The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 511: Rather Be Alone!

Jiang Chen instructed Little Linglong to stay put and finish her fish. He approached the shoreline, his gaze narrowing in careful scrutiny. It looks like the Phoenix Fire has fused with the Sinking Water Tree. Could it have mutated?

Sensing no ambient danger, he stepped onto the water’s surface, his boots rippling the tension as he walked over pace by pace.

Drawing close, he immediately released his Magic Power, allowing his spiritual aura to shroud the entire tree.

Soon, his divine sense gleaned the profound truths of its existence.

Three Spirit Holy Tree

Spirit Qi Abundant

Undamaged

Growth Stage

He had never even heard of such a name.

Over the years, he had practically read ten thousand scrolls, and as his cultivation realm steadily climbed, the breadth of his worldly knowledge had grown exponentially.

His understanding of spirit plants, in particular, was vast and deep.

Yet, facing this Three Spirit Holy Tree, his eyes held only a blank bewilderment.

It seems it’s either exceedingly rare or incredibly ancient.

I’ll have to find someone to ask when time permits.

Since there’s no immediate danger, I’ll just leave it planted in the water to cultivate for now.

His mind settled, Jiang Chen flickered back to Little Linglong’s side. The girl had demolished the grilled fish, leaving her mouth, hands, and face smeared with grease. Seeing her adorably foolish appearance, a warm, fatherly smile graced his lips as he retrieved a handkerchief, gently wiping the grime away bit by bit.

Once she was clean, he scooped her up from the ground and strolled toward the Water Spirit Palace.

The hour was growing late; it was time for a bedtime story.

Little Linglong smacked her lips, still savoring the lingering flavors. “Daddy, that thing was delicious! Can I eat it every day?”

Jiang Chen’s smile stiffened. He took a slow, deep breath. “Linglong, you know our family’s circumstances are humble. For this kind of fish, every one we eat is one less in the world.”

The bright light in Little Linglong’s eyes dimmed, but she nodded with surprising maturity. “Then I won’t eat it!”

Jiang Chen pondered for a moment. “How about this? In a little while, I’ll ask your Uncle Mo Yu for a few fish to raise in our family pond. Once they multiply, you can eat them to your heart’s content.”

Little Linglong broke into a wide, silly grin. “Okay!”

Soon after, the pair arrived at the Water Spirit Palace.

Jiang Chen tucked her into bed, pulling the blankets up snug before launching into a tale. “Once upon a time, there was a great mountain. Within the mountain sat an ancient temple. Inside that temple, an old monk spoke to a young monk…”

After listening patiently for a while, Little Linglong couldn’t contain her curiosity. “Daddy, what story was the old monk actually telling?”

Jiang Chen opened his mouth, looking remarkably awkward. “Well, that is to say…”

…

…

By the time he emerged from the cultivation chamber, a quarter of an hour had slipped away.

Ruo Qunshuang had already prepared a meal. Though her culinary skills couldn’t quite match Jiang Chen’s, she made up for it with sheer variety.

There were four distinct dishes, alongside a rich broth stewed from a freshly slaughtered pearl chicken.

Seeing him return, her face blossomed into a radiant smile.

Jiang Chen inhaled the savory aroma, offering heartfelt praise. “Sister Shuang, your cooking is becoming truly exceptional.”

Ruo Qunshuang beamed, her eyes curving into crescents. “Compared to Brother Qing, it still lacks a certain profound essence.”

Jiang Chen took a sip of the fragrant, umami-rich chicken broth before asking, “These past few days, my mind has been tethered to Crimson Fire Peak. Has everything been peaceful on your end?”

While scooping bowls of Spirit Rice, Ruo Qunshuang replied, “The dueling platform is much more orderly. We’ve captured several batches of troublemakers and dealt severe punishments. Now, no one dares to provoke the heavens’ wrath.

Brother Qing, how fare things on your side?”

Jiang Chen gave a slight nod. “A momentous event has occurred.”

Ruo Qunshuang’s eyes widened, leaning in with eager anticipation. “What happened?”

Jiang Chen plucked a spirit mushroom from his soup with his chopsticks. “Crimson Fire Peak has successfully nurtured a spirit fire known as the Phoenix Fire. It stands as an immeasurable contribution to the entire Cloud Sea Sect.

Barring any heavenly twists, the hierarchy of the Seven Great Immortal Peaks is destined to shift.”

Historically, Crimson Fire Peak and Green Wood Peak had always languished at the bottom, holding the sixth and seventh ranks. It wasn’t a lack of martial prowess, but simply a profound disinterest in worldly titles.

After all, the vast majority of the sect’s foundational resources flowed from these very two peaks.

