Chapter. 9. Alchemy Festival

Yuan Liong The heavily injured. He went straight back to his room and shut himself off for two days, every waiter who brought food was rejected on the grounds that he was practicing.

***

During these two days, Xia Yu City has more and more people arriving. There are many new, unknown faces in the city. Indeed, the Alchemy Festival was held once every four years in the Southern region, and this time it was Xia Yu City's turn to be the host city.

Currently, the Southern Region is dominated by several major powers which are almost evenly distributed. The Heavenly Dragon Sect, the Alchemist Guild, and several Major Families continued to support Xia Yu City's development.

Young talents often sprang up in some of the Major Families, and some emerged from the middle-class sects that were widely spread across the South.

They take advantage of the Festival, as a means to move to the next level. Be it the chance to join the Heavenly Dragon Sect or join the Alchemist Guild.

And the most tempting thing for the participants was the promised prize of an Earth Grade Condensate Pill. A pill that would ease the promotion of Late Stage King Realm cultivators to Elementary Stage Earth Realm.

It's no secret that every time a cultivator's promotion will be faced with some disturbances, both external and internal. With the Condensate Pill, the distractions would be minimized, as well as the promotion success rate increased by seventy percent. Other factors are; that the pill was the result of refining the Alchemist Guild Master himself, namely Suma Kian.

Suma Kian was the father of Southern Alchemy at that time. The Supreme Master of every Alchemist, according to rumors Suma Kian was the only Sky Grade Alchemist in the Southern region.

Southerners, no one has ever seen Suma Kian. People only knew Suma Kian's disciples who had already reached Earth Realm Alchemists.

In reality, Earth Grade Condensate Pills were not rare, but the Alchemist Guild Master Refined Earth Grade Condensate Pills were rare.

The Alchemy Festival itself is carried out in three stages. First; the pill compounding competition for Alchemists, followed by the Martial Arts competition, and the auction that would be the climax.

The Alchemy Competition will be held in two types of competitions, namely the formation of the Flame Array and the refining of pills. Each participant who succeeded in forming the Flame Array was entitled and allowed to participate in pill refining, while the determination of the winner of the competition would be judged on the grade of the pill that would be produced.

Then it was followed by a martial arts competition with a knockout and endurance battle format. Participants who want to show themselves are welcome to go up to the battle stage and are willing to accept any challenges from other participants.

The loser will fall, and the winner is required to be ready to accept challenges from other participants. The greater the resistance, the more opponents you can fight. The winner will be determined with the most number of battles.

The participants are not limited, any who qualify will be allowed to participate. The conditions are very simple, you must not be more than nineteen years old. Because of this, this year's Alchemy Festival became very enthusiastic for every young generation with above-average talent.

***

The day the residents and visitors of Xia Yu City have been waiting for has finally arrived. The opening and continued with the Alchemy competition, held in the open field. The organizing committee has provided several main seats adjacent to the competition area.

The main position is filled by the City Lord's Mansion. This group consisted of the Murong Family, Grandpa Zhou, and Yuan Liong.

Then in the other blocks, sat several Main Families from the Peng Family, Xia Family, Jin Family, and Zhang Family. Each Family Head sat proudly leading his own group. Followed by several messengers from the middle-class Sects from the South.

Murong Sun stood up, then gave a briefing and explained a bit about the competition rules.

Since the start of the competition, only the Xia Family has participated in the Alchemy competition. Unlike the other Main Families in Xia Yu City, the Xia Family specialized in the path of Alchemy.

They managed to master the pill trade route and various kinds of medicines. Fourth Young Master Xia Yan, from this family, greatly adores Suma Kian, he has ambitions to become the disciple of that Supreme Master Alchemist.

Aside from the Xia Family, there was only one person who made it into the pill refining competition, the others all died at the Flame Array formation stage.

Yes! Basically, the Alchemy competition itself was not as interesting as the martial competition, many of the cultivators who didn't understand all the techniques and methods of Alchemy Flame Array formation were just dumbfounded.

At the end of the competition, Xia Yan came out victorious.

Yuan Liong who saw the competition from start to finish, his expression was casual, flat, and cold, no one could guess what he was thinking.

“Kid! What do you think? Do you understand Alchemy?” Grandpa Zhou asked, breaking Yuan Liong's reverie.

“Does brother Long understand Alchemy?” Nalan Jieruo also asked, her eyes sparkling.

“Not! I don't understand at all,” replied Yuan Liong lying. He didn't want people to know that the Alchemy Technique he practiced was strange and extraordinary.

“Ooo … I thought you were amazing! Your face is so flat because you don't understand! Ha ha ha.” Grandpa Zhou laughed, mocked, and ended, demanding no further.

“Brother Long! If you are interested in Alchemy, Jieruo'er will study with you too,” continued Nalan Jieruo, who already felt very close to Yuan Liong.

“Yes ... we will study together sometime,” replied Yuan Lion, ending the conversation.

From the very beginning of the Festival's opening, this group of three, even though they were with the Murong Family they were only busy conversing with the three of them. What's more, the unfriendly gazes of the main families constantly stared at them. The good thing is, that these three people are both ignorant.

The two days of not seeing and talking with Yuan Liong made Grandpa Zhou grumpy. In his opinion, the boy was too attractive and mysterious. Yes! In the end, Grandpa Zhou could only give up, he spent his spare time training Nalan Jieruo.

Now this competition has started, and will soon be continued with the second competition. Grandpa Zhou has been excited ever since.

Yuan Liong occasionally glanced at Grandpa Zhou who looked enthusiastic, he was astonished by Grandpa Zhou's sudden change.

“Kid! In the martial arts competition, will you take part?” Again Grandpa Zhou asked.

“Is Jieruo'er going to take part?” Yuan Liong replied to Grandpa Zhou with the same question.

“No, Jieruo'er was just watching the crowd, you alone! Haven't answered my question yet!” rebuked Grandpa Zhou, glaring at Yuan Liong.

“Not! I won't stay forever in the South,” replied Yuan Liong faintly.

“Ha ha ha!” Grandpa Zhou laughed, long and laughing.

Yuan Liong was surprised. “Why else is this old fart? Laughter and moodiness can change at any moment,” Yuan Liong thought, as he stared at Grandpa Zhou strangely.