The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

After all, the atmosphere, the environment, the entire scene—everything was perfectly orchestrated.

The only drawback was the Spirit Qi emanating from the undersea dragon vein; it was a bit thin.

Jiang Chen swept the area with his spiritual sense and made a discovery. The light flickering from within the reefs wasn’t from luminous crystals, but from countless fish. They hid among the rocks, their eyes snapping open to stare intently whenever anything drew near.

The sensation of being watched by a thousand silent eyes was unsettling, and he found himself declining the enthusiastic Ming Zhu’s suggestion.

“I don’t think this is the right place,” he said. “It’s far too bright.”

“Agreed. Let’s find somewhere with denser Spirit Qi, a place where we won’t be disturbed.”

The two continued their descent, soon reaching a depth of five hundred meters.

The light here was almost nonexistent, a deep gloom broken only by the faint, ethereal glow from Ming Zhu’s silver scales and the pearl necklace encircling her throat.

The skeletal remains of shipwrecks littered the seafloor, their wooden hulls eroded by the relentless seawater into a ghostly, ashen brown. Strange grasses grew upon their decks, their leaves shaped like sails that pivoted with the unseen currents. Most bizarre of all, the back of each leaf bore the faint, blurred impression of a human face.

But there was no denying the truth: the concentration of Spirit Qi here was at least double what it had been at three hundred meters. It was thick, rich, and potent.

At this depth, further descent was generally forbidden. Though still technically within the domain of Mystic Heart City, the dangers of the deep sea were immense.

Ming Zhu cast an inquiring glance at him, and he gave a firm nod.

Seeing his resolve, her eyes shimmered like spring water catching the light.

The man and the mermaid embraced, and a dense wave of Water spiritual power bloomed around them.

Jiang Chen’s Wood Spirit Root, long suppressed by the tyranny of his Gold and Fire elements, felt like parched earth receiving a long-awaited rain. It drank in the essence, instantly revitalized. In the water, the spiritual power of the Water element was not just in its element; it was amplified.

As the saying in the Sea Demon Pavilion went: Dual Cultivation on land is like admiring the moon through a silk veil; underwater, it is to be truly immersed in its light.

Body, spirit, and Spirit Root—all achieved a state of unprecedented satisfaction.

A process of dissolution. Of merging. Of becoming one with the flow.

This was no mere exchange of energy; it was a profound harmonization of yin and yang. The sensation was intoxicating, sending Jiang Chen’s consciousness spiraling into a state of pure ecstasy.

An unknown amount of time passed before the Essence Harmonization concluded.

Jiang Chen surfaced from the water alone.

He felt utterly refreshed, invigorated, his entire being humming at its absolute peak. After the deep nourishment of the session, the oppressive feeling in his Wood Spirit Root was gone. For a time, at least, it would no longer be restrained by his Fire and Gold Spirit Roots. Even the wood-aspected spiritual power within his dantian had increased in both concentration and quantity.

It was clear: for those with Water and Wood Spirit Roots, underwater Dual Cultivation was vastly superior to any practice on land.

As for Ming Zhu?

She had been spiritually drained dry.

She would need to soak in the water for quite some time to recover.

When Jiang Chen stepped out of the private chamber and into the main pool area, he found Jin Fugui and the others had been waiting for a long while.

But from his friends to the mermaid princess Xuan Zhu, every single one of them was staring at him with expressions of pure shock.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Chen asked, genuinely puzzled.

Jin Fugui couldn’t hold it in. “Old Jiang, you were in there forever!”

Mo Yu nodded slowly. “It was daytime when we arrived. It’s night now.”

Jiang Chen blinked, then a slow smile spread across his face. “Perhaps it’s simply the nature of water nourishing wood.”

Xuan Zhu hesitated, her gaze sharp. “And the attendant, Ming Zhu?”

“She said the spiritual consumption was a bit high,” Jiang Chen replied casually. “She needs to stay in the water a while longer.”

At his words, Jin Fugui and the other two shot him impressed thumbs-ups.

Only Xuan Zhu reacted differently. A flicker of genuine horror crossed her features.

