The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

In that critical moment, the first to retaliate was not Chen Tian, but the Rain Pavilion beneath him.

Rippling curtains of azure light erupted from the nine-story structure as dozens of spirit talismans flared to life, weaving themselves into a multi-layered barrier.

Of course, such defenses were utterly insignificant against a tribulation bolt dozens of feet thick. Moreover, Chen Tian’s tribulation was for three Spirit Roots, making it twice as potent as that for a single root.

Against the terrifying might of the corrupting thunder, every last talismanic barrier evaporated in an instant.

The pillar of lightning violently displaced the air, carving a vacuum in its wake. The edges of this void crackled with the scars of molten gold, shards of absolute-zero frost, and the dust of life-devouring decay. This tri-elemental maelstrom descended upon Chen Tian, a single, unified force of annihilation.

Fortunately, the Rain Pavilion’s sacrifice had blunted some of the thunder’s apocalyptic force. By the time the bolt tore through the last of the obstacles to reach Chen Tian, his Spirit Weapons, personal talismans, and the shimmering three-colored aura around him flared to their absolute limit.

The Qingxuan Water-Splitting Mirror was the first to react, erupting with a blinding radiance. The intricate patterns on its back blazed as five spirit patterns began to circulate simultaneously, projecting a trio of shields before him.

The first was a golden barrier shimmering with silver light.

The second was a shield of flowing, cerulean water.

The instant the pillar of thunder slammed into his defenses, it cleaved through the golden shield in a shower of incandescent sparks. Three of the five spirit patterns on the mirror’s back extinguished in a flash. The water shield hissed violently as its surface flash-froze into a thick shell of ice, desperately resisting the crushing descent. The wood shield buckled and warped under the impact, frantically releasing streams of vitality to counteract the thunder’s corrosive, decaying aura.

Yet, this triple-layered defense held for a mere three breaths before it shattered with a deafening roar. The residual power of the tribulation bolt exploded into a torrent of miasma and a storm of ice needles, instantly submerging Chen Tian.

Fortunately, the 6-pattern Spirit Silkworm Treasure Robe he wore cinched tight, its Three Spirits Return to Origin patterns flashing wildly. The golden, blue, and green threads seemed to writhe with life, swirling madly across the fabric. The golden patterns suppressed the Metal Spirit Root within him, which had been agitated to a dangerous frenzy by the thunder’s power, preventing its razor-sharp energy from lashing out from within. The blue patterns guided his restless Water Spirit Root, channeling the invasive chill of the ice needles out of his body. The green patterns shielded his Wood Spirit Root, stabilizing the flickering flame of his life force against the corrupting torrent.

Even so, the ice needles pierced the treasure robe and sank into his flesh. A rime of white frost instantly encased him, and his every exhale was a cloud of ice crystals.

Just then, the Jade and Gold Entwined Ring on his right hand began to glow with a comforting warmth. The three elemental Spirit Stones embedded within it lit up in unison. The Metal Spirit Stone unleashed a pulse of sharp energy, shattering most of the ice needles coating his body. The Water Spirit Stone secreted a warm current that thawed the frozen blockages in his Meridians. The Wood Spirit Stone accelerated his healing, sealing the bleeding wounds.

Almost by instinct, Chen Tian prepared to swallow the Three Revolutions Soul-Returning Pill in his mouth. But he hesitated, a gut feeling telling him the time was not yet right.

In that moment of hesitation, the Water-Wood Spirit Marrow within his jade pendant pulsed with a gentle light. It surged through his veins, and everywhere it passed, flesh ravaged by frostbite healed at a visible rate. The white frost covering him receded by more than half.

Watching from below, Jiang Chen’s mind raced with disbelief. *He actually blocked it?*

But this was only the beginning.

One Spirit Root corresponded to one bolt of corrupting thunder. Chen Tian had three Spirit Roots, which meant he had to face three bolts. He had survived the first, but two more remained, each one exponentially more powerful than the last.

