Fury Immortal Doctor

Chapter 1889 - 1892: No Room for Compromise in the Alchemists' Struggle

"We must keep Shen Qiang from making any progress at this Dan Yao Conference!" Pan Zheng, with a serious expression, hung up the phone after giving instructions, then smiled at Yun Lan, who looked surprised and said, "What's the matter?"Yun Lan furrowed his brows in disbelief, saying, "Why are you like this? Just now, when Shen Qiang was here, you treated him politely; the moment he left, you instructed people to go after him. This sudden change is a bit frightening to me."

Pan Zheng laughed, raising his brows, "There are two worlds for men: one is called private affairs, and the other is called professional life."

Looking at the frowning Yun Lan, Pan Zheng smiled and said, "From a personal perspective, I greatly admire Shen Qiang. He's truly a major talent; he can refine Elixir Pills beyond my capabilities. He also possesses courage and determination that far surpass my own; he's very young and has limitless possibilities ahead."

"If you admire him, you should help him!" Yun Lan said.

Pan Zheng laughed and said, "That's different. I appreciate him, I don't mind having breakfast with him, I can offer him my best tea to drink, I can happily chat with him, and if we can go fishing or play cards together, it would be splendid."

"But those are private affairs." Raising his brows at Yun Lan, Pan Zheng earnestly said, "Men must distinguish between public and private matters. I don't mind giving friends some convenience in business, but Shen Qiang is not a friend; he is a blue whale emerging from the deep sea."

With increasingly deepened eyes, Pan Zheng said, "He is hungry; he has nothing. What he wants is not to coexist harmoniously with the Thirty-two Skillful Hands but to swallow the Thirty-two Skillful Hands in one gulp to satiate his hunger."

Yun Lan helplessly said, "You worry too much. Heshenghe has three hundred Great Demons, under ITS command is the idol-grade genius beauty Kang Luoying, the Left Tigers of Cultivation World Zuo Lianghao, and the formidable CEO Shen Bian. He's already very strong now. Frankly, except for the top five super-class Families, the top five super-class Sects, and those hidden in the Abyss, compared to any first-class Sect, Shen Qiang need not fear!"

Pan Zheng smiled lightly, saying, "Have you heard the saying 'Each profession is like a mountain to cross'? In the Cultivation World, strong figures abound, yet whether it's those super-class Sects and Families or the hidden world's elite, no one dares to provoke the Alchemists."

Looking at Yun Lan, Pan Zheng smiled, "Because in the eyes of ordinary people, we are the Divine Doctors. With our presence, there is hope whenever cultivators encounter injuries or illnesses. Therefore, Alchemists are the most respected group in the Cultivation World."

Yun Lan helplessly said, "I know, but the problem is that the circle of Alchemists in the Cultivation World is not large. Truly capable of refining Elixir Pills well, there are probably only five or six hundred people, at most a thousand. Why can't we just get along?"

Pan Zheng laughed lightly, "You've heard of the Four Little Dan Qing, right? Below Medicine King Valley, Thirty-two Skillful Hands, Four Little Dan Qing are first-class."

Yun Lan said, "That has nothing to do with Shen Qiang."

Pan Zheng laughed lightly, "It didn't before, but now it does. Do you know what the Dan Yao Conference was like before I became the leader of Thirty-two Skillful Hands?"

Yun Lan raised his brows curiously, asking, "What are you trying to say?"

"Thirty-two puppets under Medicine King Valley's control, flattering Medicine King Valley like stars encircling the moon; that was the state then." Looking at Yun Lan, Pan Zheng said, "In past Dan Yao evaluations, the top three were always from Medicine King Valley, with Thirty-two Skillful Hands fighting for the positions beyond that."

With a smile, he took a sip of tea, gazing at the misty greenery outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Pan Zheng smiled, "Later, when I became the leader of Thirty-two Skillful Hands, the first thing I did was overturn Medicine King Valley's table."

Yun Lan was taken aback, saying, "What?"

"Right behind the Medicine King Inn, in Medicine King Valley Master's study; back then, it was still the old Valley Master in charge. I directly overturned his table in front of him and told him that either Medicine King Valley competes fairly with us, or they can play by themselves at the Dan Yao Conference."

Yun Lan was flabbergasted, then couldn't help but laugh, "So impressive."

Pan Zheng smiled lightly, "Medicine King Valley had no other choice at that time; they could choose to bring in Four Little Dan Qing and other alchemists to play, leaving us to start anew, but it was clear that Four Little Dan Qing and some ordinary alchemists couldn't uphold Medicine King Valley's reputation for the Dan Yao Conference, as a gathering place for elites."

"So, they compromised, but after that, Medicine King Valley tried several times to bring in Four Little Dan Qing." Pan Zheng raised his brows, "But I don't allow it, because I brought Thirty-two Skillful Hands to such heights, the strongest alchemist group under Medicine King Valley."

Yun Lan frowned and poured some tea for Pan Zheng, asking, "But what does this have to do with Shen Qiang?"

Pan Zheng was silent for a long time, saying, "In the circle of Alchemists within the Cultivation World, there are ten at the peak; I am one of them. Overall, among the peak ten, Medicine King Valley occupies three seats, Thirty-two Skillful Hands have five seats, and the remaining two are in the Dragon Group."

Looking seriously at Yun Lan, Pan Zheng said, "Do you know where Shen Qiang's weakest point lies?"

Yun Lan hesitated for a moment and then shook his head, "I don't know him very well."

Pan Zheng laughed and said very seriously, "Reputation. Shen Qiang is greatly excluded by the Cultivation World for being an unconventional path; his followers are mostly demons, so despite Heshenghe's strength being comparable to any first-class Sect, people in the Cultivation World still don't truly respect him."

"It's like authors who write erotic novels or actresses who star in Category III films; everyone enjoys watching the spectacle but doesn't sincerely respect them, even though they can't achieve what they do."

Yun Lan said, "What do you mean?"

"The martial power and financial resources of Heshenghe are very strong." Pan Zheng smiled, "But the traditional cultivators in the Cultivation World still refuse to accept Shen Qiang merely because they view him as someone who rose through demons."

"But once they discover that Shen Qiang is actually a very respectable Alchemist, everything will change." Looking intently at Yun Lan, Pan Zheng said, "Do you know how terrifying that would be?"

Seeing Yun Lan shake his head, Pan Zheng sighed, "Shen Qiang's Elixir Pills are expensive, and outside the few who stand at the peak of Alchemists and those who truly need them, most ordinary Alchemists and cultivators have not used Shen Qiang's pills."

"They only know Shen Qiang's Gathering Qi Powder is better than Thirty-two Skillful Hands', but how much better? To what extent? In their hearts, they have no concept. But as one of the peak ten in Alchemy, I am very clear, compared to Shen Qiang's Gathering Qi Powder, even if I refine the same pill, mine would only qualify as trash."

Looking at the shocked Yun Lan, Pan Zheng said with a heavy gaze, "So if Shen Qiang emerges at this Dan Yao Conference and becomes famous, many people will buy Shen Qiang's Elixir Pills. When they get Shen Qiang's pills and find each one to be Divine Grade, do you know how terrifying that would be?"

Looking seriously at Yun Lan, Pan Zheng said, "Thirty-two Skillful Hands will become trash; Medicine King Valley will be his stepping stone. He will become a unique presence in the Cultivation World, with all Alchemists only able to look up to him!"

"Therefore, this is a battle among Alchemists with no room for reconciliation. Our only way to preserve glory is to suppress Shen Qiang, gain time, and find a way to refine Divine Grade pills. By then, having pills of similar quality, he will naturally be not worth worrying about."