The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 255: Chen Tian Returns

Jiang Chen looked like he had been boiled alive.

His skin was a terrifying shade of crimson, radiating heat so intense that steam hissed from his pores, his ears, and even his eyes. A normal Foundation Establishment cultivator, even one blessed with a Fire Spirit Root, would dare consume only three Red Yang Pills a month.

Jiang Chen, relying on his mutated Thunder-Fire Spirit Root, had a higher tolerance. But five pills was his absolute limit.

Beyond that lay madness. At best, his meridians would wither and snap like dry twigs. At worst, he would spontaneously combust, turning into a human torch.

Yet, he had just swallowed his fifth pill.

Without hesitation, he raised the Ice Heart Jade Pot Wine in his left hand and took a massive swig.

The liquid hit his tongue like a glacial avalanche. It tasted of snow harvested from the highest peaks, infused with the nectar of winter plum blossoms—a piercing, crystalline cold with a faint, ghostly sweetness.

Hiss.

A shock of freezing energy exploded in his chest. Jiang Chen gasped, the sudden temperature drop stinging his nasal passages like inhaling crushed glass. This wasn’t wine; it was liquid nitrogen brewed by an immortal.

The cold cut through the cloying, scorching aftertaste of the Red Yang Pill like a blade. It slashed down his throat and plunged into his stomach, colliding violently with the rising tide of heat.

His body became a battlefield.

It felt as though ten thousand needles were piercing his flesh from the inside out. The sensation was agonizing, a prickly, numbing torture that made his muscles spasm.

Jiang Chen didn’t stop. With a flick of his wrist, a sixth Red Yang Pill appeared in his palm.

Taking advantage of the lingering frost in his mouth, he popped the pill and crunched down. His teeth, numb from the cold, pulverized the medicine. He couldn’t even taste the bitter scorch anymore; his entire sensory system was overwhelmed.

The only thing he could feel was the stinging pain deep in his marrow, intensifying with every heartbeat.

The sixth pill reignited the fire in his gut, but the Ice Heart Jade Pot Wine clamped down on it instantly, suppressing the blaze before it could burn him alive.

The wine is stronger, he noted through the haze of pain. Good.

He summoned the seventh pill.

According to the system, seven consecutive pills granted a 20% chance to awaken the Red Yang Pattern. It was a gamble, but Jiang Chen had stacked the deck.

He threw the final pill into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

The heat surged again, a desperate, dying flare against the crushing weight of the magical wine. Jiang Chen didn’t try to absorb the energy yet; he simply guided it, letting the fire and ice wage war within his meridians. If the fire died too quickly, the ice would freeze him solid. If the ice failed, the fire would consume him.

He had to be the balance.

Time blurred. Da Huang and the Pearl Chickens approached cautiously, curious about their master’s stillness.

They didn’t get far. A wave of blistering heat rolled off Jiang Chen, immediately followed by a bone-chilling frost. The conflicting auras terrified the animals, sending them scrambling back to a safe distance of ten meters, whimpering in confusion.

Just as Jiang Chen’s grimace deepened, the large poplar tree behind him seemed to shudder. A wave of cool, refreshing Wood Spirit Qi drifted down from its branches, wrapping around him like a soothing balm.

Jiang Chen’s tense features relaxed instantly.

Ten minutes later, the war inside him ended. The heat and cold neutralized each other, leaving behind a profound change.

He opened his eyes and checked his status panel.

[Spirit Root Update]

Jiang Chen possessed two mutated roots:

Green Wood Spirit Root (Mutated Wood) – Derived from the Green Lotus Art.

Effect: Nature Affinity.

Thunder-Fire Spirit Root (Mutated Fire) – Derived from the Wood-Fire Spirit Crystal.

Effect: Thunder-Fire Affinity.

Now, a new line of text shimmered beneath the second entry.

[Thunder-Fire Spirit Root]

Effect 1: Thunder-Fire Affinity.

Effect 2: Red Yang Pattern (Fire Resistance +10%, Fire Technique Power +10%).

“Success,” Jiang Chen breathed, clenching his fist.

A 10% boost might seem small on paper, but in the world of cultivation, multipliers were king. Stacked with his max-level Green Wood Fire Attraction Art and the active buff from a Red Yang Pill, his fire techniques would be devastating.

“At least the suffering wasn’t in vain.”

Seeing him move, Da Huang trotted over, whining softly and nudging his hand.

“Don’t worry,” Jiang Chen said, scratching the dog’s ears. “I don’t suffer for no reason. I calculated the risks.”

Da Huang didn’t understand the words, but the calm tone made him grin, his tongue lolling out happily.

Buzz.

A vibration from the Jade Green Gourd interrupted the moment. Jiang Chen retrieved a Communication Talisman. He knew who it was by the frequency alone.

It was Chen Bo.

“Get ready. He wants to see us tomorrow.”

Jiang Chen’s eyes lit up. “Understood.”

He stowed the talisman, a rare excitement bubbling in his chest. “Two years. Senior Brother Chen Tian is finally back from hunting demons in the Central Region.”

The Chen Clan’s prodigy. The genius who carried the hopes of an entire family. His return would send ripples through the Rain Pavilion—and possibly the entire sect.

“I wonder if he managed to break through to the Earth-grade Golden Core?” Jiang Chen mused. “When we meet, I need to warn him about Mo Sha. That guy is definitely plotting something.”

He stood up and turned to Face the poplar tree.

He hadn’t imagined it. During the critical moment of his breakthrough, the tree had sacrificed a portion of its own essence to cool him down. A quick scan with his Spirit Sense confirmed it: the tree’s internal energy reserves were down by a third.

“You helped me,” Jiang Chen said softly, placing a hand on the rough bark. “It would be rude not to return the favor.”

He summoned his Companion Green Lotus and placed it at the base of the tree.

Whoosh.

The Green Lotus Domain expanded, enveloping the poplar in a sphere of pure, concentrated vitality. Under the potent influence of the domain, the tree began to shudder, its leaves rustling violently as it was force-fed a massive dose of growth energy.