The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 256: Meeting

A poplar tree, given ample water and sunlight, will typically grow a meter a year during its sapling phase. Even as it matures, it can manage half a meter annually.

The poplar standing before Jiang Chen was well past its youth. Situated next to a water channel under the generous summer sun, it should have been growing steadily but slowly.

Instead, under the influence of the Green Lotus Domain, it was surging upward at a visible rate.

In the span of an afternoon, it broke past the five-meter mark, rivaling the height of the adjacent stone house. Its canopy expanded into a lush, emerald crown that pulsed with vitality, repairing the energy deficit it had suffered earlier.

This rapid evolution drew the attention of the Fortress puppet. The massive construct lumbered over, stopping three meters behind Jiang Chen. It stood motionless, its optical sensors fixed on the tree with an intensity that felt uncomfortably sentient.

Jiang Chen glanced back at it. I’ve always suspected this thing was sensitive to Wood Spirit Qi, he thought. Initially, I assumed it was just elemental resonance. Now… I wonder if there’s something more macabre involved.

Rumors persisted that high-grade puppets were sometimes forged using the corpses of cultivators as a core. If the Fortress retained some biological memory of a Wood Spirit Root, its obsession would make sense.

As time passed and Jiang Chen’s Spirit Qi drained away, the tree completed its transformation.

It was magnificent. It loomed over the farm, exhaling dense waves of Wood Spirit Qi in a rhythmic cycle that mimicked breathing.

“It’s a natural Spirit Gathering Array,” Jiang Chen marveled. “Maybe even purer.”

This changed everything. He no longer needed to be in the center of his fields to cultivate efficiently; sitting under this tree would yield the same result.

He turned to head back to the stone house, pausing to scan the Fortress with his Spirit Sense.

What he found made him stop cold.

The puppet was sprouting.

Tiny, tender green shoots were emerging from the joints of its armor, particularly around the chest and shoulders. It seemed that as the tree evolved, the Fortress—bathing in its aura—was also receiving a “gift.”

“Interesting,” Jiang Chen muttered. “Let’s see where this goes.”

The next morning, at the hour of the Snake (9:30 AM).

Jiang Chen tidied his appearance and grabbed a twenty-pound jar of Top-quality Spirit Wine. He didn’t head straight for the Rain Pavilion but detoured to meet Chen Bo first.

He found his senior brother lounging in a pavilion overlooking his own fields. Chen Bo, now a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, presided over three acres of second-grade Spirit Farm. The central acre was planted entirely with Golden Spirit Rice, the seedlings standing tall and vigorous in the summer heat.

“Senior Brother!” Jiang Chen called out, landing his Giant Leaf.

Chen Bo looked him up and down, raising an eyebrow. “Junior Brother, you’re a Spirit Nurturing Envoy now. Why are you still dressing like a standard formal disciple? It’s fine at home, but when you’re out representing the hall, you should look the part.”

Jiang Chen blinked, then laughed. “Fair point. I’ll Advance my wardrobe later.”

“With your status and wealth, you can afford custom robes,” Chen Bo chided gently. “Face matters, especially where we’re going.”

“Don’t worry,” Jiang Chen grinned. “I haven’t forgotten the 3,000 Mid-grade Spirit Stones.”

They boarded the Giant Leaf together and shot toward the Rain Pavilion.

The journey was smooth. As they passed over the Black Lake, they saw the Flying Serpent thrashing about in the water, stirring up massive waves that sent the local fish population into a panic. The Mystic Tortoise, as usual for the season, was deep in slumber.

Both men barely spared the beast a glance. They had seen worse.

The Rain Pavilion was buzzing with activity. Water Spirit Root disciples swarmed the grounds, their excitement palpable.

“Senior Brother Chen Tian is back!” “I heard he’s going into secluded cultivation immediately.” “If he breaks through to the Earth-grade Golden Core, the Chen Clan will be unstoppable.”

The gossip was singularly focused. Even Shui Wuhen, the former top disciple, wasn’t mentioned once.

Jiang Chen and Chen Bo bypassed the crowded main hall and headed straight for the second floor.

The upper level was quieter but still occupied. In the center of the Chamber, surrounded by a deferential circle of admirers, sat Chen Tian.

“Senior Brother Lingbi!” Chen Bo called out, stepping forward.

The crowd parted instantly. When they saw the Envoy Token hanging at Jiang Chen’s waist, their eyes widened, and the path cleared even faster. A Spirit Nurturing Envoy was a heavyweight—equivalent in rank to a Rain Master.

Chen Tian stood up. “Cousin! Junior Brother Jiang Chen!”

Jiang Chen studied the man he hadn’t seen in two years.

The gentle, spring-water softness of Chen Tian’s youth was gone. His Face had hardened into lines of cold porcelain, weathered by the harsh winds of the Central Region. His eyes, once warm, now held the sharp, glinting edge of a drawn blade.

He wore a suit of light blue Mystic Armor crafted from monster scales, with a white undershirt of woven ice-silk. He radiated a pressure that felt heavy and inevitable, like a rising tide.

Chen Bo stepped forward and embraced him, laughing. “Cousin, you look like you’ve aged ten years.”

Chen Tian smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’ve been to the Central Region. You know the cost of survival there.”

Chen Bo stepped back, his expression turning serious. “So, you’re back. Does that mean you’re ready to attempt the Earth-grade Golden Core breakthrough?”

The Chamber went deathly silent. Every ear strained to hear the answer.