Chapter 45

In today's highly developed society, various high-tech products have made the world more colorful. And in such an era, business has taken on an increasingly important position. When your wealth reaches a certain level, you will have a respected status anywhere in the world. And among all industries, which one is the most profitable? Without a doubt—pharmaceuticals! Whether it's cars, mobile phones, daily necessities, small appliances, or cosmetics, compared to the pharmaceutical industry, they all fall short. What does the Immortal Medical Sect do? Can a healer be separated from medicine? No, absolutely not. The various formulas accumulated by the Immortal Medical Sect over generations are so rich that they would drive any healer mad. Although not all formulas can be used to produce large quantities of drugs, just a portion, slightly improved and capable of mass production, Gu Fan is confident that the efficacy of these drugs would definitely surpass all similar products on the market. Just think about how vast this market is. This is a grand plan in Gu Fan's heart, and the pharmaceutical industry is just one part of it. It's not that Gu Fan loves money so much; he's not overly concerned about wealth. As long as it's enough, he doesn't particularly crave having more. However, for the advancement of cultivation, sometimes a lot of money is necessary. The highest level of cultivation on Earth is the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. The Immortal Medical Sect and other cultivation sects have proven this through thousands of years and countless generations of effort. No matter how talented you are, you can't break this boundary. So, Gu Fan thought, what if we leave Earth? Current aerospace technology is already quite advanced. If we can take a few more steps forward, sending people out of Earth is not a problem. Can we break through beyond Earth? No one knows! But if there's no hope, this can be a path to try. However, trying this path is not simple or easy. Aerospace, especially space exploration, requires a lot of money to make breakthroughs... At least, that's what Gu Fan believes. Whether it's truly not simple, Gu Fan isn't entirely sure, but in his current understanding, money is absolutely essential. Cheng Shumeng was full of doubt. She had no idea what Gu Fan meant by giving her an empire. Gu Fan smiled and said, "You don't need to know too much right now. Just know that one day, I will enter the pharmaceutical industry, and I need a public figure to lead it. You are my chosen candidate." "Thank you, Master, for your trust!" Cheng Shumeng said. "Don't be too happy yet. If I find that you can't handle it, don't blame me for replacing you!" Gu Fan said coolly. "Master, you can count on me. I will do my homework on the pharmaceutical industry!" Cheng Shumeng said with determination. At eighteen, she came out to fight, born in an orphanage. In this society, Cheng Shumeng could only rely on herself. Now, looking at what Cheng Shumeng has, although she's not rich, she can be considered a small success. This actually proves Cheng Shumeng's ability... And Cheng Shumeng believes that as long as she gets the opportunity, she can fly even higher! "Come, I'll feed you spiritual energy!" Gu Fan returned to the main topic. Cheng Shumeng nodded. In fact, she had been thinking about it. The unusual energy in her Niwan Palace was already making her struggle to bear it. Consuming spiritual energy was already familiar to Cheng Shumeng. However, this time was clearly different from the first. This time, the amount of spiritual energy absorbed was much more than before. Of course, this was still within Gu Fan's tolerance. But Gu Fan was still a bit worried. The progress of the devouring ability would be extremely fast, especially when consuming such high-quality Immortal Medical spiritual energy. Once Cheng Shumeng's ability level surpasses level six, or reaches level eight or nine, would one absorption directly drain all of Gu Fan's spiritual energy? This possibility... is not non-existent. It seems that Gu Fan needs to make more preparations. If he really can't support it, he should take some of the pills left by his master. As long as he can cultivate a level ten ability user, and this ability user is a devouring ability user, he can imagine what kind of scene that would be. After being 'fed' with spiritual energy, Cheng Shumeng looked radiant, her eyes bright, as if she had undergone a complete transformation. "Thank you, Master!" Although Cheng Shumeng hadn't truly entered the circle, she knew how rare it was to have someone specifically feed her and help her grow. And the one feeding her was a cultivator, which made it even rarer. So Cheng Shumeng sincerely thanked Gu Fan. The resentment from being forcibly controlled had mostly dissipated, and her recognition of Gu Fan was gradually becoming heartfelt. "Tomorrow I have to go on a long trip, and I don't know