The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

After seeing off the last of his guests, Jiang Chen could finally rest. He immediately turned his focus inward, examining his ethereal status panel to assess his current cultivation.

Jiang Chen

Male

24 years of age

Five Elements Spirit Root

Heavenly-Grade Golden Core: Early Stage

Divine Abilities: Five-Colored Divine Light, Myriad Bug Broodmother, Calling Wind and Summoning Rain, Thousand Mechanisms Myriad Transformations

Puppetry Skill: Miracle Hands

Rune Crafting Skill: Miracle Hands

Myriad Insects Secret Record: Max Level

Nine Transformations of the Wandering Dragon: Three Transformations

Nine Flames Mystic Art: Third Layer (Upgradable)

Remaining Lifespan: 1612 years

He hadn’t expected that breaking through to the Golden Core stage would push his lifespan past sixteen hundred years.

Consume 20 years of lifespan to elevate the Nine Flames Mystic Art to the ninth layer?

Jiang Chen vaguely remembered his last attempt required thirty-seven years, but it had failed due to his insufficient realm and Magic Power, stalling at the third layer.

Now, attempting the breakthrough again with his current foundation of knowledge, experience, and technique, it still demanded twenty years of his life. This alone proved the terrifying profundity of the Nine Flames Mystic Art.

Yet, the more formidable the art, the deeper his anticipation grew. Without hesitation, he agreed.

As his silent affirmation echoed in his mind, his entire being plunged into a profound, ethereal state of epiphany.

Within this transcendent trance, he used the foundation of the first three layers to strip away the old and bring forth the new, endlessly refining and perfecting the subsequent six layers.

The incantations grew simpler, yet the destructive force brewing within them multiplied.

After a long while, he finally surfaced from the depths of his enlightenment.

Simultaneously, the text on his panel shifted once more.

Remaining Lifespan: 1592 years

Nine Flames Mystic Art: Max Level

Effect 1: Crimson Flame – Perceives the location of open flames within a thousand zhang.

Effect 2: Orange Flame – Conjures phantom fire to disorient enemy movements.

Effect 3: Yellow Flame – Amplifies damage against Yin-evil entities.

Effect 4: Green Flame – Inflicts lingering, corrosive fire poison.

Effect 5: Cyan Flame – Enhances movement speed.

Effect 6: Blue Flame – Saps the momentum of adversaries.

Effect 7: Violet Flame – Grants brief immunity to a single strike.

Effect 8: White Flame – Pierces the defenses of low-grade Dharma Treasures.

Effect 9: Black Flame – Absorbs and fuses cultivation arts and techniques.

Seeing this, Jiang Chen drew in a sharp, cold breath.

The Black Flame at its pinnacle could actually fuse cultivation arts and techniques.

Didn’t that mean he could forge a unified art capable of channeling all five elements?

At this thought, Jiang Chen did not hesitate. He decisively ignited the “Black Flame.” Strangely, while his Magic Power drained rapidly, no physical fire consumed his body.

Right then, a prompt materialized in his vision.

…Please select the cultivation arts for fusion…

Seeing this, Jiang Chen fell into deep contemplation.

Metal Spirit Root

Technique: Metal Engraving Art

Technique: Golden Blade Technique

Wood Spirit Root

Techniques: Four Seasons Scripture, Green Lotus Art, Myriad Insects Secret Record

Techniques: Vine Bind, Wood Armor Technique, Forest Stealth, Spirit Finger

Water Spirit Root

Techniques: Gentle Water Art, Nine Transformations of the Wandering Dragon

Techniques: Major Rain Spell, Autumn Dew

Fire Spirit Root

Techniques: Nine Flames Mystic Art, Blazing Oil Technique

Technique: Scorching Sun Finger

Earth Spirit Root

Technique: Thick Earth Bearing Art

Techniques: None

Lacking an earth-based technique, fusing his offensive techniques was out of the question for now.

Therefore, he could only select his five elemental cultivation arts to test the waters.

Considering the unique properties of certain arts, he couldn’t simply throw everything into the forge.

After turning the options over in his mind, Jiang Chen made his choices: Metal Engraving Art, Green Lotus Art, Gentle Water Art, Blazing Oil Technique, and Thick Earth Bearing Art.

The instant his decision was made, his memories of these distinct scriptures began to blur, melting away until only the pure essence of their experience and technique remained.

Simultaneously, a brand new cultivation art was forged from the chaos. The hum of sharp gold rang in his ears, followed by the fragrant scent of fresh wood, the roaring rush of a torrential river, the blistering heat of a forge, and finally, the crushing, ancient weight of the earth. It felt as though a mythical mural had just come to life within his very soul.

Five Elements Art: Max Level

Effect 1: Magic Power potency +50%

Effect 2: Magic Power consumption reduced by 70%

Effect 3: Technique circulation speed +80%

Effect 4: Perception range of Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi expands to a hundred li.

Effect 5: Wielding personally forged Spirit Weapons or Magical Artifacts temporarily elevates their quality by one tier.

