The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 84: A Page of the Dragon Shaking Art, and Seeds of Unknown Origin

The giant flying sword Jiang Chen rode lifted slowly from the Sword Pavilion. Once it reached a safe altitude, it began to vibrate, transforming in the blink of an eye into a golden streak of light that sliced through the sky.

*Screeeech—!*

Just then, a sharp cry echoed from behind.

Every disciple on the flying sword felt a sudden, crushing pressure descend upon them. Jiang Chen reacted just as the others did, whipping his head around to stare into the distance.

Reflected in his pupils was a colossal crane, its wingspan easily exceeding twenty meters. Shimmering, crystalline orbs of water floated around its body like a protective ward. On its back stood a young man with a cold, severe expression, dressed in the white robes of a formal disciple.

In moments, the crane became a massive shadow, enveloping the flying sword and everyone on it.

“Isn’t that Lord Storm Crane 7?” someone whispered in awe.

“Then the man on its back must be Long Ao!”

“Heavens, it’s faster than our flying sword, and this thing is powered by a formation and Spirit Stones!”

As it drew near, the man and his crane came into sharp focus. The crane was ranked seventh in Beast Mountain and was respectfully addressed as Lord Storm Crane 7. It was a thousand-year-old spirit beast of terrifying strength, and the man it served was none other than Long Ao, the undisputed number one disciple of Beast Mountain.

Fortunately, they were merely passing by. Long Ao cast a fleeting, indifferent glance at the disciples on the sword before the crane shot past, leaving them in its wake. Only after the man and his beast had vanished into the distance did the suffocating pressure finally lift, allowing everyone to breathe again.

“A thousand-year-old spirit beast, indeed. That pressure was immense,” Jiang Chen murmured, his expression thoughtful. He had asked Jin Fugui about this before. In Beast Mountain, only the most powerful beasts earned a ranking. Cloud Crane 19, which he’d seen near the outer perimeter, was, as its name suggested, ranked nineteenth. The one that had just blazed past, Storm Crane 7, was one of the ten strongest beasts in the entire sect.

Thankfully, it was just a minor interlude. The rest of the journey proceeded without incident. An hour later, the sprawling metropolis of Green City and the colossal tree at its heart came into view.

This time, Jiang Chen bypassed the Fragrance Pavilion, opting instead for a random inn. Inside his room, he shed the white uniform of the Cloud Sea Sect and changed into a set of plain black clothes. He then affixed a fake mustache, instantly transforming his appearance into that of a steady, mature man. He now looked like a seasoned loose cultivator, weathered by years of hardship—a common sight in Green City, utterly unremarkable.

Only then did he step out of the inn.

Though he had arrived at the loose cultivator market, he didn’t immediately contact the Shen Clan. Instead, he moved from one spirit rice trading post to another, methodically inquiring about the current market rates.

Not much had changed since his last visit. The exchange rate for Tier-2 Spirit Rice held steady at 1:1.3, meaning one Low-grade Spirit Stone could buy 1.3 pounds of high-quality grain. Tier-1 Spirit Rice was currently trading at 1:6, or six pounds per Low-grade Spirit Stone.

However, for rice of either tier that reached Top Grade, the market was a different story. It was effectively priceless, with none available for purchase. Any Top Grade spirit rice that appeared in the market was immediately monopolized by the city’s master, the Golden Core Perfected Master Wang, and rarely ever circulated.

Loose cultivators, unlike the great sects and clans, were fiercely protective of their resources. The rarer the commodity, the less willing they were to share it. To put it bluntly, they tended to be a bit petty. When you barely had enough for yourself, why would you even consider giving any away?

After eliminating Wang Hu and his crew on his last trip, Jiang Chen had acquired 800 pounds of high-quality Tier-1 Spirit Rice. He now proceeded to sell it off in smaller batches across three different trading houses to avoid drawing attention.

His total earnings came to 114 Low-grade Spirit Stones.

With his pockets full, he swaggered toward the auction house. He’d bought the Green Wood Water-Splitting Hoe here last time and was curious if any new treasures had appeared in the intervening months.

Upon entering, he found that there was indeed something new.

A single page of the Earth-rank technique, the [Dragon Shaking Art].

Yes, that was right. Just one page.

Yet, the starting bid was a staggering 50 Mid-grade Spirit Stones, and it was clear many loose cultivators were here specifically for it.

“I bid 60 Mid-grade Spirit Stones!”

“The Dragon Shaking Art is an exclusive technique for earth cultivators! I bid 70!”

“100 Mid-grade Spirit Stones! I am Wang He of the Third Demon Hunting Team. I trust you’ll all show me some respect!”

The price quickly soared past one hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones, yet the bidding showed no signs of slowing.

“Someone actually wants a single page?” Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow, amused. If it were a larger fragment, he might have been interested. With the system, he could potentially deduce the complete technique. But a single, isolated page? It was nothing more than a curiosity. There was no telling if one could even reach the Novice level with so little information.

In the end, the crowd gave Wang He of the Third Demon Hunting Team the face he’d asked for. He won the single page of the [Dragon Shaking Art] for a final price of 300 Mid-grade Spirit Stones.

At that point, the auctioneer stepped forward. “I’m sure none of you have forgotten the five-hundred-year-old Earth Dragon that burst from the ground in the Dark Forest several months ago, have you?”

“Of course not!” someone shouted back.

Wang He’s expression turned particularly grim. His team had participated in that hunt and had suffered devastating losses.

Jiang Chen calculated the timing. It must have happened on the very day he first visited the market.

The auctioneer continued, his voice booming, “Well, our next item is five spirit plant seeds, recovered undigested from that very Earth Dragon’s stomach!”

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd. Jiang Chen, however, felt a jolt of intense interest. As a spirit farmer with a Wood Spirit Root, planting was his lifeblood. If these seeds had survived inside the stomach of a five-hundred-year-old great demon, their vitality had to be astonishing.

“Five spirit plant seeds of an unknown variety!” the auctioneer announced. “The bidding starts at 20 Mid-grade Spirit Stones, with a minimum increment of one Mid-grade Spirit Stone!”

A man stood up. “Excuse me, auctioneer. Have these seeds not been appraised, or were they appraised and still remain unidentified?”

“We consulted the most professional spirit farmers,” the host replied smoothly. “But the seeds were so severely corroded by the demon’s stomach acids that no one could determine their species.”

Jiang Chen understood immediately. If their value was known, they would never have made it to a public auction. They were here precisely because they were an unwanted gamble. If someone bought them, the seller made a profit. If not, they lost nothing. It was a win-win situation for the house.

“Unknown, you say? That’s a huge risk.”

“But to survive in a great demon’s stomach… they can’t be ordinary!”

“I’m interested in them as a collector’s item. 21 Mid-grade Spirit Stones!”

The bidding began, but it was a far cry from the frenzy over the [Dragon Shaking Art]. Fewer than ten people participated, most of them driven by simple curiosity. As the price crept up, bidders began to drop out.

Jiang Chen waited patiently. The price stalled at 31 Mid-grade Spirit Stones, and a long silence stretched over the hall. Seeing his chance, he called out in a clear, confident voice.

“33 Mid-grade Spirit Stones!”