The mechanical tool with a blood-colored crescent moon shape on it overcame the second barricade formed by mercenaries as well, leaving to go to a faraway place along with its one-vehicle escorts in front and behind.
"My lady, the quota given to our Fiefdom was canceled years ago; when we arrive, we will have to pass the entrance exam like everyone else."
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Isn't this better, everyone will get to know us!"
The journey was smooth; although the roads were always under the surveillance of stray bandit groups, the emblem on the escorting vehicles was quite deterrent.
After losing its old power, the Hell Realm entered into a close partnership with the Mercenaries; for this reason, everyone was aware of the consequences of provoking the Golden Leaf Guild.
Such being the case, those inside the vehicle found the opportunity to examine their surroundings more. Great endless barren lands; perhaps this was the simplest description to be made for the region of the Holy Blood Sect.
Nature would liven up a bit as they approached their target; groves where red-leafed trees with trunks of the same color danced began to catch the eye.
Especially at night, sounds of wild creatures from inside such places reached the ears of the passengers, but for some unknown reason, all of them disappeared as if they never existed after a very short time.
The real visual feast began upon entering the borders of the sect; it was as if entering a completely different world. The air temperature rose almost ten degrees at once, humidity descended on one's head almost like a sledgehammer.
Those who could resist and keep their heads upright despite this could see the giant volcano, the only place where the borders of the six sects met, remaining right in the middle of the Hell Realm.
First, the red liquid flowing like a river caught the eye; this current, coming up to the slope of the mountain and ending there, was what gave its name to the lands; blood flowed incessantly from the mouth of the volcano.
A palace made of black stones was placed right at its end point; this structure, whose outer wall extended as far as the eye could see, had six floors rising upwards from a wide base.
Everything else was below it; the dome-shaped roofs of houses, towers rising in between, and even walls higher than a hundred steps surrounding the sect could not restrict its magnificence.
"So the Holy Blood Sect is really such a place, but what a pity, years have wiped away most of its glory!"
Nafız got off the vehicle and walked towards one of the open gates; meanwhile, a heartache came and settled inside her.
"Open the way!"
"Move aside!"
Rules were very clear; entering the living areas of the sect with a vehicle was forbidden, but right now someone was violating this. What was strange was that the warriors at the gate did not intervene in this and made an effort for the way to be opened.
"What is happening here!"
"Who are these disrespectful people!"
Just like Nafız's group, many people were here to participate in the entrance exam of the sect; some had raised their voices.
"Shut your mouth, idiot, didn't you see the emblem on it?"
"Bloody Star Clan!"
"The management of Outer Court Disciples is handled by the Third Elder. If you want to pass the exam, bow your head and look ahead!"
Nafız looked for a long time behind the vehicle entering inside trying to pass over people; it took her about ten minutes to calm down by breathing deeply.
"Alis, you and I will keep a bit lower profile. Jashua, you know what you have to do!"
After a few formalities at the entrance, the trio managed to enter inside the walls; without losing time, they found themselves in front of the registration desk. The exam would start three days later; they needed to get this done and look for a place to stay.
There were many tables in the registration area; they were recording the information of thousands of young people who wanted to be a disciple of the Holy Blood Sect. The turn came to the trio, who queued in the early hours of the morning, when the sun reached right overhead; this was not a situation to complain about because the number of people in the registration line was measured in thousands.
"Name!"
"Nora!"
"The clan or Fiefdom you are bound to!"
"Bloody Moon Fiefdom!"
The person sitting at the head of the table with a dark green robe on him lifted his head and looked at the young girl when he heard the name of the fiefdom.
"Are you two coming from the same place too!"
Jashua and Alis waiting right behind Nafız answered by nodding their heads meaning yes.
"Wait on the side!"
Cutting the registration halfway, the official took the trio out of the line; a vague smirk was sensed on his face. When hours passed and the first signs of the evening darkness showed themselves, Nafız saw that no one remained in the square.
"When will we be registered!"
"Time is up today, come tomorrow!"
Rising from his place, the green-robed official stretched for a long time opening his two arms to the sides; as for his friends at other tables, they did not refrain from laughing at what happened.
"Too bad, all inns must be full by now!"
The sounds they made while walking reached up to the trio remaining frozen at the head of the table.
"My lady!"
"Don't be stupid Jashua!"
Veins on the face of the young man, who took off his cape and wore clothes specific to the public, had come to the bursting point. A single word, he was waiting for a single word from Nafız just to approve him.
"The beautiful girl speaks the truth, young man; if you do what passes through your mind, you will mess up big time!"
While the trio looked with anger after the officials leaving the area, they hadn't seen an old man approaching behind them. This man, whose waist was bent and who had only a few strands of hair left on his head, was saying the words coming out of his toothless mouth in a breathless state.
"What should we do, should we endure this injustice? Should we bow down to the persecution done?"
Jashua was on edge; the sound of bones was not missing from his hands from clenching his fists.
"Jashua, we will wait here!"
Nafız walked from the side she withdrew towards the head of the place where the line was; meanwhile, the old man also started advancing at a turtle's pace.
"Actually, there is no need for others to do anything; if they wait a bit more, this decrepit sect will collapse on its own!"
The young girl spoke looking ahead while tossing her hair; the duo ending up right behind her couldn't help but agree with her. In this way, first it became midnight, then morning.
Before officials arrived, the square was filled with people waiting for registration again; there were familiar faces at the head of the line.
The same registration table, the same official, and the trio waiting for a whole night; registrations were starting again.
"You three wait on the side!"
This became the first word of the official wearing his red robe today; then sounds of a few forcibly held laughs would follow him.
The trio did what was said without making a sound; hours were advancing, the sun was rising to the peak again. Long queues of lines covered the area and turned into giant snake bodies almost.
"Open up, open the way!"
The voice had started coming from behind, but it was approaching more every second.
"Open up, open the way!"
Eventually, after a while, everyone saw two officials bringing five people walking behind them to the head of the line!
"These are them!"
"Are you talking about the group entering through the gates with a vehicle yesterday!"
What a coincidence that the place they came to among so many tables was none other than the table Nafız and the two young men were waiting at. As if someone prepared this event knowingly, even the red-robed official stood up and welcomed those who came.
"Young warriors, please come this way!"
Two officials advancing by cleaving through the crowd had brought the quintet behind them and put them at the very head of the line. No one waiting under the scorching sun since morning could make a sound against this either.
"Geniuses of the Bloody Star Clan, I had prepared your participation numbers for you beforehand!"
Talking by relaxing his mouth, the official was bowing a bit more with every word; he thought the more he fawned over those from the third elder's clan, the more profit he would make for the future.
"Since when have the officials of the Holy Blood Sect stopped obeying the rules?"