The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

The Return to Ruins Secret Realm remained open for a full thirty days, allowing cultivators to enter and exit freely. This accessibility was the primary draw for inner and core disciples.

In other words, as long as the spatial rift remained stable, Chen Tian and his group would undoubtedly dive back in multiple times to harvest more resources.

A secret realm that unsealed itself only once a century was guaranteed to be overflowing with incredibly rare, ancient treasures.

While the heavenly treasures within the Return to Ruins Secret Realm were almost exclusively aligned with toxic or malevolent yin energy, they remained highly sought after for artifact refining, alchemy, and beast taming.

Furthermore, the laws of the world dictated that extremes breed their opposites—from the absolute depths of extreme yin, extreme yang is born.

Because of this phenomenon, the secret realm also birthed unimaginably rare extreme yang materials.

Crimson Sun Jade Pendant.

Sky-Burning Flame Crystal.

Soul-Cleansing Sand.

Profound Yang Bone.

These scarce yang-attribute treasures commanded astronomical prices on the market. A single piece could easily fetch over a thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones, and some were so coveted that no amount of wealth could buy them.

Even Golden Core stage core disciples like Qin Hao and Chen Tian lusted after the realm’s hidden wealth.

Their current exit was merely a tactical retreat to catch their breath and regroup. In a day or two, the exact same squad would plunge back into the abyss, pushing even deeper.

However, if they had truly been marked by that mysterious assailant within the secret realm, the probability of another ambush during their next descent was dangerously high.

After all, while Mo Sha hadn’t yet formed a Golden Core, he was virtually unrivaled in the Foundation Establishment stage. He possessed a mutually reinforcing triple Spirit Root, heaven-defying comprehension, and the ferocious combat instincts of a wild beast.

For an unknown assailant to not only defeat him but sever his arm proved that their strength was at least at the late Foundation Establishment stage—if not the Golden Core stage.

With the enemy lurking in the shadows while they stood in the light, the risk was monumental.

Qin Hao made an immediate executive decision. “I will report this matter to the sect and to Master. Once we have a clearer picture of the situation, we can reevaluate whether it’s worth re-entering the Return to Ruins Secret Realm.”

Chen Tian met his gaze, a shared grim understanding passing between them. Then, Chen Tian waved his hand dismissively. “Let’s just eat for now.”

“Agreed!”

“Eat, drink, and be merry!”

“The food here really is exceptional!”

As the Spirit Wine flowed and the rich flavors of the meal settled their nerves, the heavy atmosphere dissipated. Through casual banter and idle gossip, the group gradually unwound.

Chen Bo suddenly spoke up, breaking the idle chatter. “Junior Brother Jiang, our harvest from this expedition was quite lucrative. Take a look and see if there’s anything you need.”

Before Jiang Chen could even process the offer, Chen Tian slapped his forehead in realization. “If my cousin hadn’t mentioned it, I would have completely forgotten! We didn’t just come here to eat.”

With a casual wave of his hand, a dazzling array of treasures materialized, hovering gently in the air above the table.

Netherworld Cold Snakehead Fish.

Ink Crystal.

Moon-Eroding Spirit Liquid.

Profound Water Cold Pearl.

Nether Bone Flower.

Abyssal Stone.

River of Forgetfulness Dew.

Netherworld Mud.

There was even a Profound Yang Bone.

“What a haul,” Jiang Chen remarked, genuine surprise coloring his tone.

Chen Tian smiled magnanimously. “Junior Brother Jiang, take your pick. Any three items are yours!”

Hearing this, Jiang Chen’s mind immediately shifted into a hyper-logical state, rapidly calculating his current assets and deficits.

*Water Spirit Root:* He lacked nothing in terms of cultivation arts and spells; his only blind spot was a deeper understanding of runes and Talismans.

*Wood Spirit Root:* He had already pivoted toward insect cultivation. His progression relied heavily on the Myriad Insects Secret Record, and he had already secured the Dragon-Transformed Meridian-Reversing Worm Mother.

*Fire Spirit Root:* This needed to synergize with alchemy and beast taming. He already possessed the Nine Flames Mystic Art, meaning his only real deficit was high-tier fire-attribute spells and advanced pill formulas.

*Earth Spirit Root:* He was severely lacking in both cultivation arts and spells. While he wasn’t completely ignorant of Formation arrays, his knowledge was far from profound.

*Metal Spirit Root:* His current arts and spells were merely passable. Fortunately, his long-term plan was to merge this with artifact refining to forge a path as a “magitech” sword cultivator.

Filtering the floating loot through these strict parameters drastically narrowed his options.

