Chapter 388: Da Huang Becomes a Father!
A few days later, the Foundation Fortifying Abundant Soil Rice within his portable space finally matured.
He had twenty acres of Spirit Farm in total. Since he cultivated four distinct mutated varieties, he had dedicated five acres to each.
Originating from mutated seed rice, each acre could only support a thousand stalks of the Foundation Fortifying Abundant Soil Rice. Fortunately, it boasted two incredible traits: rapid maturation and a thirty percent higher yield.
Instead of the usual golden-yellow, the mature crop bore a rich, deep green hue. A dull, oily sheen coated the plants, looking as though they had absorbed every last drop of nutrients from the rich black soil. The heavy, swollen grains weighed down the panicles, forcing the stalks to bow. The once-thick stems had hardened like wood, and their broad leaves curled slightly inward.
Wasting no time, Jiang Chen tapped into the metal spiritual power churning within his dantian. He decisively cast the Golden Blade Technique. The moment the spell took form, it shattered into thirty-six streaks of golden light that swept across the five acres of Spirit Farm like a scythe.
Instantly, a cascade of system prompts flooded his vision.
[Harvested 1 stalk of “Foundation Fortifying Abundant Soil Rice”, Lifespan +10 days]
[Harvested 1,000 stalks of “Foundation Fortifying Abundant Soil Rice”, Lifespan +10,000 days]
[Harvested 5,000 stalks of “Foundation Fortifying Abundant Soil Rice”, Lifespan +50,000 days]
Doing the math, that equated to a staggering 136 years.[Remaining Lifespan: 823 years]
This massive influx instantly replenished the Lifespan he had burned through over his recent ordeals. Furthermore, once the spiritual plants in the remaining fifteen acres of his Spirit Farm matured and were harvested, barring any unforeseen disasters, his Lifespan would shatter the thousand-year mark for the very first time.
To put that into perspective, a typical Foundation Establishment stage Cultivator lived for roughly two hundred years. Even those blessed with a longevity-enhancing Wood Spirit Root would never exceed three centuries.
Yet, Jiang Chen was sitting on an astonishing eight hundred years—a terrifying figure by any metric.
The entire harvesting process took barely a minute. With his newly acquired Metal Spirit Root, his reaping speed and efficiency had more than doubled.
Jiang Chen chuckled. “It’s a shame I can only pull off this trick inside the portable space. For the five acres outside, I’ll still have to honestly swing a sickle.”
Before leaving, he cast a glance toward the outer entrance of the Bone Inscription Tomb. Dozens of uncontrolled, patterned skeletons were already piled up near the perimeter. As for treasures, his current focus remained strictly on exploration; he hadn’t brought anything back yet. It was only a matter of time anyway, so he felt no need to rush.
With a flicker of movement, Jiang Chen teleported from the portable space directly onto his soft nanmu bed.
Riding the high of a good mood, he didn’t mind lounging for a bit longer. After all, the Fortress autonomously handled his daily chores—weeding, clearing out feces, and distributing feed.
A second later, a faint vibration buzzed from his Jade Green Gourd.
“Hello?”
“Old Jiang, the she-wolf is going into labor.”
“Let her give birth then. It’s not like they’re mine!”
“They’re your Da Huang’s pups. Did you forget?”
“Uh…”
Truth be told, if Jin Fugui hadn’t reached out, Jiang Chen genuinely would have forgotten.
It had been two whole months since he helped Da Huang secure a mate. A lot had happened since then—his trip to Mystic Heart City, surviving an assassination attempt, and returning only to bury himself in cultivating spiritual plants and mastering various auxiliary skills. Consumed by his daily grind, the dog’s romantic endeavors had completely slipped his mind.
“You better get over here, quick,” Jin Fugui urged.
“Alright, I’m on my way,” Jiang Chen replied.
Ending the transmission, he dragged himself out of the plush nanmu bed, threw on his robes, and headed downstairs.
Outside, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the pre-dawn gray; the sun had yet to crest the horizon.
With a heavy creak, Jiang Chen pushed the stone door open. A rush of crisp, biting air swept into the room. Rather than feeling freezing, the perfect chill acted like a splash of cold water, instantly invigorating his senses.
