The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Jiang Chen stared at the translucent blue system panel floating before his eyes.

[Skill: Artifact Crafting (Novice)]

Effect 1: Material wastage reduced to 50%.

Effect 2: Crafting success rate increased to 30%.

Effect 3: 30% chance for the Spirit Artifact to manifest 2-3 Spirit Patterns.

[System Query: Consume 174 years of Lifespan to promote Artifact Crafting to “Masterful”?]

Jiang Chen rubbed his chin. Ordinary blacksmithing—working with mortal iron—had taken less than ten years of lifespan to max out. But true Artifact Crafting, the art of manipulating spiritual materials and runes, required nearly two centuries to reach the pinnacle.

It was no wonder that while mortals could become master smiths, only cultivators with long lives could ever hope to become Artifact Masters.

However, a hundred-plus years meant little to Jiang Chen.

He checked his status. He currently possessed over seven hundred years of lifespan.

“Invest,” he whispered. “If I master this, I’ll never have to beg another craftsman for help. I’ll save a fortune in fees, and I can even forge high-end gear to sell.”

It was a calculated investment. The returns would far outweigh the cost.

[Confirming…]

Instantly, Jiang Chen’s consciousness was pulled into a profound, timeless void.

He entered a simulation. In this mental space, he became an apprentice again. He spent decades by the furnace, hammering red-hot spiritual ore, etching microscopic runes, failing, learning, and perfecting his craft. Seasons flashed by in the blink of an eye. Ten years. Fifty years. A hundred years.

His understanding of the Dao of Metal and Fire deepened. The hammer became an extension of his arm; the fire became an extension of his will.

When he opened his eyes again in the real world, only a second had passed, but the weight of centuries settled in his gaze.

[Current Lifespan: 556 Years]

[Skill: Artifact Crafting (Masterful)]

Effect 1: Material wastage reduced to 5%.

Effect 2: Spirit Artifact success rate increased to 90%.

Effect 3: Magical Artifact success rate increased to 60%.

Effect 4: [Common] quality rate: 90%.

Effect 5: [Fine] quality rate: 70%.

Effect 6: [Supreme] quality rate: 50%.

Effect 7: 90% chance to manifest 3-7 Spirit Patterns.

Effect 8: 70% chance to manifest 7-9 Spirit Patterns.

Effect 9: 1% chance to manifest 10+ Spirit Patterns.

[Special Effects]

1. Waste Not: Can refine scrap materials into usable auxiliary resources.

2. Spirit Patterns Born of Nature: 30% chance for artifacts to manifest unique, natural Spirit Patterns without manual inscription.

3. Law Resonance: 20% chance to infuse a trace of Elemental Law power when a Spirit Pattern is born.

4. Flash of Inspiration: 10% chance for artifacts to gain abilities that defy standard logic.

5. Divine Touch: Repair success rate: Spirit Artifacts (90%), Magical Artifacts (60%).

[System Warning: Host’s current cultivation realm limits production to Spirit Artifacts. Please act within your capabilities!]

Jiang Chen whistled softly. “Truly worthy of the ‘Masterful’ tier.”

Fourteen separate effects. His success rate for standard Spirit Artifacts was now effectively 100%. More importantly, he had a real shot at creating items with more than ten Spirit Patterns—a feat considered Grandmaster in the cultivation world.

In the world of artifacts, Spirit Patterns were king. The more patterns an item had, the more runes and arrays it could support.

Consider two [Fine] quality swords. If one had five patterns and the other had seven, the difference in power wasn’t linear—it was exponential. As the saying goes: A miss is as good as a mile. A tiny difference in construction led to a massive gap in lethality.

Jiang Chen looked down at the [Greenwood Needle] he had forged before the upgrade.

[Spirit Artifact: Greenwood Needle]

Quality: Common

Attribute: Wood

Spirit Pattern (1): Wind-Piercing Rune

Stats: Flight speed 8 zhang/breath. Burst speed 10 zhang/breath.

Effect: Shield Breaker (Bonus damage vs. barriers).

“Trash,” Jiang Chen muttered, tossing the needle into his [Jade Green Gourd]. “I’ll sell it off when I get the chance.”

He didn’t rest. The simulation had filled his mind with techniques he was itching to test.