Effect 6: Through the mutual generation of the Five Elements, Magic Power conversion accelerates, replenishing reserves with every cycle.

Effect 7: Damage against restrained elemental attributes increases by +50%, tearing through 30% of the target’s defenses.

Effect 8: Physical body strength surpasses peers of the same realm by twofold, capable of enduring strikes from high-grade Spirit Weapons barehanded.

Effect 9: Simultaneously absorbs five types of Spirit Qi during cultivation, tripling the efficiency compared to a single Spirit Root.

Special Effect 1: Purifies all crafting materials by 90%.

Special Effect 2: Probability of Spirit Weapons and Magical Artifacts birthing an artifact spirit +33%.

Special Effect 3: Nullifies 70% of damage from Five Elements attacks below the Golden Core stage.

Special Effect 4: While maintaining the balance of the Five Elements, automatically mends 2% of physical trauma and restores 5% of Magic Power with every breath.

Reading through the profound truths etched into his mind, Jiang Chen held his breath for a long time before finally exhaling two words: “Heaven-defying!”

…

…

It was late autumn, and the crisp coolness of the air had long since faded.

The chill grew heavy, the wind carrying a biting, bone-deep edge.

Across the blades of grass and fallen leaves, a fine, dense layer of white frost had crystallized.

With a heavy creak, the thick wooden door of the stone house was pulled open from within. Jiang Chen, draped in simple white robes and wearing a weathered yellow bamboo hat, stepped out into the morning light.

Woof! Woof!

Da Huang barked sharply, squeezing out of his doghouse. He trotted over, his tail wagging furiously, his face the very picture of fawning devotion.

In the neighboring nest, Ge Ge merely cracked an eye open for a fleeting glance before shutting it again. The colder the weather grew, the lazier the rooster became.

Jiang Chen ruffled the dog’s thick fur and chuckled. “Today, your sixth pup is finally coming home!”

By all rights, the pup should have been delivered half a month ago.

He simply hadn’t expected to be delayed in the Canglan Sea for so long, forcing Mo Yu to care for the little one for an extra fortnight.

Hearing his master’s voice, Da Huang tilted his head. He didn’t understand the words, but he recognized the warmth and joy in the tone, making his tail wag even harder.

Just then, a heavy, rhythmic thumping echoed across the yard as Fortress marched over. “Master, good morning!”

Jiang Chen gave a slight nod and instructed, “I’ll be harvesting the spirit plants today. You don’t need to bother with the weeds. Just feed Da Huang, Ge Ge, the pearl chickens, and the turtles and fish in the pond as usual.”

Fortress bowed its metallic head. “Yes.”

The puppet then turned on its heel, marching steadily toward the pearl chicken coop.

Jiang Chen, meanwhile, hefted his sickle and stepped into the first acre of his Spirit Farm, beginning his harvest row by row.

Naturally, he didn’t neglect his Spirit Finger, tapping the glowing crops here and there as he worked.

Unfortunately, his luck remained as stagnant as ever; not a single mutation occurred.

Harvested 1 stalk of “Top Grade Spirit Rice”, lifespan +6 days.

Harvested 1 “Top Grade Watermelon”, lifespan +5 days.

Harvested 1 “Top Grade Golden Crow Vine”, lifespan +7 days.

…

Before long, the lush crops across all five acres of the Spirit Farm had been reaped clean.

Cumulative new lifespan added: 44,235 days.

Remaining Lifespan: 1713 years.

Seeing the numbers, Jiang Chen’s heart remained as placid as an ancient well.

He was no longer the struggling Qi Condensation cultivator he had been when he first earned his official status.

Moreover, the true bulk of his lifespan gains now came from the mutated spirit plants thriving within his personal pocket space.

After finishing the harvest, Jiang Chen didn’t bother tilling the soil or planting new seeds.

He would soon be moving his entire estate to Red Leaf Valley, so there was no need to waste his efforts here.

Once he settled into his new home, he would take the time to properly plan the layout of his Spirit Farm and cultivate his crops.

Just then, the crunch of footsteps approached from the valley entrance. Jiang Chen’s Divine Sense swept outward, instantly recognizing the auras of Jin Fugui and Mo Yu.

A moment later, the two men came into view.

Jiang Chen cupped his hands in a traditional greeting. “Thank you, Fellow Daoist Mo, for looking after the little one for so long.”

Mo Yu smiled brightly and waved a hand dismissively. “We’re all old friends here, there’s no need for such formalities.”

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the sixth pup from his spirit beast pouch.

Jiang Chen took one look at the creature and froze in his tracks.

Was this really a one-month-old puppy?

Heavens above, the beast was at least twice the size of a normal hound’s pup.

Mo Yu chuckled at his reaction. “Dumbfounded, aren’t you!”

Jin Fugui leaned in, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Old Jiang, have you thought of a name yet?”

Jiang Chen nodded firmly, his pragmatic mind already made up. “Since it’s Da Huang’s pup, we’ll call it Wang Zai!”