The moment he stepped outside, Da Huang poked his furry head around the corner, staring up at him with wide, expectant eyes.
“Hungry?”
“Woof! Woof!”
“Hold your horses. You’re about to become a father!”
“Woof?”
“Stop barking and let’s go!”
Skipping breakfast entirely, man and dog hopped onto the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost and shot into the sky, streaking toward Beast Mountain.
Moving at breakneck speed, they arrived in record time and rendezvoused with Jin Fugui.
“Where are they?” Jiang Chen asked immediately.
Jin Fugui pointed toward a dense patch of woods nearby. “In a tree hollow over there.”
By now, Xu Yuan and Wu Qiuya had also caught wind of the news and hurried over to join them. The group moved together, swiftly navigating the forest.
Although the golden-furred she-wolf was a tamed spiritual beast raised by a Cultivator and faced no real natural threats, maternal instinct had driven her to seek out a secure, secluded den in the woods days in advance. Aside from her master, Zhao Mo, she fiercely rejected the approach of any outsiders or other spiritual beasts.
Even Jiang Chen and the rest couldn’t get too close. They had to pick a vantage point a fair distance away and wait patiently. Zhao Mo was the only one allowed by her side to assist with the delivery—though, under normal circumstances, a spiritual beast required no human intervention.
Shortly after, the group spotted the massive tree hollow. Inside, they could see Zhao Mo tending to the laboring golden-furred she-wolf.
To ensure absolute peace, Zhao Mo had erected a temporary Formation around the perimeter. Not only did it ward off wandering animals and spiritual beasts, but it also completely muffled any noise, keeping them hidden in case of unforeseen dangers.
Unlike the seasoned Jin Fugui and the others, this was Jiang Chen’s first time witnessing such an event, and his pragmatic curiosity was piqued.
“Woof! Woof!” Da Huang barked, his tail wagging frantically as he tried to dart forward.
Jiang Chen clamped a hand over the dog’s snout. “Quiet. Just wait.”
“Given the likely size of the litter and the golden-furred she-wolf’s constitution, this whole process could take several hours,” Jin Fugui noted.
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “That long?”
“What did you expect?” Jin Fugui shot back.
Jiang Chen smirked. “I figured spiritual beasts had superior physiques, meaning the whole ordeal would be faster and more efficient.”
Jin Fugui waved him off. “You’re only factoring in the mother. You forgot that the pups in her belly are spiritual beasts, too.”
Since it wasn’t his area of expertise, Jiang Chen didn’t argue the logistics. He simply crossed his arms and waited.
As the hours ticked by, the sun steadily climbed into the sky.
Inside the hollow, the golden-furred she-wolf grew increasingly restless. Her breathing turned ragged and heavy. Even with his limited knowledge of beast husbandry, Jiang Chen recognized the signs—active labor had begun.
Sure enough, moments later, the first pup slowly crowned and squeezed its way out.
A wave of palpable tension swept through the onlookers. Whether it was Zhao Mo inside the barrier or Jiang Chen’s group outside, everyone unconsciously clenched their fists, as if trying to lend the mother strength.
Finally, the pup slipped free and dropped onto the soft earth.
It was tiny, encased entirely in a translucent fetal membrane. The she-wolf immediately twisted around, using her razor-sharp teeth to delicately nip the sac open. She meticulously licked the thick mucus away from the pup’s snout.
Instantly, the newborn’s chest heaved as it took its first breath.
The mother then severed the umbilical cord with a quick bite and instinctively began cleaning the amniotic fluid and blood from her pup’s coat. Ten minutes later, she expelled the placenta and promptly consumed it to regain her strength.
Just as the group let out a collective sigh of relief, thinking the ordeal was over, the she-wolf’s muscles contracted again. A second round of labor commenced, and another pup squeezed out into the world.
Previously, they had struck a deal: if there was only one pup, Jiang Chen would take it. If there were two, Jiang Chen and Zhao Mo would each take one.
But judging by the she-wolf’s still-swollen belly, it looked like there were going to be more than two!