The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 286: What I Eat, the Dog Eats

The Pillar Python stretched over fifty meters long. Resting, it didn’t coil like a normal snake; instead, its lower half burrowed straight into the earth while its upper body jutted skyward, resembling a smooth, impossibly straight pillar of jade. Emerald scales caught the sunlight, gleaming with a cold, piercing luster.

Its massive, oval-shaped skull sat high in the air. Flattened at the sides and crowned with protruding, jagged ridges, it looked like it was clad in an armored exoskeleton.

The creature’s cloudy nictitating membranes slowly slid back, unveiling vertical pupils the size of paper lanterns. A sinister green light churned within them, burning like twin, inextinguishable ghost fires. As the massive head lowered, that icy gaze locked dead onto Jiang Chen.

Its jaw unhinged into a cavernous, blood-red maw. Four rows of razor-sharp fangs—each as thick as a man’s finger—gleamed with deadly intent. The sheer predatory pressure was suffocating, freezing the blood in Jiang Chen’s veins.

The air grew impossibly taut. Jiang Chen braced himself, silently preparing to summon every ounce of his cultivation for a fight to the death.

Then, a deep, distinctly human bass voice boomed from the python’s jaws: “The hell are you staring at?”

Jiang Chen blinked, his tension breaking for a fraction of a second, and blurted out the classic Earth response: “The hell’s it to you?”

The Python snorted, a blast of hot air rustling the grass. “Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep?”

Relief washed over Jiang Chen. He waved his hands in quick apology. “My mistake! First time at Beast Mountain. I didn’t realize you were alive!”

Damn, he thought, almost laughing at himself. For a second there, I thought I’d met a fellow transmigrator.

“Pillar Chief! My deepest apologies!” Jin Fugui’s frantic voice echoed before he even arrived, riding hard on a galloping camel. “He’s a friend of mine! First time at Beast Mountain, he doesn’t know the rules. Please forgive him!”

The Pillar Python cast a lazy, sidelong glance at the chubby disciple. “You bring me decent snacks, kid. I’ll let it slide today. But remember: don’t approach any snakes during the day, and definitely don’t bother me.”

Hauling back on the reins, Jin Fugui grabbed Jiang Chen by the collar, dragging him onto the camel in one swift, terrified motion. “Yes, yes, of course! Rest well, Pillar Chief! I’ll bring extra meat next time!”

The great serpent gave a faint nod of approval, quite satisfied with the arrangement, and returned to its rigid, pillar-like stance.

Without wasting a breath, Jin Fugui spurred the camel, tearing across Beast Mountain like a bat out of hell. They left a cloud of dust in their wake, covering over a kilometer without a single backward glance.

Far behind them, the Pillar Python watched Jiang Chen’s retreating back, a spark of human-like intrigue flashing in its lantern eyes. Interesting kid. First instinct wasn’t to run, but to fight. But the thought was fleeting. A moment later, the giant beast surrendered to its lethargy, soaking in the midday sun.

Jin Fugui didn’t stop until they hit the banks of a rushing river several kilometers away. Jiang Chen hopped down, dusting himself off.

“You seemed a little tense back there,” Jiang Chen noted.

Jin Fugui shot him a wild-eyed glare. “No shit! That’s the Pillar Chief! The undisputed boss of every snake in Beast Mountain!” He wiped a heavy bead of sweat from his forehead, looking genuinely apologetic. “My bad, Brother Jiang. I should have warned you. Thank the heavens the Pillar Chief has been in a decent mood lately, or he really would have swallowed you whole.”

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “Spirit beasts eat disciples?”

“Every single year,” Jin Fugui nodded grimly.

“And the sect just… lets it happen?”

Jin Fugui cautiously glanced around the serene forest before leaning in. “That snake has been alive for over a millennium. When it was born, the great-grandfather of the current Beast Mountain Manager was still swimming in his dad’s sack.”

He swallowed hard. “It commands every serpent in the valley. Its strength and status are terrifying. Besides, anyone it eats usually asked for it by provoking it first. The Immortal Elders couldn’t care less.”

“Ah,” Jiang Chen nodded, slipping back into his pragmatic mindset. “Makes sense.”

Having survived their brush with death, Jin Fugui didn’t dwell on the matter. He pointed toward a sprawling treehouse in the distance. “Right, over there. That’s where you’ll meet the first Senior Brother I mentioned, Xu Yuan. The guy breeds dogs. Every shape, size, and pedigree you can imagine.”

Jiang Chen’s eyes lit up. “Perfect. Lead the way.”

A short walk brought them to the base of the massive tree. Jin Fugui cupped his hands and shouted up into the canopy, “Senior Brother Jiang Yuan! I brought him!”

A moment later, a man in the formal robes of a Beast Mountain disciple descended, a veritable pack of hounds trailing behind him. Five dogs, to be exact.

The leader was an earth-yellow country hound with a black patch over its left eye, robust limbs, and a tightly curled tail. The loose skin around its belly suggested she had birthed several litters.

Right on her heels was a muscular, pitch-black beast. Its coat shone like dark jade, and a thick, lion-like mane ringed its neck. Amber eyes scanned the area from beneath two fleshy, miniature horns on its head. Despite its bulk, its thick paw pads made absolutely no sound against the dirt.

The third dog was slender and elegant. Snow-white fur frosted its body, accented by crimson tips on its ears and tail. Fine, ice-like scales armored its lithe legs.

The fourth looked surprisingly cuddly—a cloud of apricot curls with rare golden eyes, a wet nose, and a bizarre, fully grown three-leaf clover sprouting from the very tip of its tail.

The final dog was simply strange. It sported massive, fan-like ears lined with dense fuzz, and a brownish-yellow coat mottled with black spots. Its beady eyes were perpetually narrowed into lazy slits.

Five dogs, five wildly different bloodlines.

“Senior Brother Jiang Yuan,” Jin Fugui greeted with a grin. “This is my friend, Jiang Chen. We talked about his situation earlier.”

Xu Yuan sized up the man who shared his surname, his gaze skeptical. “So? Where’s the dog?”

Jiang Chen casually tapped his spirit beast pouch.

With a flash of light, Da Huang materialized.

The sheer size of the beast—built like a literal calf—made Xu Yuan freeze in his tracks. In all his years of breeding, he had never seen a common countryside hound look like a hulking monster.

Blinking in the bright sunlight, Da Huang looked around in utter bewilderment. But the moment his eyes locked onto the five strange dogs, his demeanor shifted instantly. His muscles coiled. He lowered his massive head, baring his fangs as a low, rumbling growl vibrated from his chest. The overwhelming aura of a feral apex predator rolled off him in waves.

Aside from the horned black dog, which stubbornly held its ground, the other four instantly tucked their tails between their legs. Whining, they scrambled behind Xu Yuan’s legs, peeking out at the giant interloper in sheer terror.

Xu Yuan snapped out of his daze, his eyes practically sparkling with fanatic obsession. “Is that a purebred countryside hound?!” he gasped, stepping closer to inspect Da Huang. “How did it get this massive? What in the heavens do you feed it?!”

Jiang Chen gave a modest, lopsided grin. “I’m just a simple spirit farmer. The dog eats whatever I eat. Usually just boiled Spirit Rice and whatever scraps are lying around.”

Xu Yuan slowly raised a thumb in profound respect. “Your husbandry skills are absolutely terrifying.”

Xu Yuan knew countless breeders with decades of experience under their belts. But raising a common, mortal dirt-hound to this monstrous size and tyrannical temperament? Jiang Chen was in a league of his own.