If he prioritized the Wood element, the Nether Bone Flower or Netherworld Mud were optimal.

If he leaned toward the Fire element, the Profound Yang Bone or the Netherworld Cold Snakehead Fish were the best choices.

For the Earth element, the Abyssal Stone or Moon-Eroding Spirit Liquid.

And for the Metal element, the Ink Crystal, Profound Yang Bone, or Netherworld Mud.

Seeing him lost in thought, Long Ao chimed in with practical advice. “You currently present as having dual Water and Wood Spirit Roots, so you should definitely prioritize the Nether Bone Flower, Netherworld Mud, and Moon-Eroding Spirit Liquid. Those three items aren’t just good for cultivating spirit plants; they can fundamentally alter and enrich soil.”

Jiang Chen snapped out of his calculations and nodded in agreement. “A sound point.”

Qiu Su blinked in surprise. “Oh? So Junior Brother Jiang and Senior Brother Long both share dual Water and Wood Spirit Roots?”

Qin Hao also paused, his eyes narrowing slightly in contemplation as he murmured, “Dual Water and Wood Spirit Roots, huh…”

Weighing the optics of the situation, Jiang Chen decided to follow Long Ao’s recommendation. “Alright, I’ll take the Nether Bone Flower, the Netherworld Mud, and the Moon-Eroding Spirit Liquid.”

It was true that Chen Tian had displayed a massive hoard of treasures, including the incredibly rare Profound Yang Bone. But offering the hoard and actually expecting someone to take the most valuable item were two entirely different concepts.

Jiang Chen’s pragmatic mind understood the unspoken rules of social capital. If he acted greedy and snatched the highest-tier loot, his standing and reliability in their eyes would instantly plummet.

He hadn’t bled in the Return to Ruins Secret Realm. He hadn’t fought, adventured, or risked his life alongside them. What right did he have to claim the priceless Profound Yang Bone? None. Taking the utilitarian, mid-tier items was the smartest, safest investment for his long-term alliances.

Chen Tian nodded approvingly, clearly satisfied with the modest choice. “Good. Take them.”

With a flick of his wrist, the three items drifted into Jiang Chen’s hands. He lowered his gaze, meticulously inspecting his new assets.

**Nether Bone Flower**

Standing roughly six inches tall, its stem was as slender as a chopstick and intricately veined with dense, dark purple patterns. Its narrow, elongated leaves shimmered with an icy blue, luminescent frost along the edges. The flower itself boasted five petals, each as thin and translucent as a cicada’s wings, fading from a ghostly pale center into a rich, saturated violet at the tips. The stamens resembled three silver needles, each suspending a microscopic speck of eerie, green phosphorescence.

**Netherworld Mud**

A dark gray substance with a consistency somewhere between dense clay and viscous sludge. Its surface was frosted with a layer of ice crystals born from pure yin energy. Beneath the frost, countless tiny, black, thread-like impurities could be seen writhing slowly within the muck.

**Moon-Eroding Spirit Liquid**

An ink-green fluid that, at first glance, resembled the foul runoff of rotting moss. A slick, iridescent oily film floated on its surface, while countless microscopic golden specks drifted and settled lazily within the murky depths.

All three were extreme yin materials, radiating a palpable, corrosive toxicity.

However, for Jiang Chen—a cultivator who had achieved Perfection in the Five Elements and stood at the absolute peak of Foundation Establishment—handling them posed zero threat.

Once the transaction was complete, Chen Tian waved his hand, sweeping the remaining floating treasures back into his storage ring before casually returning to his cup of Spirit Wine.

The group resumed their relaxed banter.

Long Ao took the opportunity to brief Jiang Chen on the environmental hazards and layout of the Return to Ruins Secret Realm.

He described it as a netherworld ghost domain sunken into an eternal abyss—a realm suffocated by freezing yin energy and an oppressive, deathly silence.

The explored territory was roughly divided into four distinct zones:

The Cold Abyss Crossing.

The Skeletal Plains.

The Moon-Eroding Cave.

The Yin-Yang Boundary Zone.

With every detail Long Ao shared, Jiang Chen meticulously updated his mental map and risk-assessment models.

The hours slipped by as they drank and talked. Eventually, the night grew late, and the group stood up to bid their farewells, filing out of the room one by one.

Jiang Chen rose to see them off, escorting his guests all the way to the courtyard gates.

Just as they were about to part ways, Qin Hao suddenly stopped and turned around, his expression turning dead serious. “Junior Brother Jiang, since you possess dual Water and Wood Spirit Roots… I happen to have a certain business proposition. I wonder if you’d be interested?”