He returned to the furnace. He selected the materials for another [Greenwood Needle]. This time, his movements were fluid, precise, and filled with an eerie grace. The fire danced at his command.

A short while later, a resonant hum filled the crafting chamber.

[Spirit Artifact: Instant Flash Greenwood Needle]

Quality: Supreme

Attribute: Wood

Spirit Patterns (9): Wind-Piercing, Swift Wind, Armor Piercing, Evasion, Strength Enhancement, Green Spirit Recovery, Void Lock-On, Spiral Breaker, Phantom Clone.

Stats: Flight speed 10 zhang/breath. Burst speed 30 zhang/breath.

Effect 1: Shield Breaker.

Effect 2: Instant Flash (Instantly bursts with 3x speed).

Jiang Chen nodded with satisfaction, admiring the sleek, dark green needle floating above his palm. “Now this meets my standards.”

He immediately bit his finger, dripping a drop of blood onto the metal while simultaneously imprinting his Spiritual Sense. The double-binding ritual completed, the needle vanished into his sleeve, ready to be deployed at a thought.

He had successfully crafted his first offensive Spirit Artifact.

And the cost? A measly single Mid-Grade Spirit Stone worth of materials.

He did a quick mental calculation of the market value. A standard [Common] needle with one Spirit Pattern sold for about 18 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Every additional pattern added roughly 2 stones to the price.

A nine-pattern artifact… well, the math broke down there because nobody sold them. They were too rare.

“Actually,” Jiang Chen corrected himself, a small smile playing on his lips. “Someone can make them now.”

For the next few days, Jiang Chen entered a state of maniacal focus. He completely forgot about Yu Caiqing’s promise to visit. He was lost in the rhythm of creation.

He established a routine: Alchemy in the morning, Crafting in the evening.

His output was terrifying. He was now producing five [Foundation Spirit Pills] per batch, all [Supreme] quality.

On the crafting side, he forged five more [Greenwood Needles] to practice his hand.

Common Quality: Three needles (3, 4, and 5 Spirit Patterns).

Fine Quality: Two needles (6 and 7 Spirit Patterns).

He didn’t emerge from his basement until the day before New Year’s Eve, when a loud knocking at his fortress gate snapped him out of his trance.

It was Old Mo (Mo Yu) and Old Jin (Jin Fugui).

When Jiang Chen opened the gate, Jin Fugui stared at him, his eyes wide with suspicion. “Old Jiang? Is that you? You’ve… changed.”

Mo Yu nodded in deep agreement. “Definitely changed.”

The two exchanged a glance and spoke in unison: “You look… older. More mature.”

Jiang Chen blinked. He realized that spending 174 years in a mental simulation had left a lingering aura of age on his soul. To his friends, he still looked young, but his eyes held a depth and stillness that didn’t belong to a twenty-something.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading a lot lately,” Jiang Chen smiled, deflection coming easily. “Books change a man.”

“Whatever,” Jin Fugui waved his hand dismissively. “We’re here for two things. First, to split the profits. Second, to drag you out of this hole. We’re going to the Red Leaf Valley market to buy New Year’s goods. You coming?”

“I haven’t seen the sun in days,” Jiang Chen admitted, stepping out. “I could use the fresh air. Let’s go.”

Jin Fugui’s eyes lit up. He immediately produced a small storage bag and began the sacred ritual of counting money.

“Profits are a bit lower this cycle,” Jin Fugui explained as he sorted the piles. “After deducting the 15 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones for overhead, we cleared 250 Mid-Grade Stones.”

The breakdown was swift:

Chen Bo (The Backer): 20% off the top. (50 Mid-Grade, 573 Low-Grade).

Jiang Chen (The Supplier): 70% of the remainder. (140 Mid-Grade, 1605 Low-Grade).

Jin Fugui (Sales): 20% of the remainder. (40 Mid-Grade, 459 Low-Grade).

Mo Yu (Logistics): 10% of the remainder. (20 Mid-Grade, 229 Low-Grade).

With the loot divided, the three friends hopped onto Jiang Chen’s [Giant Leaf]. The artifact hummed to life, lifting them into the winter sky as they sped toward the Red Leaf Valley market, pockets heavy and spirits high.