The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 315: Xuan Yuan

If left unchecked, the infestation would spiral out of control, threatening the entire sect.

But if they could capture the Spirit-Eroding Fungus King and the century-old Meridian-Reversing Worm Mother, the blight could be completely eradicated.

Yet, from the way Zhu Fuxian spoke, the situation was already teetering on the brink of chaos.

Jiang Chen blinked. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over him.

Shi Yuan’s gaze, sharp as honed stone, fell upon the Earth Vein Manager. “Zhenyue, didn’t you tell me this was contained?”

Yang Zhenyue’s face went pale. After a moment of frantic thought, he stammered, “Abyss Lord, Grain Lord, after the incident, I immediately sealed the 38th layer of the Earth Vein. Many Formation Masters and official disciples of the Earth Vein witnessed it themselves.”

As the Abyss Lord, Shi Yuan knew his subordinate’s character inside and out. He looked past him, his voice booming toward the trio above. “What is the extent of the Spirit Farm’s losses this time?”

Before Zhao Feng could utter a word, Zhu Fuxian shot him a sidelong glance. The Manager took the cue instantly. “Reporting to the Abyss Lord, the losses are catastrophic. Many of our Grade-Two Spirit Farms, vast quantities of spirit plants, and even the harvested Spirit Rice are all contaminated beyond use.”

A jolt of shock went through Yang Zhenyue. The Spirit Farms were a cornerstone of the sect’s foundation. They spent countless resources preventing disasters, and after decades of relative peace, the Earth Vein had become the source of one. If this blew up, heads would roll.

Shi Yuan himself was stunned silent for a long moment before his voice rumbled, heavy with resignation. “If this disaster truly originated from the Earth Vein, we will provide full compensation. Now… what is it you want, you old relic?”

This was the exact opening Zhu Fuxian had been waiting for. A smirk played on his lips. “The Spirit Farm’s losses are significant. Therefore, both the Spirit-Eroding Fungus King and the century-old Meridian-Reversing Worm Mother will be handed over to us.”

Shi Yuan’s stony expression hardened. “The Fungus King, I can understand. But the Worm Mother? You’re no insect cultivator, you ancient bastard!”

Zhu Fuxian simply spread his hands, an infuriatingly unyielding look on his face. “Be that as it may, if I don’t walk away from this satisfied, we can always take this matter to the Punishment Hall. I’m sure those idle Elders would love to ‘mediate’ and dispense some justice.”

Shi Yuan’s aura flared with fury, but he was trapped. With a roar of frustration, he lashed out, his foot connecting with Yang Zhenyue and sending the hapless manager flying hundreds of meters. “Useless trash! If you had taken proper precautions, would I be getting strong-armed by this old relic?”

Though he seethed at the arrangement, Shi Yuan had no grounds to refuse. The fact remained that an incident in his domain had, a year later, crippled the Spirit Farm. He would have to hand over not just the Spirit-Eroding Fungus King and the Meridian-Reversing Worm Mother, but also provide additional compensation later.

From the day they were Novice disciples until now, Shi Yuan and Zhu Fuxian had clashed countless times. Almost every single time, Shi Yuan had come out on the losing end, walking away with nothing but a fresh dose of humiliation from his rival.

Fortunately, Zhu Fuxian wasn’t one to press his advantage too far.

After a round of “cordial and friendly” negotiations, the two powerhouses finally stood together.

While it was true that wood overcame earth, the dynamic shifted entirely if the earth was overwhelmingly more powerful. And Shi Yuan was no ordinary earth cultivator; he commanded the far heavier Yellow Earth Essence. A single wisp of it weighed several tons. The twenty-foot-tall stone effigy before them was composed entirely of this terrifying substance.

Even under Zhu Fuxian’s protection, Jiang Chen and Zhao Feng felt a crushing weight descend upon them, a pressure so immense it felt as if a true mountain sought to grind their very souls to dust. The figure of Shi Yuan before them wasn’t a cultivator; it was a geological event. Even the vibrant cyan light radiating from Zhu Fuxian was compressed into a tiny, struggling halo around them.

It was painfully clear that Shi Yuan’s true strength far surpassed Zhu Fuxian’s—and not by a small margin.

***

Moments later, the group of five—Zhu Fuxian’s trio and the two from the Earth Vein—vanished. They reappeared in an instant, as if by Teleportation, within the sealed confines of the Earth Vein’s 38th layer.

Jiang Chen and Zhao Feng were met with absolute, impenetrable darkness.

Shi Yuan opened his mouth and gently exhaled a breath of Yellow Earth Essence.

The seal Yang Zhenyue had so painstakingly erected dissolved as if it had never existed. A faint light began to glow in the distance, slowly revealing the horrific truth of the chamber.

The scene that greeted them was one of utter desecration.

The spirit vein, once pulsing with pure, attribute-less Spirit Qi, had been shattered, snapped in two like a dry twig. Its exposed core resembled the gnawed-through husk of a colossal, rotted tree, pockmarked with countless weeping sores and irregular wounds.

The air, once thick with potent Spirit Qi, was now thin and acrid, tainted with the charnel scent of burnt decay.

The Spirit Qi was gone.

The Yellow Earth Essence was gone.

The sight caused every person present to frown in grim silence.

Yang Zhenyue was the first to speak, his voice strained. “Abyss Lord, Grain Lord, when it happened, the Yellow Earth Essence erupted like a storm cloud. Its sheer weight instantly crushed this underground spirit vein, causing the attribute-less Spirit Qi to violently erupt. The blast of Qi scattered the Yellow Earth Essence everywhere.”

That was the situation. They had done everything by the book. The official disciples had absorbed the rogue Spirit Qi, and the Formation Masters had captured the stray Yellow Earth Essence. Afterward, they had sealed the area to prevent any further accidents.

Shi Yuan raised a hand. A tendril of Yellow Earth Essence flowed from his palm, extending outward to envelop the fractured spirit vein. He closed his eyes, seemingly sensing something deep within the rock. The others could only wait in tense silence.

It wasn’t long before he retracted the essence. “I’ve confirmed it,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “The path of this vein does indeed run beneath your Spirit Farm.”

Zhu Fuxian remained impassive. “I had no reason to lie to you about such a thing.”

Shi Yuan ignored him, lost in thought. “The Meridian-Reversing Worm Mother builds its nest near underground spirit veins. I will take Zhenyue and conduct a deep search. We will notify you when we find it.”

Before Shi Yuan could continue, Yang Zhenyue quickly added, “The Earth Qi is dangerously heavy further down. Even with Wood Spirit Roots, you wouldn’t be able to survive for long. It would be a death sentence.”

Zhu Fuxian gave a slight nod. “He speaks the truth.”

“I will take full responsibility for this matter,” Shi Yuan assured them. “You have my word.”

With that, the two parties separated. Zhu Fuxian led Jiang Chen and the others out of the Earth Vein and back to the surface, where he transformed into a streak of cyan light and shot off toward the Spirit Farm.

***

Once they were alone, Yang Zhenyue lowered his voice. “Abyss Lord, something feels wrong. This is all very strange.”

Shi Yuan didn’t speak, merely letting out a knowing, “Oh?”

Yang Zhenyue pressed on with his analysis. “The Spirit Qi in this underground vein was exhausted long ago. Why would it still attract a Meridian-Reversing Worm Mother?”

Shi Yuan didn’t speak aloud. Instead, his voice echoed directly in Yang Zhenyue’s mind, cold and grim. “Xuan Yuan is growing restless. The things below… they’re becoming more active. I used to suppress them once a decade. In the last five years, I’ve had to act twice.”