Chapter 23: Farming Triumph and Hidden Perils

As spring blossomed in Willowbrook, Oliver Greene found himself at a pivotal moment. His innovative farming techniques had yielded unprecedented results, doubling the harvest and earning him both admiration and envy. The village elder's indifference only emboldened Oliver, spurring him to push his limits further.

With a substantial reward of 5,000 kilograms of grain, convertible to high-quality meat, Oliver embarked on an intensive five-month training regimen. He eschewed moderation, replacing his entire diet with meat – both ordinary and monster varieties – in a relentless pursuit to breach the fourth level of Energy Cultivation within a year.

The hunting teams resumed their expeditions as winter's grip loosened. Oliver, determined to hone his Monster-Slaying Sword Technique and newly acquired Lightness Skill, threw himself into every training session with fervor. His progress in the third level of Energy Cultivation expanded the teams' operational range, allowing them to venture deeper into the treacherous Middle Layer.

This expansion came with its own set of challenges. Encounters with monsters, once a monthly occurrence, now happened two or three times as often. Yet, with increased danger came greater rewards. Each expedition now yielded at least ten kilograms of monster meat, equivalent to cultivating a hundred strands of silk-like internal energy.

Fueled by this abundance of resources, Oliver's cultivation accelerated dramatically. Seven months into his intensive training, he had cultivated his 30th basic internal energy core, teetering on the brink of the fourth level. His mastery of the Lightness Skill reached new heights, drastically enhancing his combat prowess.

A realization dawned on Oliver – even with his subpar swordsmanship, his raw speed and internal energy now surpassed Luke Irving's capabilities. The power boost from internal energy was truly astonishing, allowing even a physically weak individual to become a lethal force when combined with the Lightness Skill.

Luke, lacking any specialized defensive techniques, relied solely on his internal energy for protection. Oliver knew that in a confrontation, his superior internal energy would easily overwhelm Luke's defenses, potentially resulting in severe injury or even death with a single strike.

As Oliver reflected on his progress, he reviewed his skill advancements:

Farming (Level 5: 0/1200, advanced skill, yield increased by 70%)

Energy Cultivation Technique (Level 4: 1530/2000, minor skill, practice speed increased by 100%)

His self-developed Digestion Technique had proven its worth, boosting his daily skill experience gain to 3 points. At this rate, he projected reaching the fifth level of Energy Cultivation by year's end. Simultaneously, his extensive farming efforts had catapulted his agricultural skill to level 5, increasing crop yields by an additional 20%.

The farmers who had partnered with Oliver were ecstatic. Their harvests had nearly doubled compared to previous years, prompting them to not only deliver the agreed-upon grain but also offer higher prices for Oliver's continued assistance in the coming year.

However, amidst this success, a sinister development lurked beneath the surface. Oliver, who had been training with reckless abandon for over half a year, suddenly encountered a severe physical ailment.

"At seventeen, one's energy and blood should be stabilizing," Oliver mused, his face contorted with worry. He had heard that during rapid bodily development, cultivation yielded twice the results with half the effort. But at merely seventeen, his growth was already slowing. Had he over-exploited his potential?

As he pressed his aching stomach, a chilling realization set in. His eagerness to expose himself to more resources and push his limits may have come at a terrible cost. With no formal guidance in cultivation techniques, his self-invented Digestion Technique harbored enormous risks.

Time was of the essence. If he didn't act swiftly, he might lose everything he had worked for. With a heavy sigh, Oliver murmured, "The clinic is my only hope now. I pray it's not too late."

Willowbrook's medical clinic, a bastion of healing knowledge passed down through generations, was known for treating both common ailments and internal injuries. As Oliver stepped into the modest building, he silently hoped that the answers to his predicament lay within its walls.

The clinic, lacking any ostentatious name, was sparsely populated. An elderly doctor with a flowing white beard soon ushered Oliver into a private examination room.

"I sense an issue with your digestive system," the old doctor observed, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Would you permit me to examine you with my internal energy? Fear not, the energy transmitted through our secret methods is quite gentle and poses no risk."

Oliver nodded, having nothing to lose. He gathered his internal energy into his dantian and lowered his defenses. The doctor closed his eyes, focusing intently as he pressed his fingers, imbued with a faint energy, against Oliver's chest.

Oliver felt the almost imperceptible energy coursing through his body, homing in on his stomach and intestines with uncanny precision. After a thorough examination, the doctor's expression grew grave.

"No wonder you've mastered the third level of Energy Cultivation at such a tender age," the doctor remarked, his tone a mixture of awe and concern. "But you've paid for it with your very life force! Your digestive tract is riddled with damage. You've aged your body by more than two decades!"

"What's caused this, doctor?" Oliver asked, his face a mask of calm despite the inner turmoil.

The doctor explained, "You've forcibly breached the body's natural protective barriers with your internal energy. While this accelerates cultivation, have you considered why these barriers exist in the first place?"

He continued, "Vital organs are delicate, with limited regenerative capacity. Unlike muscle tissue, once damaged, they don't simply grow back. By bypassing these protective layers, you've been depleting their already limited vitality with each cultivation session. Over time, the cumulative damage has reached a critical point."

"You're fortunate to have come now, while there's still hope for recovery," the doctor concluded. "You'll need a regimen of restorative medicines and must be cautious with your diet. Continued strain could lead to irreversible consequences."

The doctor prescribed a treatment plan, requiring daily medication that would cost roughly three hundred copper coins per month. The severity of Oliver's condition meant he couldn't sustain this regimen for more than a few months.

Sensing Oliver's reluctance to abandon his cultivation entirely, the doctor offered an alternative. "If you limit yourself to consuming only monster meat, your body might be able to withstand the strain of continued practice."

As Oliver left the clinic, his mind raced with the implications of this diagnosis. Standing beneath the eaves of a nearby building, he gazed at the clear sky, contemplating his next move.

"Monster meat," he mused. "It seems we'll need to venture even deeper into the Middle Layer."

While not ideal, the prospect of relying solely on monster meat was not insurmountable. With his Digestion Technique, he could convert one or two pounds of monster meat into a silk-like strand of internal energy, with ten pounds yielding a basic internal energy core. Diligent hunting could sustain his cultivation, albeit at a greater risk.

Venturing deeper into the Middle Layer meant facing increased dangers, but Oliver steeled himself against such concerns. He recalled the fate of Eric West, who had struggled at the second level of Energy Cultivation and served as little more than bait in the Middle Layer. Eric's body, a canvas of scars, bore testament to the perils that awaited.

A sudden, forceful knocking at his door interrupted Oliver's contemplation. He tensed, recognizing the distinctive aura of the visitor.

As expected, the village elder's trusted enforcer appeared outside. It was Thomas Warner, the imposing gatekeeper who had previously assessed Oliver's internal energy and instructed him in the Monster-Slaying Sword Technique.

Thomas, a burly man with a blade at his hip, carried himself with an air of authority befitting his role as the elder's messenger.

"The village elder demands your method for increasing crop yields," Thomas stated bluntly. "Name your price."

His tone left no room for negotiation, implying that refusal was not an option. Despite Willowbrook's facade as a simple "village," it had long since severed ties with the outside world. Here, the elder's word was law, and to defy it was to court death.