The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 135: Partnering with Yu Caiqing, A Trial of Moonlight Grass

“Well?”

Faced with Lin Yan’s sudden, pointed question, Jiang Chen was at a loss for words. The two of them simply stood there, locked in a staring contest.

Lin Yan arched an eyebrow, her patience wearing thin. “Are you going to answer me or not?”

Jiang Chen managed a dry laugh. “You just caught me off guard.”

“Hmph,” she grumbled. “So, what do you *really* think of my sister?”

He considered the question seriously for a moment. “Your sister is charming,” he said honestly. “And her talent and comprehension are both excellent.”

“That’s it?” Lin Yan had expected a long, rambling speech, not a few clipped compliments.

Curiosity flickered in Jiang Chen’s eyes. “Why the sudden interrogation?”

Lin Yan sighed, a hint of exasperation in her voice. “Ever since she tasted your cooking, she hasn’t stopped talking about you. Every single day, she’s clamoring to come find you.”

Jiang Chen smiled. “It’s just a phase. She’ll find something new to be excited about in a few days.”

“She’s not a little kid, you know,” Lin Yan pouted. “She’s turning eighteen next year.”

Jiang Chen hesitated. “But she looks so…”

“I take after our father,” Lin Yan explained, cutting him off. “She takes after our mother.”

Understanding dawned on Jiang Chen. That explained it. He’d wondered why the two sisters looked so completely different—one mature and statuesque, the other petite and delicate. He had assumed it was just a significant age gap, but it was simply a matter of genetics.

They continued their idle chatter as they walked, finally arriving at the entrance to the Pill Tower.

The area was surprisingly quiet. There were almost no apprentices with Fire Spirit Roots in sight; the crowd consisted almost entirely of established alchemists. Entry was strictly controlled, and everyone had to register. If Jiang Chen had come alone, he would have been turned away at the door.

Fortunately, he had Lin Yan. Even as a Junior Alchemist, her status was enough to vouch for him. After they registered their information, the two were granted entry to the first floor.

The moment he stepped inside, Jiang Chen was struck by the sheer scale of the place. The entire ground floor was a vast, circular hall, like a grand plaza, with elegant displays of pills arranged everywhere. They ranged from low-grade to high-grade, all the way to Earth-Grade pills and even fragments of legendary Heaven-Grade pills. Each display featured a single, perfect specimen, accompanied by a plaque detailing the alchemist who refined it and the date of its creation.

Jiang Chen quickly realized that common concoctions like the Vitality Pill or the Foundation Spirit Pill weren’t even considered worthy of a display case. The depth of the Pill Tower’s heritage was truly terrifying.

“On the surface, the Pill Tower only has three floors,” Lin Yan explained, “but that’s just what’s above ground. To make better use of the earth fire below, there are another eighteen floors built deep into the earth.”

Jiang Chen nodded slowly. “So it’s like an inverted pagoda.”

“Exactly.” Lin Yan led him toward a grand spiral staircase. “My Senior Sister, Yu Caiqing, is a true prodigy. She became a Senior Alchemist years ago and can refine things like the Foundation Pill with her eyes closed. What’s more, her cultivation talent is just as monstrous. She’s been out on expeditions for years, all in preparation to break through to the Golden Core realm.”

Jiang Chen was taken aback. “Your Senior Sister sounds formidable.”

A Senior Alchemist who was also on the verge of forming a Golden Core. A person with such talent was a rarity, a true genius. She was likely even more gifted than Huo Ling, the current top-ranked alchemist in the Alchemy Hall.

They descended the spiral steps, the temperature climbing with every floor they passed. The air grew thick and heavy, carrying the faint, acrid smell of refined minerals and potent herbs. If Jiang Chen hadn’t Awakened his Fire Spirit Root, the oppressive heat would have been unbearable.

Lin Yan watched him out of the corner of her eye, a flicker of astonishment in her heart. *Since when could someone with a Wood Spirit Root withstand this kind of scorching heat?*

Though she was puzzled, she kept her question to herself. She wasn’t a wood-attribute cultivator, so she didn’t know their limits. Besides, every cultivator’s path was unique; it was foolish to make generalizations.

They finally stopped on the ninth floor underground. A long, silent corridor stretched before them, flanked by rows of imposing, tightly sealed stone doors. Not a single sound escaped from them.