But with the birth of the Phoenix Fire, their prestige would naturally soar.

Thus, the ancient balance among the Seven Great Immortal Peaks would be shattered.

It was all but guaranteed that once the Thousand Sects Dharma Assembly concluded, disciples possessing a Fire Spirit Root would find themselves showered in intense affection and scrutiny.

Sometime later, having eaten and drank their fill, the two didn’t even bother to wash the bowls. Jiang Chen wrapped an arm around Ruo Qunshuang, guiding her toward the bedchambers on the second floor.

…

…

The wheel of time swiftly turned to the following dawn.

Relieved of his duties at Crimson Fire Peak, Jiang Chen found himself with a rare abundance of free time.

He first visited the heart of his Spirit Farm, methodically resolving a backlog of mundane sect affairs. Only then did he summon the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost, riding its chilling brilliance to the borders of Chen Bo’s Spirit Farm.

His senior brother’s cultivation realm had already achieved Foundation Establishment Perfection; the threshold of the Golden Core loomed just a single step away.

Whether it would be a Mortal Grade or an Earth Grade Core remained cloaked in mystery, primarily because the man himself was in no rush to seize the heavens.

Even if he sought a breakthrough, he would surely stall until Chen Tian returned from his mortal tempering journey.

While the winds of the world constantly shifted, Chen Bo remained an immovable stone.

He lived a solitary existence in his stone hut, dedicating all his sunlit hours to tending the few mu of Spirit Farm outside.

He only ventured out occasionally to barter for essential cultivation resources before retreating back into his hermit’s shell.

He appeared entirely severed from mortal desires, radiating an aura of utter reclusion.

In the past, when Jiang Chen, Mo Yu, and Jin Fugui enjoyed lighter burdens, the four brothers would often gather to exchange Dao philosophies over strong wine, or roam the bustling mortal markets together.

But that was before Mo Yu stumbled upon his heaven-defying Fated Chance.

Before Jin Fugui successfully acknowledged a mighty master.

And before Jiang Chen was elevated to a Spirit Cultivator Envoy, binding his fate to Ruo Qunshuang.

The four brothers rarely shared the same pavilion anymore, their individual paths upon the Dao pulling them toward distinct destinies.

Jiang Chen projected his voice toward the stone hut. “Senior Brother, are you within?”

Chirp!

However, the first to emerge was not a man, but a spiritual avian.

It tore through the air like a streak of azure gale.

Its speed was breathtaking, arriving before his face in the space of a single breath.

Jiang Chen’s gaze swept over the creature, a smile touching his lips. “The Azure Goose is growing magnificent in its stature.”

He recalled its birth; back then, it was barely larger than a mortal infant.

A few short years had passed, and now its wingspan effortlessly exceeded twenty feet.

Following this trajectory, it would undoubtedly rival the imposing presence of Storm Crane 7 upon reaching full maturity.

At that moment, Chen Bo stepped out from the shadowy doorway. “Junior Brother. I heard you’ve been drowning in sect duties, even requisitioned by Crimson Fire Peak. To what do I owe this rare honor?”

Jiang Chen tilted his head to look at him, his expression freezing in shock. “Senior Brother… have you completely abandoned your grooming?”

To project a more distinguished aura, Jiang Chen himself had cultivated a neat mustache above his lip.

But the Chen Bo standing before him sported a wild mane of shoulder-length hair and a coarse, unkempt beard that swallowed his jaw.

He looked like a beggar who had lost a war with the mud.

An absolute monument to decadent ruin.

Chen Bo waved a hand in absolute apathy. “It all just grows back anyway. Better to let nature take its course. It’s not as if I entertain guests, so why chain myself to vanity?”

A pang of profound sorrow gripped Jiang Chen’s chest. Unable to hold his tongue, he asked, “If the solitude is too heavy, why not follow my path? Seek out a Dao Companion to share your burdens.”

Chen Bo fell into a heavy silence, staring into the distance before his voice cracked the stillness. “Ever since that karmic tragedy, my heart rejects the very concept of family.

Even if I must walk a solitary path until my bones turn to dust, it is far better than suffering betrayal, or tearing off faces in bitter enmity.”

Jiang Chen knew exactly which blood-soaked memory his senior brother was referencing.

In the past, Chen Bo’s parents had willingly sacrificed their very lives to protect the foundation of their clan.

Yet, in return, the clan offered no solace or compensation. Worse, the greedy elders plundered his rightful cultivation resources.

If he hadn’t managed to cross the threshold of the Cloud Sea Sect to become a formally recognized Spirit Farmer, he would have undoubtedly degenerated into a miserable, bottom-tier Loose Cultivator, scavenging for scraps in the dirt!