The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 309: It’s Yours Now

The sharp cry snapped every head in Jiang Chen’s direction.

Whether it was Huo Ling, Rong Fu, or the disciples from the Linghe Sect, all eyes were now fixed on him, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and high expectation. They were all eager to witness the true prowess of the sole Spirit Cultivator at the heart of the Spirit Farm. After all, to rise above so many official disciples was no small feat.

Jiang Chen met Zhao Feng’s mocking gaze, his own expression a mask of calm. He stepped off the ridge and walked through the soil, stopping before the towering stalk of Thousand-Ear Golden Light Rice.

He resisted the urge to use his system, opting for a manual inspection first.

Though the upper leaves were lush, they were marred by bluish-purple blemishes. He dug away the topsoil, revealing roots that were pitch-black and reeked of decay. These symptoms were well-documented in the texts he had studied, particularly the *Forbidden Records of Spirit Plants*. A visual inspection alone told him this wasn’t a simple, singular issue.

Jiang Chen concluded aloud, “This stalk of Thousand-Ear Golden Light Rice is in a peculiar state. Its leaves are afflicted by Spirit-Eroding Fungus, while its root system has been infested by the Meridian-Reversing Worm.”

As he finished, he glanced at Zhao Feng and noted the man’s strange expression—a flicker of confirmation mixed with something else, something smug. It was the look of a man who knew a secret.

In that instant, Jiang Chen’s guard went up. This was more than a simple diagnosis; it was a trap.

As if on cue, Zhao Feng turned to Ji Mingxuan with a saccharine smile. “Fellow Daoist Ji, you’re the expert here. Why don’t you take a look as well?”

Ji Mingxuan nodded and stepped into the Spirit Farm, approaching the base of the plant. His examination was far more meticulous than Jiang Chen’s had appeared, his posture one of intense focus. After several long minutes of careful inspection, he finally straightened up.

He shot a sideways glance at Jiang Chen and announced solemnly, “My findings are similar to Spirit Envoy Xu’s. The plant is indeed suffering from both Spirit-Eroding Fungus and the Meridian-Reversing Worm.”

“For both afflictions to appear on a single spirit plant is incredibly rare!” someone in the crowd murmured.

“I never thought Spirit Envoy Xu would be so capable!”

“No wonder he was chosen as the Spirit Cultivator!”

The air filled with exclamations of admiration.

Then, Ji Mingxuan’s tone shifted. “However,” he added, his voice carrying over the murmurs, “I also discovered that this mutated rice has an abnormally low temperature, and its Spirit Qi is faint. I suspect there is a third problem!”

The praise died instantly.

“And he calls himself a Spirit Cultivator? How could he miss such a minor detail?”

“It seems Senior Brother is the more skilled one, after all!”

The core disciples from the Linghe Sect dripped with condescending sarcasm. The atmosphere turned thick and awkward, and even Huo Ling began to look uncomfortable.

A triumphant smirk played on Zhao Feng’s lips. “Spirit Envoy Xu, surely you didn’t fail to notice such a minor problem, did you?”

Once again, all eyes converged on Jiang Chen. The admiration from moments ago had curdled into the hungry gaze of an audience waiting for a show.

Jiang Chen knew this buffoon was up to no good, but his composure remained unbroken. “You called it a minor problem yourself,” he retorted, his voice deceptively level. “Why would I waste my breath on something so trivial?”

Why isn’t he flustered? Why isn’t he rushing to defend himself?

Jiang Chen then turned his cool gaze to Ji Mingxuan, arching an eyebrow. “Tell me, can you name a single spirit plant that *doesn’t* suffer a drop in temperature and a weakening of its Spirit Qi when it falls ill?”

Ji Mingxuan was struck speechless. With his extensive experience, he knew the statement was irrefutable. For the vast majority of spirit plants, especially one suffering from both fungal erosion and parasitic infestation, those symptoms were practically a given.

