Differences Between Cultivation Methods

On the bustling street, Su Yuan hung up the phone.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

No one knew that Zhou Pharmaceutical, one of Magic City's nine major pharmaceutical companies, had now changed hands.

From the moment he stepped onto the hospital's top floor.

To the end of that phone call with Tang Zhien just now.

With a few casual gestures, Su Yuan had completed his absolute control over Zhou Pharmaceutical, a company worth tens of billions.

And all of it had taken only eighteen minutes.

Of course, it looked simple.

But in reality, no one besides Su Yuan could possibly achieve it.

Completely controlling Zhou Pharmaceutical was not something that could be done with strength alone.

Even a Grandmaster of Baodan could silently appear in Ward 3 on the top floor.

And easily hold Tang Zhien's life in his hands.

Yet controlling Zhou Pharmaceutical from its very roots would still be nothing more than a fool's dream.

Tang Zhien, an old fox who had navigated the business world for decades, had ten thousand ways to feign compliance while secretly defying orders.

To make an old fox like Tang Zhien submit completely required more than strength and methods. It also required control over Zhou Weiwei's life and death, as well as making him feel absolute helplessness and despair.

That was also why Su Yuan had chosen to come today.

Today was the day Zhou Weiwei was closest to death, and the day Tang Zhien was most desperate.

At a time like this, Su Yuan's appearance was a lifeline, one Tang Zhien would seize without hesitation.

Had it been a few days earlier, when Zhou Weiwei's condition was not yet so serious, Tang Zhien would most likely have hesitated over Su Yuan's demands.

And hesitation bred variables and accidents.

Countless uncontrollable external influences, countless possibilities where one small change affected everything.

The slightest misstep could trigger an unforeseen reaction.

Only Su Yuan, who possessed the Omniscient Mirror, could calculate without omission and achieve his goal amid the impossible.

"Now that I've taken control of Zhou Pharmaceutical, the next stage of my cultivation plan will be much easier to carry out."

Su Yuan was in a good mood.

Why did he have to take control of Zhou Pharmaceutical instead of some other company?

There were plenty of companies in Magic City with assets on the scale of Zhou Pharmaceutical.

Yet Su Yuan had still chosen Zhou Pharmaceutical because it controlled numerous channels for obtaining old medicinal herbs from deep within the mountains.

The Zhou Family, which controlled Zhou Pharmaceutical, originated from the Southern Frontier of the Xia Kingdom. It wielded considerable influence there and had assembled dozens of herb-gathering teams.

The Southern Frontier Hundred Thousand Mountains were practically a forbidden zone for modern humans, filled with snakes, insects, ants, and wild beasts.

At the same time, it was also where truly superior ancient and old medicinal herbs grew.

Hundred-year lingzhi? Several-hundred-year lingzhi? There might even be thousand-year lingzhi.

The reason Zhou Pharmaceutical had risen to become one of Magic City's nine major pharmaceutical companies was the steady supply of high-quality medicinal herbs transported back from the Southern Frontier.

And those high-quality ancient and old medicinal herbs were equally crucial to Su Yuan's cultivation.

Only by relying on old medicinal herbs that had grown for hundreds or thousands of years and contained immense vital essence.

Could he greatly accelerate his cultivation and ultimately achieve the transformation and evolution of life.

However.

Lingzhi that were several decades or even several hundred years old might still be sold on the market and could be bought with money.

But lingzhi that were several hundred years old, or even a thousand years old, were basically impossible to find on the market.

Even if the dozens of herb-gathering teams controlled by Zhou Pharmaceutical found ancient herbs of that level, they would keep them for themselves or give them away to earn favors.

Su Yuan's control over Zhou Pharmaceutical was also meant to let him control those old and ancient medicinal herbs at their source.

"The Hundred Thousand Mountains..."

A peculiar glint appeared in Su Yuan's eyes.

Even for natives of the Southern Frontier, the Hundred Thousand Mountains were exceedingly dangerous. One careless mistake could leave them dead in the mountains.

Those experienced herb-gathering teams were also terrified and cautious within the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

As for whether they could find truly high-quality ancient and old medicinal herbs, that mainly depended on luck.

"Luck?"

Su Yuan's expression turned strange.

With the Omniscient Mirror, he knew the location of every ancient and old medicinal herb in the Southern Frontier Hundred Thousand Mountains, when it would mature, and when it was best harvested.

To others, the perilous Hundred Thousand Mountains were little different from his own backyard in Su Yuan's eyes.

After all, the deadliest aspect of the Hundred Thousand Mountains was the dangers that could appear at any moment, along with the venomous insects and ferocious beasts lurking everywhere.

Yet Su Yuan knew exactly where the dangers lay within the Hundred Thousand Mountains, how to avoid venomous insects and ferocious beasts, and how to find genuine ancient and old medicinal herbs.

Taking control of Zhou Pharmaceutical was equivalent to opening the door to the treasure trove that was the Southern Frontier Hundred Thousand Mountains.

With the abundant resources contained within the Hundred Thousand Mountains, it would be enough to support Su Yuan's cultivation after he became a Level 1 Lifeform.

According to his plan, when he passed through a certain dim street, Su Yuan controlled every bone in his body and returned to his original appearance before heading straight back to the Jinshan Villa District.

Villa 66.

"Beep—" After passing iris recognition, Su Yuan entered the living room and sat down on the sofa.

He then took the Grey Mirror from his coat.

Su Yuan always kept something as important as the Grey Mirror on his person and never allowed it to leave his sight or sensory range.

"Once I become a Level 1 Lifeform, I can directly refine the Mirror and absorb it into my body."

Su Yuan looked at the Grey Mirror and thought to himself.

That was also the answer the Grey Mirror had given him.

More than a week ago, Su Yuan had already found it rather inconvenient to carry the Grey Mirror around at all times.

So he had asked the Grey Mirror whether there was a solution.

The answer he received was that once he became a Level 1 Lifeform, he could refine it and absorb it into his body.

"This kind of refining and absorption isn't simply putting it inside my body."

"It means I can communicate directly with the Grey Mirror through my thoughts. Even without taking it out, I can ask questions in my mind and receive answers..."

Su Yuan silently pondered.

That was far more convenient than the current arrangement.

Being able to ask the Grey Mirror questions in his mind at any time meant that Su Yuan could respond perfectly whenever he encountered variables or accidents.

As long as he wanted to, he could ask questions at any time.

Unlike now, when he had to avoid attracting attention or unnecessary suspicion from others.

Su Yuan could only ask questions slowly when no one was around.

Every plan had to be made in advance, with no way to alter it midway through.

"Right, I should ask about Dark Force practitioners..."

A thought stirred in Su Yuan's mind as he suddenly recalled the doubt that had been troubling him.

Earlier, on the top floor of Zhongshan Hospital, he had faced dozens of security guards, and their captain had even been a Dark Force practitioner.

Yet those guards had been utterly incapable of resisting the suppression of Su Yuan's spiritual power.

Even that Dark Force captain had possessed no ability to struggle before Su Yuan.

This left Su Yuan rather puzzled. Even if he was stronger than them and a martial arts master at the Great Completion of Transforming Force.

The gap between them should not have been so vast, should it?

With that thought, Su Yuan immediately asked the Grey Mirror his question.

The gray mirror surface churned and blurred, quickly giving an answer as lines of text emerged.

[It is because of the difference in cultivation methods.]