceiling, gently undulating as if breathing. The floor was polished obsidian, reflecting the faint shimmer of candlelight, creating the illusion of walking on liquid darkness.

And at the center, upon a raised lotus-shaped platform, she sat.

The Matriarch.

Her figure was partially obscured by layers of translucent silk, revealing only tantalizing glimpses of flawless ivory skin, the delicate curve of her neck, and the rich, flowing midnight hair that cascaded down her back like liquid shadow.

But it was her eyes that ensnared him.

As the silk veils parted slightly, twin crimson irises locked onto him—not human, not entirely mortal. They gleamed like smoldering embers, deep pools of knowledge, danger, and something primordial lurking beneath.

She radiated power.

Not the explosive, overwhelming power of brute force, but something infinitely more terrifying—a suffocating authority that made the very air tremble in her presence.

Her lips curved into a slow, knowing smile.

"Shen Tian," she murmured, her voice like silk dipped in honey, smooth, warm, and laced with something undeniably dangerous. "Come closer."

A single command.

The weight of her voice pressed against his chest like an invisible hand, testing him, measuring his will.

Shen Tian's muscles tensed, but he didn't falter.

He stepped forward, each movement deliberate, controlled. The coolness of the obsidian floor against his skin anchored him, reminding him that this was not a dream, nor a simple meeting.

This was a test.

A game of control, submission, and dominance.

And he would not lose.

He stopped before the raised platform, keeping his posture relaxed but respectful, his golden eyes never once leaving hers.

The Matriarch studied him, fingers idly tracing the rim of a delicate jade cup beside her. The motion was unhurried, yet every detail, every flick of her wrist, exuded a precision that spoke of centuries of refinement.

Then, she leaned forward slightly, allowing a single strand of midnight-black hair to slide over her shoulder.

"Tell me," she whispered, her voice laced with curiosity and something dangerously amused.

"Why should I let you live?"

A challenge.

A trap.

Shen Tian felt the air thicken, the unspoken weight of countless souls who had stood where he now stood—and never left.

But he was different.

He inhaled slowly, letting his Yin Seduction Aura spread subtly through the room, adjusting it just enough to not appear aggressive, but intriguing.

Then, he smiled.

"Because, Matriarch," he said smoothly, his voice steady, unshaken—

"I am more valuable alive… than dead."

Silence.

The flickering lanterns cast shifting shadows across her face, but her crimson eyes never wavered.

And then—

She laughed.

A soft, melodic laugh, rich and filled with something far more dangerous than mere amusement.

Something akin to interest.

Shen Tian kept his expression controlled, but inwardly, he knew—

He had taken the first step.