The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Winter settled over the world, the air growing increasingly bitter.

Yet within Red Leaf Valley, especially beneath the canopy of the ancient red maple tree, the temperature remained as mild as spring.

Since moving into his new home, aside from his fourth-quarter patrols around the periphery of the Spirit Farm, Jiang Chen rarely stepped outside, living a life of profound leisure.

He remained sequestered in his room, meticulously studying the Nine Curves Tide Generating Art.

As his first complete Earth-grade cultivation art, he placed immense hope upon it.

Although he had already become a Golden Core Perfected Master, his repertoire of truly formidable arts was limited to the fire-attribute Nine Flames Mystic Art and the fused Five Elements Art.

If he could elevate cultivation arts of all five elements to the Earth-grade, and then harness the fusion properties of the black flame, he might forge an art that truly defied the heavens.

As for techniques, he felt no pressing urgency.

Meals had to be eaten one bite at a time.

He did not know how much time had passed when the chaotic frolicking of Da Huang and Wang Zai outside suddenly ceased.

At that moment, Jiang Chen’s mind stirred, his gaze shifting to his attribute panel.

Nine Curves Tide Generating Art: First Layer

Effect 1: Manipulate liquid water within a three-zhang radius, causing it to bend and diverge at will.

For now, the effects of the first layer were merely average.

But as a secret transmission of the Nine Curves Sect, it undoubtedly possessed unique profundities.

Thus, Jiang Chen felt no disappointment; instead, his anticipation only grew.

Consume 30 years of Lifespan to elevate the Nine Curves Tide Generating Art to the ninth layer?

“Yes.”

In an instant, his entire being plunged into a state of Epiphany.

A torrent of ancient techniques and profound experiences flooded his mind.

It was as if he had sat in silent meditation, studying without food, water, or sleep for thirty unbroken years.

Because it was a complete Earth-grade art, its depths were vast and overwhelming.

By the time the trance faded, Jiang Chen felt a rare, bone-deep mental exhaustion.

Fortunately, the process had been devoid of accidents; the breakthrough was seamless.

Remaining Lifespan: 2011 years

Nine Curves Tide Generating Art: Ninth Layer

Effect 1: Manipulate liquid water within a thirty-zhang radius, causing it to bend and diverge at will.

Effect 2: Induce rotation in controlled water; rotational speed scales with the infusion of Spirit Qi.

Effect 3: Control radius expands to one hundred zhang; capable of driving water to form tidal surge impacts.

Effect 4: Infuse water with cold malign energy, condensing frost along the edges to form a frost-laden water whip.

Effect 5: Twist water into hair-thin threads, piercing a target’s body like a threading needle.

Effect 6: Manifest nine bends during water manipulation; water within a hundred zhang divides into nine distinct tributaries.

Effect 7: Forcibly reverse the flow of water, causing rivers and water-attribute techniques to flow backward.

Effect 8: Control radius expands to one thousand zhang; capable of interfering with and shielding against spiritual sense and Divine Sense.

Effect 9: Condense a Tide Core. No continuous infusion of Spirit Qi or Magic Power is required during manipulation; the core alone sustains the water’s form. As the core rotates, the water flow automatically scales its destructive power to match the speed.

Jiang Chen read through the profound changes and gave a slight nod. “From the looks of it, the Nine Curves Tide Generating Art is divided into two stages.

The first stage: absolute mastery over water manipulation.

The second stage: the terrifying utility of the Tide Core.”

Without hesitation, he opened his right palm.

The Golden Core and the Chaos Dao Seed within his dantian hummed to life, drawing upon his Magic Power.

Instantly, a fist-sized, water-blue Crystal Core materialized above his palm, shimmering like a captured ocean.

While stationary, it remained perfectly silent, devoid of any ripple.

But with a mere thought, it began to spin. The rushing sound of a torrential river immediately echoed through the room, and even the distant streams and ponds outside the valley seemed to pull toward him in resonance.

The faster it spun, the more violent the roar became. The ambient water Spirit Qi in the room thickened to a suffocating degree, leaving a sheen of condensation over every surface.