Jiang Chen clasped his hands behind his back, a playful glint in his eyes. “However,” he said, drawing out the word, “this mutated rice *does* indeed conceal a third problem.”

The moment he had sensed Zhao Feng’s trap, he had already consulted his system, which laid the truth bare.

[Thousand-Ear Golden Light Rice]

Status: Mature

Afflictions:

1. Leaves eroded by Spirit-Eroding Fungus

2. Root system parasitized by Meridian-Reversing Worm

3. Spirit Qi restricted by the Yin-Cold Spirit-Locking Curse

There were indeed three problems. The first two were obvious, visible to any skilled cultivator. But the third was insidious. It was a problem that even a seasoned expert like Ji Mingxuan, the Senior Brother of the Linghe Sect, could only suspect but not confirm.

Why?

The reason was simple: it was sabotage.

The Yin-Cold Spirit-Locking Curse was a technique meant only for emergencies, a last resort to be used during natural disasters. Its purpose was to suppress a plant’s vitality to minimize damage and help it survive a catastrophe. To use it now, without any disaster, was to actively harm the plant, weakening it further—an act of pure malice against such a precious specimen.

A thirst for knowledge burned in Ji Mingxuan’s eyes. “What is the problem?” he pressed eagerly.

Jiang Chen ignored him, his gaze locked on Zhao Feng. “Are you sure you want me to say it out loud?”

A jolt of panic shot through Zhao Feng. He was trapped. This was a gamble, and he was on the verge of losing everything. If he won, he’d be celebrated. If he lost, the humiliation would be immense.

Seeing the defiance still flickering in Zhao Feng’s eyes, Jiang Chen turned back to the eager Ji Mingxuan and chuckled softly. “You should be familiar with the protocols for natural disasters…”

“Enough!” Zhao Feng’s sharp interruption startled several onlookers.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Zhao Feng began to applaud, his face suddenly plastered with a broad, unnatural smile. His voice dripped with a syrupy, artificial enthusiasm. “Truly worthy of being Spirit Envoy Xu! Your abilities are exceptional! I am utterly and sincerely convinced.”

Jiang Chen saw it clearly. This wasn’t submission; it was fear. He was cowering.

If the third problem was revealed, both Zhao Feng and the entire Zhao Clan would not only lose face but would likely face a severe Penalty from the sect. With so many outsiders present, Zhao Feng couldn’t afford to let that secret out.

The scheme had been simple: take a plant with two known issues, secretly add a third, and use it to humiliate Jiang Chen in public. But Zhao Feng had never imagined that his target possessed not only a rock-solid foundation of knowledge but also an unbeatable cheat. Jiang Chen had seen through both the obvious problems and the hidden sabotage with perfect clarity.

Zhao Feng scurried down from the ridge and grabbed Jiang Chen’s hand in a display of cloying familiarity. “Spirit Envoy Xu, I was immature in the past. From this day forward, you are an honored guest of the Zhao Clan.”

Jiang Chen snatched his hand back as if touching something unclean. “Honored guest or not is irrelevant. I am here to solve a problem. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

Zhao Feng just nodded and bowed, a fawning grin fixed on his face. The sudden reversal left Ji Mingxuan, Huo Ling, and the others completely bewildered. One moment the two were locked in a subtle confrontation, the next they were… this?

Jiang Chen glanced at the sky. “It’s getting late. I’m heading back.”

“Don’t go!” Zhao Feng scrambled to grab his arm again, his voice pleading. “I’ve arranged a banquet for Fellow Daoist Ji and the others. Since you’re here, please, stay for a meal before you leave.”

Before Jiang Chen could refuse, Zhao Feng quickly changed the subject, pointing at the blighted stalk. “What is your assessment of this mutated rice?”

Though puzzled by the abrupt question, Jiang Chen answered truthfully, “If it weren’t for its afflictions, it would indeed be an exceptionally fine mutated spirit plant.”