when I'll be back. Arrange it so you can follow me quietly in a car!" Gu Fan definitely had to go to Huang Lelè's place, but he couldn't be at ease with Cheng Shumeng, so he could only have her follow quietly. He could only follow quietly. If they were in the same car, Gu Fan could imagine how annoying it would be just to deal with Chen Jiaxin's various questions. Additionally, Gu Fan was now registered with the Special Operations Bureau. Gu Fan didn't know if anyone from the Donghai Special Operations Bureau was deliberately watching him. Not letting Cheng Shumeng get too close was also a way to hide and protect her. "Okay!" Cheng Shumeng didn't ask anything and nodded in agreement. Gu Fan was very satisfied. Gu Fan didn't want a subordinate who needed to know everything, but one who could follow his orders. From the current stage, Cheng Shumeng met this requirement and was very smart, knowing what to ask and what not to ask. "Master, do you know a lot about the devouring ability? Can you tell me about it?" Cheng Shumeng asked softly, her eyes filled with curiosity and longing. "Actually, your understanding of the devouring ability is already quite comprehensive. Before level ten, there are differences in the autonomous control of the devouring ability. But it's not that the devouring ability is useless before level ten, it's absolutely not!" Gu Fan said seriously, "I have three methods of using the devouring ability, and I will teach them to you today. But you must remember, don't use them unless absolutely necessary. Once used, try to ensure no one can leak the information!" Seeing Gu Fan's stern face, Cheng Shumeng's heart trembled, and she nodded firmly. "Three methods of use?" Cheng Shumeng's eyes lit up. She only knew how to consume energy when others were hypnotized or unconscious, and had no idea about other methods. Now, Gu Fan told her there were three methods. How could Cheng Shumeng not be overjoyed? In fact, Cheng Shumeng's previous understanding was just a vague and superficial knowledge from outside the circle. The true secrets could not be seen by outsiders. If it weren't for Gu Fan's background in the Immortal Medical Sect, he might not have known about these methods of using the devouring ability. After all, the devouring ability had only appeared once before, and although there were records, they were all highly confidential. This was certainly not something all insiders could know. "The first method is devouring. The second is suction. The third is shield! The first two are offensive, and the last one is defensive. Let's start with devouring, which is you actively devouring others. This is very different from your previous method, as it refers to..." Gu Fan patiently explained, including some manipulation techniques. In fact, as long as you understand how to use it, you can figure it out eventually. But figuring it out doesn't mean it will take a long time, and you might take a detour. So, he decided to teach her everything at once. Devouring, suction, and shield! Each of the three methods has no limit. At the level ten stage, they will transform and upgrade, becoming incredibly powerful. According to the records, the person who advanced to level ten in the devouring ability was often unmatched by cultivators of the same level, showing how formidable the devouring ability can be when it becomes powerful. After the explanation, Cheng Shumeng immediately immersed herself in it, like a child with a new toy, playing happily. Gu Fan smiled indulgently. Gu Fan had a similar experience before, when he first came into contact with magic. The magic's wonder made him instantly obsessed... even forgetting to cook for his master. Now, Cheng Shumeng had only forgotten to see Gu Fan off, which was nothing compared to Gu Fan's previous forgetfulness. Gu Fan quietly left, checking the time, and found it was already close to 1 a.m. The time spent with Cheng Shumeng was indeed not short, and a few hours had passed in the blink of an eye. "Time flies! It's like a person's life! And my master, struggling for a hundred years, seems long, but in reality, it's like this, passing in the blink of an eye. And I am my master's only hope..." Gu Fan sat in the car, deeply pondering, his face resolute. The pursuit of the Immortal Medical Sect, his master's desire, and Gu Fan's own thirst... all these combined made it necessary for Gu Fan to find a way to advance! No matter what secrets Earth's cultivation holds, Gu Fan will uncover them! Let this heaven return the world to us! At 1 a.m., it's not late for Donghai City! Donghai City is a city that never sleeps! However, this "never sleeps" refers to specific places. Most areas are no different from small towns, truly entering the night, with few pedestrians on the streets and all is quiet. Gu Fan, driving on the road, suddenly saw a ghostly figure flash in front of the car, followed by another figure, moving even faster and more ghostly...