The heavens turned an oppressive, bruised black as the three-colored clouds twisted together like a braid. With a world-shaking boom, a second pillar of thunder descended. But the moment it left the clouds, it morphed, transforming into three colossal serpents.

One was a serpent of living blades, its golden scales scraping against the air with a piercing shriek.

The second was a serpent of absolute zero, its deep blue form trailing a current of cold so intense it left a wake of flash-frozen air.

The third was a serpent of pure decay, a horrifying creature of rotting vines whose scales wept a venom that could corrode Spirit Roots and dissolve flesh.

The three serpents struck one after another.

Chen Tian’s eyes narrowed, his expression grim.

Every scale on the golden serpent gleamed with a razor’s edge. As its forked tongue flickered, it sliced fine vacuum cracks into the very air. A casual flick of its tail broke the sound barrier. Then, with blinding speed, it lunged.

Chen Tian reacted instantly, activating the Qingxuan Water-Splitting Mirror once more. The two remaining spirit patterns flared with all their might, projecting a golden shield as thin as a cicada’s wing.

The serpent slammed into the shield. The shriek of scales grinding against the barrier was a sound that set teeth on edge. The shield visibly dented, then cracked, and finally, with a groan of tortured metal, it disintegrated.

The impact slammed Chen Tian downwards at least thirty feet. The golden serpent’s flank grazed his left shoulder, tearing a bloody gash through the 6-pattern Spirit Silkworm Treasure Robe. The Three Spirits Return to Origin patterns on the robe dimmed almost to nothing.

The golden serpent’s assault was not over, but the water serpent was already upon him. Its body pulsed with a frigid, azure light. The air in its path condensed into a dense cloud of ice needles that shot toward the still-reeling Chen Tian.

The Jade and Gold Entwined Ring on his right arm flared again. The Water Spirit Stone released a soft light, attempting to deflect the incoming barrage, but it was overwhelmed. A few needles slipped through the net. They pierced his treasure robe and sank into the Meridians of his right arm, instantly freezing a vast portion of his spiritual power.

Chen Tian desperately clenched the jade pendant. The Water-Wood Spirit Marrow surged into his right arm, and the sound of sizzling ice echoed from within his frozen Meridians.

But it was too late. The water serpent had coiled around his waist. As it tightened its grip, a profound, bone-deep chill drilled into him, so cold that even the nascent Golden Core in his Dantian began to tremble, threatening to crack apart.

While the golden serpent circled menacingly and the water serpent crushed him in its icy coils, the third green shadow struck. The wood serpent appeared last, but it brought with it the most insidious attack of all.

Its body was a mass of dark green, poisonous vines, and its eyes were two swirling, blood-red flowers. It left a trail of toxic green mist in its wake. It didn’t attack Chen Tian head-on. Instead, it slithered behind him, its vine-like tail lashing out to wrap around the bleeding, unhealed wound on his left arm.

The moment the toxic vine touched the open wound, venom surged through his Meridians, making a beeline for his heart.

The muscles in Chen Tian’s left arm withered before everyone’s eyes. Even the potent life force released by the shattering of the Wood Spirit Stone in his ring was suppressed by the virulent poison, barely managing to protect the final inch of his heart meridian from being overrun.

“Even if he blocks this second bolt, the third will be even more ferocious!”

“This is the very reason most cultivators would rather have a single Spirit Root!”

“I hope he can hold on. An Earth-grade Golden Core forged from three Spirit Roots… his future Potential would be limitless!”

“Exactly! Even the divine abilities he Awakens will be unbelievably powerful!”

Witnessing the brutal spectacle, not just the formal disciples, but even the core disciples watched with furrowed brows, their hands clenched in anxiety for Chen Tian.

While more Spirit Roots offered more advantages and fewer elemental weaknesses, the price was paid during major breakthroughs, where the obstacles became exponentially greater. This was the primary reason most cultivators settled for one or two Spirit Roots.

Just look at Chen Tian. For all the power of his three Spirit Roots, see the wretched state he was in, all for a chance at an Earth-grade Golden Core.