Chapter 352: A Mutated Upgrade
The first plot of land had been planted with Variant Child Rice.
The second, with Golden Spirit Rice.
Now, however, the Spirit Rice in both plots had undergone a complete transformation.
First, the Variant Child Rice in the initial plot had shifted from its original gold to a deep, vibrant green. The plants were slightly shorter than their predecessors, but their stalks were unusually robust. The leaves were thick and fleshy, and a fine dew clung to their downy surfaces. A dense, tangled network of roots gripped the black soil with incredible tenacity.
The ears of rice were heavy, drooping like miniature brooms, and each one produced thirty percent more grains than a normal Variant Child Rice plant. The grains themselves were plump, ivory-white, and a full size larger than before.
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “This looks like… Foundation Fortifying Abundant Soil Rice?”
Compared to the original Variant Child Rice, and without the boons of his Green Lotus Domain or the Four Seasons Sutra, this rare variant had drastically shortened its growth cycle. What once took a full season to mature now ripened in a single month.
The yield was higher and the maturation period shorter, all without any change in the number of plants. Consuming it could replenish a cultivator’s spent Spirit Qi, making it an ideal daily staple.
If the Spirit Rice from the Variant Child Rice was an upgraded version of common Spirit Rice, then the grains from this Foundation Fortifying Abundant Soil Rice were an upgrade of the upgrade. It was superior in every conceivable way, its primary traits being high yield, rapid maturation, and providing substantial sustenance.
Moreover, this strain was incredibly hardy. It didn’t require black soil; it could take root and sprout in wet mud, dry earth, or even piles of gravel. The yield would be slightly lower than in the nutrient-rich black soil, but only marginally. Furthermore, its stalks were perfect for slash-and-burn farming, making them excellent for enriching the soil.As for the Golden Spirit Rice, its transformation was even more profound.
The stalks were nearly fifty percent thicker than before, with a texture as smooth and warm as jade. Faint, five-colored motes of light shimmered across their surface, flowing in a cyclical pattern that mimicked the circulation of the Five Elements. The leaves were broad and supple, their edges trimmed with a faint golden border and their veins a deep emerald green. A single, crystal-clear drop of dew condensed at the tip of each leaf.
The entire plant radiated a subtle warmth, and the soil it grew in remained perpetually moist and fertile. The very essence of the Five Elements was perfectly embodied within it.
The ears of rice were full, bearing grains of a translucent amber hue. Upon reaching maturity, a wisp of five-colored Spirit Qi would coalesce at the tip of each ear. After dispersing, this energy would nourish all spirit plants within a three-foot radius.
In essence, it had evolved from a purely Metal-attribute plant into one that embodied all Five Elements.
Jiang Chen’s mind raced. *This is the Five Elements Circulating Rice, a strain that should only grow in third-grade Spirit Farms.*
According to the texts he had read, unlike the hardy Foundation Fortifying Abundant Soil Rice, the Five Elements Circulating Rice had extremely stringent environmental requirements. It demanded black soil of the highest quality; if the nutrients were insufficient, the plant would grow imbalanced, favoring whichever element was most abundant in the soil.
Some spirit farmers would intentionally exploit this, creating an imbalance to cultivate Spirit Rice of a specific attribute. Most common Spirit Rice contained non-attributed Spirit Qi, but a strain with a specific elemental affinity was exponentially more effective. This, however, was precisely why it was typically restricted to third-grade Spirit Farms or higher.
The records stated that consuming Five Elements Circulating Rice not only replenished one’s spiritual power but also helped harmonize the Five Elements Spirit Roots within the body. Long-term consumption could slowly improve the compatibility between the elements, increasing the circulation speed of all types of spiritual power by ten percent during cultivation.
But the most crucial point was that its root system secreted a five-colored liquid into the ground, gradually transforming the black soil into five-colored soil.
And what was five-colored soil?
It was a miraculous substance that could nourish spirit plants like ordinary black soil while also absorbing metal qi, conserving water vapor, storing fire qi, and maintaining a perfect elemental balance.
Five-colored soil was a critical component for upgrading his portable dimension.
Of course, the benefits didn’t stop there. The ash from its burnt husks was a natural ingredient for spirit talismans. The dried stalks were as tough as wood and as hard as metal, perfect for crafting the handles and grips of basic Spirit Weapons and Magical Artifacts. They even possessed a weak, innate ability to harmonize the Five Elements, reducing the user’s consumption of Spirit Qi and Magic Power.
Yet, the more he understood, the fouler his expression became.
Back then, he had only planted two small plots just to test the effects. Had he known this would happen, he would have planted dozens of plots. He would have been rich!
Jiang Chen couldn’t suppress a groan of utter frustration. “Dammit!”
He quickly turned his attention to the other variant spirit plants he had transplanted into the space: the Time-Space Year-Ring Tree, the Space Earth Element Fruit Tree, the Fortune Variant Mother Rice, and the others.
He found that while they all looked taller and more robust, none had undergone the kind of fundamental mutation seen in the two plots of Spirit Rice. It seemed that only these two specific strains had met the conditions for a second mutation, triggered by his own Five Elements Spirit Roots reaching Perfection.
Seeing that the rice was ready, Jiang Chen immediately summoned a sickle.
[Harvested 1 stalk of “Foundation Fortifying Abundant Soil Rice.” Lifespan +10 days]
[Harvested 1 stalk of “Five Elements Circulating Rice.” Lifespan +55 days]
[Current Remaining Lifespan: 783 years]
It was a shame. The original Golden Spirit Rice had only numbered a hundred plants. So, despite each one granting 55 days, the total gain was a mere 5,500 days. As for the Foundation Fortifying Abundant Soil Rice, which had sprung from the Variant Child Rice, a single plot of second-grade Spirit Farm could only support 1,000 stalks. All told, the harvest added a paltry 42 years to his lifespan—just enough to offset the cost of learning the Myriad Insects Secret Record.
Harvest complete, Jiang Chen surveyed the hundred-odd plots of second-grade Spirit Farms, the spirit lake, and the thriving spirit plants. A profound sense of satisfaction washed over him.
Now that his Five Elements were in a state of Perfection, he could finally farm in peace.
With a single thought, he vanished from the space and reappeared in the outside world. Just as he did, he heard footsteps approaching the door. It had to be Long Ao.
Jiang Chen stepped out from behind the screen, meeting the man head-on. “Senior Brother Long.”
Long Ao’s eyes scanned him up and down. “You… don’t tell me you Awakened your Water Spirit Root?”
Jiang Chen immediately cupped his hands in a deep bow. “Thank you for your help this time, Senior Brother!”
An “I knew it” expression crossed Long Ao’s face. “You were in the Sea Demon Pavilion for two days straight. I figured you were using the Spirit Qi from the undersea dragon vein to push for a breakthrough and Awaken your Water Spirit Root in one go!”
Jiang Chen blinked. “To show my appreciation, how about another visit tonight?”
Long Ao quickly waved his hands. “Forget it. I’m not interested in that.” He paused, then added a word of caution, “I advise you to be careful, too. While that kind of… essence harmonization… has its benefits, it’s easy to become lost in it.”
Jiang Chen immediately wiped the grin off his face. “Your point is well taken, Senior Brother.”
Seeing his serious demeanor, Long Ao nodded, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. “Tomorrow, we set off for the Immortal Sect.”
They had participated in the Thousand Sails Event and even taken first place. There was no reason to waste any more time here. Besides, the Return to Ruins Secret Realm was set to open again next month for the first time in 101 years. He needed to focus all his energy on preparing for that exploration.
Jiang Chen nodded in agreement. “My thoughts exactly.”