After all, cultivators capable of completely draining a mermaid of her spiritual essence were rare. Those who could do it on their very first attempt were practically unheard of.

*If I hadn’t been worried about causing an incident,* Jiang Chen thought to himself, *I would have eaten a Four Seasons Fruit. Forget a few hours, I could have gone for ten days straight.*

Ten days. What did that even mean?

Even if you threw in every last mermaid in the Deep Sea Palace, it wouldn’t have been enough.

After a brief rest, the group finally departed the underwater palace.

“That was great, but it’s not very friendly to my Fire Spirit Root!”

“I only felt the physical and mental pleasure. My Spirit Root was actually suppressed!”

“It seems Fire Spirit Roots really aren’t suited for underwater cultivation.”

“No wonder Old Jiang could last so long. There’s really something to that ‘water nourishes wood’ principle!”

The group chatted about their varied experiences as they walked.

After passing through the shimmering water curtain and reappearing on the city streets, a slight vibration came from the Jade Green Gourd at Jiang Chen’s waist.

He took it out. It was a Communication Talisman from Long Ao.

“Why couldn’t I reach any of you?”

After reading the message, the four of them exchanged a look and headed toward the Dragon Nest District.

Mystic Heart City at night was even more vibrant than during the day. Cultivators thronged the streets, their numbers far eclipsing the few mortals present. Stalls were set up everywhere, some selling wares for spirit stones, others bartering exotic goods. It was a melting pot of specialties from every corner of the world.

Before long, they arrived back at the Dragon Nest District and re-entered the Suppress Dragon Tower.

The banquet was being held on the sixth floor, the Sea Viewing level. They were late; the festivities had already begun. The main reason, of course, was Jiang Chen’s extended underwater session.

Fortunately, Zhao Qianyun was no petty host. He immediately instructed his servants to prepare two tables for them. Seated two to a table, they found themselves before a spread of Mystic Heart City’s finest delicacies and wines.

Sea Emperor Jade Fat Stew.

Tear Crystal Dumplings.

Sea Urchin Fried Rice.

Fragrant Roasted Silver Cod.

Spirit Charm Wine.

Dragon Saliva Jade Dew.

Each table even featured a true Spirit Meal, a dish named “Steamed Profound Ice Fish with Seaweed.”

The Profound Ice Fish was a rare creature found only at depths of a thousand meters. No longer than seven or eight inches, its body was as transparent as an ice sculpture, its delicate bones emitting a faint, blue fluorescence. The spirit seaweeds served alongside it were just as particular. There were three types: “Ice Thread Seaweed,” which grew near the fish’s nests and had filaments as fine as silver thread; “Soft Water Seaweed,” gathered by mermaids, with leaves as plump and green as jade that tasted wonderfully sweet; and “Ink Cloud Seaweed,” found only near shipwrecks five hundred meters down, a deep purple plant that gave off a clean, woody fragrance.

Jiang Chen’s interest was solely on the Spirit Meal. He picked up his chopsticks, lifted a piece of the glistening fish, and placed it in his mouth.

An initial wave of crisp, icy coolness washed over his palate, like holding a mouthful of glacial water. This was immediately followed by the sublime, tender freshness of the meat. As he swallowed, a cool stream of energy flowed through him, once again nourishing his Wood Spirit Root.

While the effect couldn’t compare to the immersive underwater Dual Cultivation, it was a pleasant and noticeable boost.

A full Spirit Meal for every table—it was a testament to the staggering wealth of the City Lord’s Mansion.

Just then, Zhao Qianyun, seated at the head table, rose to his feet. He held a cup of Dragon Saliva Jade Dew, and his gentle gaze swept across the hall.

“Everyone!” he called out, his voice clear and resonant.

Instantly, all conversation ceased. Every eye in the hall turned to him. Even Jiang Chen put down his chopsticks to listen patiently.

Seeing he had their full attention, Zhao Qianyun continued, “This century-scale Thousand Sails Event holds more than just the promised rewards. There is also a Fated Chance awaiting you all!”