Crunch.

Jiang Chen leaned against the poplar tree, a stalk of green grass dangling from his mouth.

He bit down, and a bitter taste immediately spread across his tongue. Yet, instead of spitting it out, he savored it carefully.

Da Huang sat before him, head tilted back, his eyes frantically signaling his eagerness.

Seeing this, Jiang Chen lazily raised his left hand and hovered it above the dog’s head. However, instead of actually petting him, he kept his hand about three inches away, miming the motion of stroking fur.

Out of instinct and trust, Da Huang squinted his eyes, wearing an expression of pure bliss. His tail began to wag from side to side, betraying his inner joy.

But his happiness lasted less than three seconds before he suddenly felt something was off.

His master was clearly petting him… so why couldn’t he feel anything?

The pleasant sensation of his scalp and fur being rubbed was completely absent.

Puzzled, he turned his head to look back.

Jiang Chen was still maintaining the petting gesture; nothing seemed wrong visually.

Instantly, Da Huang began to doubt himself.

Did I get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? Did I not eat enough just now? Am I just sleepy?

His small head was filled with big question marks.

Right then, he inadvertently glanced upward and was dumbfounded.

Although Jiang Chen’s hand was making petting motions, it wasn’t touching him at all.

Realizing he’d been tricked, Da Huang barked angrily.

Jiang Chen grinned. “Hahaha… silly dog!”

Suddenly, Jiang Chen felt the spiritual energy in his dantian gradually depleting. He knew today’s nurturing session within the Green Lotus Domain was about to come to an end.

He rose from the shade of the poplar tree and walked step by step toward the Tier-2 Spirit Farm.

In summer, the intense heat and lack of moisture caused the spirit plants to enter a listless state. In human terms, it was like being lazy and lethargic. Simply adding water helped, but not much.

This was a normal situation, a stage that had to be endured during the summer months. Even the mutated spirit plants under Stone Mountain, though not exposed to direct sunlight, exhibited this state, albeit with milder symptoms.

Fortunately, with the help of the Green Lotus Domain, these spirit plants wouldn’t require a long maturation period. Judging by the current situation, they should be ready for harvest in about two months.

Jiang Chen reached out his hand as the companion Green Lotus flew back into his palm. He couldn’t help but remark, “During this period, I’ve nearly exhausted the spiritual power in my dantian every single day. Unexpectedly, my strength has actually grown.”

Compared to when he had just broken through to the early Foundation Establishment stage, the spiritual power in his dantian had increased from one drop to five drops. There had been improvements in quantity, quality, and concentration.

Nowadays, Jiang Chen’s desire for higher realms wasn’t as intense as it had been during the Qi Condensation stage.

His only “enemy,” Wang Hu, had been dealt with. The subsequent investigations by the Immortal Sect and the Sen Clan had also petered out without results.

Now, as long as he focused on farming diligently, everything would fall into place naturally.

Jiang Chen suddenly remembered something and quickly took out a glowing communication talisman.

“Junior Brother Jiang, have you forgotten something?”

“You promised to help me harvest the [Colored Orchids].”

“Forgotten? It’s been over half a year already.”

“The Colored Orchids are ripe. Are you coming or not?”

Jiang Chen placed the communication talisman back into his small storage pouch.

If not for Senior Brother’s reminder, he would have completely forgotten about this matter. Staying at home all day, tending to his own small plot of land, he sometimes really didn’t notice how fast time was passing.

He glanced at the sundial; it was the Wei hour in the afternoon. This was equivalent to 3 PM in his previous life. Not exactly early, but not late either.

Jiang Chen didn’t set off immediately. Instead, a glint of cunning flashed in his eyes.

If he went now, he’d finish harvesting the [Colored Orchids] before dark.

If he went later, by the time he finished working, it would be completely dark. By then, surely Senior Brother wouldn’t refuse to provide a meal, right?

Therefore, Jiang Chen spent time teasing the dog and chasing chickens on purpose, delaying until the Shen hour. Only then did he control his damaged paper crane, flying toward Chen Bo’s Spirit Farm.

By the time he arrived, the sun was already setting in the west. The temperature was no longer scorching.

Chen Bo’s place wasn’t much different from before. Two Spirit Farms of equal size lay side by side. One was planted with Spirit Rice, the other with Colored Orchids.

However, among the Spirit Rice on the left, one golden mutated Spirit Rice plant stood out conspicuously.

Clearly, it was the one Jiang Chen had sold him earlier.

It seemed to be very well cared for. It was plumper than before. In fact, to prevent the surrounding ordinary Spirit Rice from competing for nutrients with the mutated plant, Chen Bo had even cleared out a small area around it. All the Spirit Rice previously planted there had been uprooted.

“Why are you so late?” Chen Bo asked, quite puzzled.

Jiang Chen had already prepared an excuse. “Senior Brother knows I keep a yellow dog at home. That rascal wanders off everywhere; it took me forever to find him.”

Chen Bo heard this and didn’t doubt him, urging, “Well then, don’t delay any further. Let’s get started.”

“Right away.” Jiang Chen took out a sickle and stepped forward.

Same old rules: first, carefully sense them.

Before, he would activate the Evergreen Art. Now, his spiritual sense was more useful. Not only was it meticulous, but using it also served as training.

Of course, the main point was that it could still perceive information.

[Peak Quality in Two Days]

If Jiang Chen remembered correctly, last time he helped with the harvest, it was [Peak Quality in Three Days].

This meant that over the past several months, Chen Bo’s Evergreen Art or Spirit Growth Art must have improved again. It seemed the day for harvesting peak-quality Colored Orchids wasn’t far off.

As time passed, the sunlight grew increasingly dim and golden.

Far from hurrying, Jiang Chen intentionally slowed his pace. Only when a faint afterglow remained in the west did he harvest the final Colored Orchid plant.

This time, the lifespan gained was [5575 Days], a few days more than last time. But overall, it was still around 15 years; not much difference, really.

One must know that a cultivator who reaches the Perfection stage of Foundation Establishment only has a lifespan of just over two hundred years at most. Although Wood Spirit Root cultivators live somewhat longer, they still max out at just over two hundred years.

Therefore, in terms of lifespan alone, Jiang Chen had already surpassed all Foundation Establishment cultivators.

“Finished?” Chen Bo’s voice came from the stone hut doorway.

Jiang Chen walked step by step from the Spirit Farm onto the ridge and replied, “All done.”

Chen Bo waved him over. “Then come eat.”

Jiang Chen’s eyes immediately lit up. He had delayed for so long precisely for this dinner!

However, upon entering the main room and seeing the food on the stone table, he froze completely.

On the table was only a large pot of congee made from Spirit Rice and a jug of Spirit Wine taken from his own place earlier!

There wasn’t even a single dish of pickled vegetables!!!