Lin Yan gestured to the doors. “These are the earth fire alchemy rooms. Only Senior Alchemists are granted access. They don’t just have controllable streams of earth fire; they’re also equipped with high-grade cauldrons that can increase the yield of high-quality pills by a full twenty percent.”

Jiang Chen immediately put the pieces together. “Doesn’t that mean the yield gets even higher the deeper you go?”

“Yes, that’s right,” she confirmed.

It was no wonder every Junior Alchemist dreamed of having their own earth fire alchemy room. Unfortunately, that was a privilege reserved for those who reached the rank of Senior Alchemist.

Soon, they stood before a particularly heavy stone door marked with two characters: Nine-Seven, designating the seventh alchemy room on the ninth floor. The door was sealed shut, and an unnerving silence hung in the air.

Lin Yan retrieved a Communication Talisman from her pink Storage Bag and channeled a sliver of her fire spiritual energy into it.

A cold, clipped voice echoed from the talisman. “Who is it?”

“Senior Sister, it’s me, Lin Yan!”

“State your business.”

“I’ve found a Spirit Farmer for you!”

Silence. The connection went dead.

For a moment, Jiang Chen thought she had refused to see them. But after a few tense seconds, the heavy stone door before them shuddered. With a deep, grinding rumble, it began to slide open.

Before they could see anyone, a plume of ashen, superheated steam billowed out, smelling of strange herbs and cold minerals. It was followed by the crisp *tap, tap, tap* of footsteps approaching from within.

Then, a face emerged from the haze.

Her brows were arched like distant, snow-dusted mountains; her eyes, deep and still as a frozen lake reflecting the moon. Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent, and her lips held the faint, delicate color of an early cherry blossom. She wore a moon-white, wide-sleeved alchemist’s robe, with a cyan jade medicine pouch hanging from her waist. A single, crystal-clear hairpin held her dark hair in place, radiating a palpable chill that cut through the ambient heat.

This was the renowned Senior Alchemist, Yu Caiqing.

Jiang Chen was momentarily stunned by her ethereal beauty. He recovered quickly, however, and immediately lowered his head in a gesture of respect.

Lin Yan, whose eyes always held a trace of envy when she looked at her Senior Sister, offered a formal bow. “Senior Sister, I hope we haven’t disturbed your refinement?”

Yu Caiqing’s cool gaze swept over them both, betraying no emotion. “The Black Nether Cauldron is stable,” she stated flatly. “It does not require my attention at the moment.”

Lin Yan let out a quiet sigh of relief. She gestured to Jiang Chen. “This is my friend from the Spirit Farm. His name is Jiang Chen.”

“Senior Sister Yu,” Jiang Chen said, clasping his hands in a respectful salute.

Yu Caiqing responded with a barely audible “Hmm,” which seemed to serve as her version of a greeting.

Lin Yan pressed on. “Senior Sister, you’ve been looking for a Spirit Farmer to partner with, haven’t you? I believe my friend meets your requirements.”

Yu Caiqing’s expression remained a perfect, emotionless mask. “What is his cultivation?”

“Early Foundation Establishment,” Jiang Chen answered for himself.

Her gaze remained fixed on him. “And the quality of his spirit plants?”

A confident smile touched Jiang Chen’s lips. “Top Grade.”

The words hung in the air. For the first time, a crack appeared in Yu Caiqing’s icy facade. A flicker of genuine interest, sharp and clear, surfaced in her eyes. “A Foundation Establishment Spirit Farmer capable of cultivating Top Grade spirit plants. No wonder Junior Sister Lin Yan brought you here personally.”

Seizing the opportunity, Lin Yan moved forward and latched onto Yu Caiqing’s arm with a playful pout. “In that case, Senior Sister, maybe you could let me assist you the next time you’re refining pills?”

Seeing her act so coquettishly was a first for Jiang Chen, and he had to suppress a chuckle.

Yu Caiqing ignored Lin Yan’s plea, her attention focused solely on the cultivator before her. “If you can truly cultivate Top Grade spirit plants,” she said, her voice as cool and clear as ice, “then I am willing to grant you an opportunity.”

Jiang Chen’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Senior Sister!”

From her cyan jade pouch, Yu Caiqing produced a handful of tiny, pale white seeds. She held them out to him.

“Return in one month with one thousand stalks of Top Grade Moonlight Grass. If you succeed, we will discuss a long-term partnership!!!”