Jiang Chen carefully sensed the drain. He found that even without drawing upon the Chaos Dao Seed, he could sustain this for an entire day of casual use without issue.

In combat, however, the consumption would scale exponentially with the volume of water he commanded.

Fortunately, the Five Elements Art naturally mitigated the drain on his Magic Power. Coupled with the Chaos Dao Seed’s ability to commune with the laws of heaven and earth, the compounding effects were genuinely terrifying.

Jiang Chen pondered, “The Nine Curves Tide Generating Art and the Overturning Sea Seal are a matched set. Once the art reaches the Novice stage, mastering the technique won’t take long.

Barring any surprises, I should have it learned within a few days.”

He rose from his bed and stepped out of the house.

With a sweep of his Divine Sense, the surrounding world painted itself clearly in his mind.

Da Huang and Wang Zai seemed quiet, but in reality, they were furiously digging a hole in the corner of the yard.

Gege stood perched on a branch above, though whether the rooster was supervising or merely observing was anyone’s guess.

“As the old saying goes, when the dogs go quiet…”

“I told you to keep your pup in line, and instead, you join him in the mud!”

“Da Huang… you disappoint me.”

Jiang Chen flickered, appearing directly above them as if by Teleportation.

Beneath his feet lay the crater the two hounds had excavated.

He didn’t even need his Divine Sense; a single glance told him it was at least five meters deep.

He had to admit, Wang Zai was a natural-born excavator.

When the pup grew up, he might as well send him down to the Earth Vein to mine Spirit Stones.

“Gu~”

Gege clucked, seemingly warning the two culprits below.

Instantly, Da Huang and Wang Zai froze in the dirt. They slowly tilted their heads up, their eyes locking onto Jiang Chen’s looming figure.

An awkward silence descended.

Da Huang’s eyes darted wildly, clearly calculating how to avoid a beating.

Wang Zai’s reaction was much faster, and far more direct.

The pup simply shoved his snout back into the dirt and kept digging, desperately trying to carve out an escape route.

Jiang Chen laughed out of sheer exasperation. “Trying to run?”

He flicked his wrist, stirring a faint wisp of Magic Power.

The earth before him parted like the sea, completely exposing the furiously digging Wang Zai.

Before the pup could make another move, a surge of earth energy hoisted his entire body into the air, leaving him paddling helplessly in the void.

Jiang Chen beckoned toward the ancient red maple tree. Two slender branches slithered over like vipers. He gave a single, cold command: “Whip.”

Smack!

One of the branches snapped forward, lashing sharply against Wang Zai’s rear.

Awoo! Awoo!

The pup immediately howled in pain.

Down in the hole, Da Huang, with only his head poking out, began to tremble violently.

It had been a long time since he had tasted his master’s discipline. It seemed unavoidable today.

Jiang Chen scolded, “I wouldn’t care if you ruined anything else, but what if you dig up something cursed? We’d have to pack up and move again.

And worse, what if you provoke the ancient red maple tree?”

True, Red Leaf Valley was his home.

He had even secured the deed from Elder Mu.

But the true master of this land was still the unfathomable ancient red maple tree.

It had rooted itself here for over a millennium, its presence woven into the very fabric of the valley.

If he didn’t teach these two mutts a lesson today, tomorrow they might waltz over and piss on the ancient tree’s roots.

A little physical pain now was far better than digging their own graves later.

Hearing the iron in his master’s voice, Da Huang knew his fate was sealed. He slowly dragged himself out of the pit, his legs trembling so badly it took him several tries to crest the edge.

Smack!

Smack! Smack!

Soon, both dogs were receiving their due punishment, howling a miserable chorus.

Jiang Chen glanced up at the gloating Gege. He raised an eyebrow. “You’re no better, sitting up there enjoying the show!”

Gege immediately stiffened, terrified that the branches would turn on him next. Fortunately, the strike never came.

When the ordeal ended, neither dog dared to sit. Their rears burned with stinging pain, and they wore identical expressions of profound grievance, pity, and helplessness.

Jiang Chen ignored their puppy-dog eyes completely. Instead, he called over Fortress and ordered, “No dinner for them tonight!”