Chapter 396: Chapter 395: Blood Moon Trial
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the Dark Moon Trial arrived.
The trial took place at night, which the night elves referred to as “Dark Moon Night.”
In the sorcerer world, it was called the “Waning Moon,” a time when only a sliver of the moon was visible—an astrological phenomenon that typically occurred three or four times a year.
The trial was held not far behind the royal court, in the Dark Moon Forbidden Forest.
“Your Highness Kolebas, you don’t mind if we bring some people to join in the excitement, do you?”
“This is our clan’s grand event. I certainly don’t mind if you wish to witness it, but make no disrespectful actions later on, otherwise you’ll see if my Gray Shadow Staff agrees.”
…
“Of course, everything we do will comply with the imperial customs, without any disrespect.”
When the High Priest arrived with his entourage, he found that seven or eight great matriarchs were already present; their intentions were clearly not benign.
Alerted by a good friend, Kolebas was aware that he couldn’t fool these people with ulterior motives, and he wasn’t surprised at this point.
Regardless, Jenny had to become the Holy Daughter tonight. Anyone who dared to make a scene would come to understand the might of the imperial High Priest.
Groups of people, displeased with each other, exchanged a few greetings and then stood apart.
Judging by the numbers alone, the High Priest’s side was clearly at a disadvantage.
Among the crowd, Ivan was amazed.
‘Could it be that too many peaceful days have plunged these rulers into a vortex of power struggles from which they can no longer extricate themselves?’ Ivan, of course, came with the High Priest and thought to himself at this scene.
He looked around, dazzled.
It had to be said, the females of the night elf tribe were mostly of exceptional beauty, and quite liberal in their manners; he merely glanced around and received several suggestive responses.
Some were even pointing at him.
Indeed, just within a few days, many people already knew that a human from the surface had arrived in Yuyue City, especially among the upper and middle ranks of the night elf tribe.
“Chairwoman Ye Lulu arrives!”
Before long, the ostensibly most noble woman of the empire arrived, her entrance grander than others’.
Ye Qi pulled the palace carriage, surrounded by female knights riding night blade panthers.
Approaching the group, Ye Lulu exited the palatial carriage, and immediately, someone spread out a pristine beast hide carpet for her to walk on.
Seeing this chairwoman, even the worldly Ivan couldn’t help but sparkle with admiration.
This Ye Lulu seemed like she was crafted by deities specifically to attract men—her delicate and smooth face, graceful figure, and an alluring aura made her unforgettable at a glance.
A peculiar expression suddenly crossed Ivan’s face, as his exceptional hearing clearly caught Ye Lulu muttering “old woman” from not too far away, her voice tinged with jealousy.
Indeed, next to Ye Lulu, Ye Qi seemed to pale in comparison.
And it seemed Ye Lulu heard that remark, although she didn’t react much.
These night elf matriarchs were really interesting.
“High Priest, let’s skip the small talk and start, shall we?”
“Very well.”
Ye Lulu stepped onto the beast hide carpet and approached the front of the Forbidden Forest. Facing her invitation, Kolebas stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with her. Each pulled out a scroll and began to chant.
The next second, it was as if a layer of gray miasma was wiped away, and a corner of the Dark Night Forbidden Forest opened up.
Inside the dark forest was a row of withered, blackened trees. Among them, a winding path led to a solitary well at its end.
The well was just over two meters wide, and an almost fully round ghostly moon was reflected from within it.
Ivan could see it clearly, though from the outside, there was no clue of it.
“The Forbidden Forest has opened, Holy Daughter, please enter quickly and bring back the Holy Artifact graced by the Mother God,” Kolebas declared.
“Hold on!”
Indeed, at this critical moment, someone stepped out to interrupt.
Kolebas’s eyes filled with resentment as she looked over, her Gray Shadow Staff beginning to emit a ghostly light, ready to sweep across at a word’s disagreement.
“High Priest, I urge you to stay your hand,” Hausmora, the great dame of the Blood Bow tribe, said evenly.
“Hausmora, if you have something to say, say it quickly. Your delay of the opening of the Forbidden Forest will make you a great criminal of the Empire,” Ye Lulu chided.
“Madam Speaker exaggerates, I just have a small proposal.”
“Speak.”
“My Blood Bow tribe also has candidates participating in the selection of the Holy Daughter. The person is right here, and I’m sure the High Priest is quite familiar with her, Yolanda, come out and speak your requests to the High Priest.”
With Hausmora’s words, a stunning figure stepped out from the Blood Bow tribe.
Kolebas was, of course, familiar with her, a highly talented candidate for the Holy Daughter, though her intentions weren’t pure and she was never the favored next Holy Daughter.
“Yolanda, what would you like to say?”
“High Priest Kolebas, I’ve studied the temple’s doctrines in depth. I know there’s another way for the Dark Moon trial, a more splendid way. I hope I’m fortunate enough to participate, to lay down my blood as the foundation for the glory of the next Holy Daughter. Please grant me this favor.”
Yolanda spoke firmly, her voice gentle.
Upon hearing her words, Kolebas’s face suddenly turned ugly, her gaze chilling as she stared at her as if she wanted to carve her up.
“High Priest, this should comply with the Empire and the temple’s rules,” Hausmora said.
“Jenny is the one ordained by the Mother God, and you still haven’t given up, trying to push for the Blood Moon trial. Have you gone mad?” Kolebas looked sorrowfully at the many great dames, knowing that it wasn’t just the Blood Bow tribe involved in this.
But the Blood Moon trial involved death, not just of one or two, but of many, many talented individuals from the tribes.
“Why should we prepare and train so hard for so long, only to let an outsider become our tribe’s Holy Daughter so gloriously? I ask the High Priest to please grant us this,” they argued.
“Your Highness, you’ve lost your composure.”
“High Priest, my Black Fox tribe supports.”
“——”
Faced with the High Priest’s questioning, one chief dame after another spoke out, this time united, all revealing their firm resolution to change the Dark Moon trial to the Blood Moon trial.
Kolebas wanted to do something, but she saw Ye Lulu giving her a look, saying it was inevitable, advising her not to oppose any further to avoid making the situation worse, which would be hard to settle later.
After a moment of silence, Kolebas took a deep breath and walked over to Jenny.
“Jenny, the Blood Moon trial takes place under the witness of the Blood Moon, triggering the blood-drawing force field contained within the Dark Moon Well. Many substitute Holy Daughters will join you in the trial, which will become extremely cruel. Only one person can come out of the Forbidden Forest, while the others will turn into the growth and glory of the new Holy Daughter.”
Ivan and Jenny realized, with this, the situation would indeed become very bad.
Without a doubt, once those substitute Holy Daughters were involved, Jenny, being a foreigner, would become the target of all, not excluding everyone else ganging up to eliminate her first.