The Lightning Driver
Chapters. 9. Alchemy Festival
The severely injured Gou Long returned to the City Lord Mansion. He immediately returned to the room and closed himself for two days, each waiter who delivered food was rejected on the grounds that he was practicing.
***
During these two days, Xia Yu City had more and more people arriving, there were many new unfamiliar faces in the city. Indeed the Alchemy Festival was held once every four years in the Southern area, and this time it was Xia Yu City's turn to be the City of organizers.
Currently, the Southern Region was dominated by some almost evenly distributed major powers. The Sky Dragon Sect, the Alchemist Guild and several Main Families continued to support the development of Xia Yu City.
Young talents often sprang up in some of the Main Families, and some emerged from the middle-class sects that were widely scattered in the South.
They utilize the Festival, as a means to go to the next level. Be it a chance to join the sky Dragon Sect or join the Alchemist Guild.
And the most tempting thing for the participants, was the promised gift in the form of an Earth Level Condensate Pill. A pill that would ease the promotion of a Late Stage King realm cultivator to a Basic Stage Earth Realm.
It was not a secret, if every time a cultivator's promotion would face some interference, either external or internal. With the Condensate Pill, the disturbance would be minimized, as well as the promotion success rate increased by seventy percent. Another factor was; because the pill was the result of the refining/practicing of the Alchemist Master Guild itself, that was Suma Kian.
Suma Kian was the father of Southern Alchemy at the time. Supreme Master to every Alchemist, according to rumors Suma Kian was the only Sky-Level Alchemist in the South.
In the South, no one had ever seen Suma Kian. People only knew the Suma Kian disciples who had already reached the Earth Realm Alchemist.
In reality, Earth-level Condensate Pills were not rare, but Earth-level Condensate Pills from refining/refracting an Alchemist Guild Master were rare.
The Alchemy Festival itself is held in three stages. First; the pill compounding competition for Alchemists, continued with the Martial Arts competition, and the auction that would be the peak.
The Alchemy Competition, would be implemented in two types of competitions, namely the formation of fire arrays and refining pills. Each participant who managed to form the Array of fire, was entitled and allowed to participate in the refining of pills, while the determination of the winner of the competition would be judged by the tier of the pills to be produced.
Then continued with the Silat Science shootout competition with the format of knockout and endurance battles. Participants who want to try themselves are welcome to go to the stage of the fight, and are willing to accept every challenge from other participants.
The losers will die, and the winners are required to be ready to accept the challenge from other participants. The greater the endurance, the more opponents you can fight. The winner will be determined by the highest number of fights.
The participants are not restricted, any eligible will be allowed to participate. The conditions are very simple, can not be more than nineteen years old. Therefore, this year's Alchemy Festival has become very enthusiastic for every younger generation with above average talent.
***
The long-awaited day of the residents and the newcomers of Xia Yu City finally arrived. The opening and continued with the Alchemy competition, was held on the open field. The organizing committee has provided several main seats adjacent to the competition area.
The main position was filled by the City Sovereign Mansion. The group consisted of the Murong Family, Grandfather Zhou and Gou Long.
Then in the other blocks, sat several Main Families of the Peng Family, Xia Family, Jin Family and Zhang Family. Each Family Head sat down gallantly leading their respective groups. Followed by some middle-class Sect envoys from the South.
Murong Sun stood up, then gave a briefing and explained a little about the competition rules.
Since the competition began, only the Xia Family had participated in the Alchemy competition. Unlike the other Main Families in Xia Yu City, the Xia Family had specialized in the path of Alchemy.
Aside from the Xia Family, there was only one person who managed to break into the pill refining competition, the others had all fallen at the fire Array formation stage.
Yep! Basically the Alchemy competition itself was not as exciting as the martial competition, many of the cultivators who did not understand at all about the techniques and ways of forming fire Arrays on Alchemy were just dumbfounded.
At the end of the competition, Xia Yan came out victorious.
Gou Long who looked at the competition from start to finish, his expression looked ordinary, flat and cold, no one could guess what he was thinking.
“Bokah! What the hell are you thinking? Do you understand Alchemy?” Grandfather Zhou asked, breaking Gou Long's daydream.
“Does big brother Long understand Alchemy?” Hua Mei asked, her eyes twinkling.
“No! I don't understand at all,” Gou Long replied lying. He did not want people to know the Alchemy Techniques he practiced were strange and extraordinary.
“Ooo .. I thought you were amazing! Your face is so flat because you don't understand! Ha ha ha ha.” Grandfather Zhou laughed, made fun of and ended, demanding no further.
“Snack Long! If you are interested in Alchemy, Mei ‘er will learn also with sister,” continued Hua Mei, she already feels very close to Gou Long.
“Iya .. sometime we will study together,” replied Gou Long ending the conversation.
Since the beginning of the opening of the Festival, this group of three people, even though with the Murong Family they were just engrossed in three conversations. Moreover, the gazes of the eyes of the main families were less friendly and were constantly staring at them. The good thing is, these three guys are both cute.
For two days not meeting and having a conversation with Gou Long made Grandpa Zhou become cranky. He thought that the boy was too interesting and mysterious. Yep! In the end Grandpa Zhou could only resign, he filled his free time by training Hua Mei.
Now when this competition has started, and soon it will be continued with the second competition. Grandpa Zhou had been in the spirit since then.
Gou Long occasionally glanced towards Grandpa Zhou who looked enthusiastic, he was astonished by Grandpa Zhou who had suddenly changed.
“Bokah! In the martial arts competition, are you going to take part?” Back Grandpa Zhou asked.
“Mei ‘er what will take part?” Gou Long replied to the same question to Grandpa Zhou.
“No, May ‘er just watch the crowd, you alone! Haven't answered my question!” reprimand Grandpa Zhou, while glaring at Gou Long.
“No! I will not stay forever in this South,” Gou Long replied faintly.
“Ha ha ha!” Grandpa Zhou laughed, long and curled.
Gou Long was astonished himself. “Why else is this old bangka? Laughing and ranting could change at any moment, Gou Long's inner”, he just stared strangely at Grandpa Zhou.