The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 2: A Thousand Days Gone in a Flash; The Assessment Approaches

Returning to his leaky wooden hut, Jiang Chen shut the doors and windows tight, then sat cross-legged on the hard plank bed.

At this moment, the problem placed before him wasn’t a complex arithmetic equation.

Risk: If he didn’t upgrade, there was a high probability he couldn’t produce five hundred kilograms of Spirit Rice. He would be kicked out of the sect and forced into the cutthroat cultivation world, where people were eaten without spitting out the bones. As cannon fodder, his mortality rate would be 99%.

Return: Consume 1,066 days of lifespan to upgrade the Evergreen Art to the Second Layer. This would improve his planting ability and increase yields, granting him the possibility of staying in a top-tier sect and eventually obtaining a deed for a second-grade Spirit Farm.

“Three years of lifespan in exchange for a chance to stay in a top-tier sect. This deal is doable.”

Jiang Chen was a ruthless man at heart; once he understood the key points, he didn’t dawdle. In his previous life in business, whenever it was time to go all-in, his hands never trembled. To hesitate was to disrespect the money.

He focused his mind and confirmed his choice.

[System Notification: Consuming 1,066 Days of Lifespan…] [Upgrading Evergreen Art…]

Simultaneously, a cool current appeared out of thin air within his mind, as if someone were forcibly pouring years of experience regarding planting and sensing spiritual plants into his brain. His body warmed slightly, and his originally dry and narrow meridians seemed to become lubricated.

Moments later, Jiang Chen opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance visible within his pupils.

[System Notification: Upgrade Complete!] [Current Lifespan:] 762 Days [Current Technique:] Evergreen Art (Second Layer 0%)

(Effect): Cultivation speed +20%

(Effect): Plant growth speed +10%

(Effect): Ability to judge detailed plant state unlocked.

Jiang Chen clenched his fist, feeling the spiritual energy circulating through his body much more smoothly than before.

Within the Outer Peak, most Spirit Farmers were only at the First Layer of the art. Those who reached the Second Layer were either old-timers, possessed decent aptitude, or were willing to endure the grind of time.

For a newcomer like him, who hadn’t been in the sect long, possessing this level of skill absolutely qualified him as a “skilled worker.”

“I have the skill, but I still need to investigate the root cause of the illness.”

Jiang Chen didn’t rush to cultivate. Instead, holding the broken Spirit Rice stalk, he pushed open the door and walked out.

He needed to find someone to verify his conjecture.

He headed toward the Outer Peak disciple living quarters, specifically the ‘Bing’ block housing.

His knock was neither too light nor too heavy—perfectly polite.

“Who is it?” A lazy voice came from inside the room.

“Senior Brother Chen, it’s Jiang Chen. I have something I wish to consult you about.” Jiang Chen stood at the doorway, his tone respectful and his posture very low.

The door creaked open.

A scruffy-bearded middle-aged man walked out. This was Uncle Chen. He was famous in the Outer Peak for being a “nice guy” and had a good hand for farming. However, his personality was too laid-back, so after many years, he was still just mixing in with the crowd at the Outer Peak.

Uncle Chen yawned, and upon seeing Jiang Chen, he frowned slightly. “You? Heard you failed the assessment again?”

“I’m sure Senior Brother finds it laughable,” Jiang Chen said, wearing a bitter smile, his humble act flawless. “This Junior Brother is dull-witted. I almost packed my bags to leave… Now that there’s only one last chance left, I truly have no ideas. I was hoping Senior Brother could help take a look.”

Saying this, he handed over the broken, blackened Spirit Rice stalk with both hands.

Uncle Chen originally wanted to close the door and shoo the person away, but seeing Jiang Chen’s sincere attitude—and considering they were fellow hard-luck Spirit Farmers—his heart softened, and he took it.

A cyan glow surfaced on Uncle Chen’s fingers, much richer than what Jiang Chen had displayed earlier—this was the mark of the Evergreen Art at the Second Layer.

Upon contact, Uncle Chen’s expression changed.

He carefully pinched the rice stalk and even brought it to his nose to sniff.

“Junior Brother, your field… hasn’t a disciple with an earth-attributed spiritual root loosened the soil for a long time?”

Jiang Chen’s heart thumped, but on the surface, he pretended ignorance. “Loosen the soil? I used a hoe to turn it myself.”

Uncle Chen shook his head and tossed the Spirit Rice back to him. “This rice isn’t sick; it’s hungry. The ‘earth qi’—the fertility—in your plot of land is probably already exhausted. Relying on us using a hoe only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. You need to find a disciple cultivating the ‘Earth Pull’ technique with an earth-attributed spiritual root to draw deep-layer earth qi up to the surface.”

Speaking to this point, Uncle Chen seemed to think of something and lowered his voice. “Logically, the sect’s Spirit Farms have formations to nourish earth qi; it shouldn’t exhaust this fast. Your plot of land… was probably tampered with, or the previous occupant intentionally overdrew the earth’s power.”

Jiang Chen’s mind instantly flashed to Wang Hu’s sinister face.

No wonder that guy was so certain he couldn’t produce five hundred kilograms of Spirit Rice.

Even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice; if the land is already wasted, the best seeds are useless!

This wasn’t an assessment; this was clearly a dead end!

“Many thanks for Senior Brother’s guidance!” Jiang Chen clasped his hands and performed a deep bow, his face full of gratitude. “If not for Senior Brother, I probably would have died without knowing how or why.”

Uncle Chen waved his hand and sighed. “Don’t celebrate too early. Finding an earth-attributed spiritual root disciple to help costs money. The current market price to hire a person to perform the technique once is no less than ten Low-grade Spirit Stones or fifty kilograms of Spirit Rice. Do you have that?”

Jiang Chen touched his flat pocket.

The original body was so poor it clanged; where would he get Spirit Stones?

“Alright, I can’t help much more… The cultivation path is difficult.” Uncle Chen patted Jiang Chen’s shoulder, turned, entered his room, and closed the door.

Standing outside the doorway, the bitter smile on Jiang Chen’s face gradually receded, and his eyes became calm and sharp.

“No money? Then I need to think of a way to get ‘financing’—or find a free one.”

Jiang Chen walked back while searching the memories in his mind.

There were many Outer Peak disciples with earth-attributed spiritual roots, but most were over at the Earth Vein mining or building houses. Those who came to the Spirit Farm side were few and far between.

Moreover, because these earth-attributed disciples had great strength and high defense, they usually acted arrogantly. Want them to work for free? Keep dreaming.

Jiang Chen’s footsteps suddenly halted.

In the corner of his memory, a shrinking figure who was always being ordered around surfaced.

That person was called Tie Zhu.

He was also an Outer Peak disciple with an earth-attributed spiritual root. However, because his personality was wooden and he couldn’t speak well, he was often ostracized by his fellow earth-attributed disciples. He had even been robbed of his mining shares.

Two days ago, Jiang Chen seemed to have seen him loitering at the edge of the Spirit Farms, wanting to find work. The result? Because his price was too low, the Spirit Farmers suspected technical incompetency and chased him away.

“Technical competence isn’t something you know until you test it… This person is currently at a ‘low point.’ He’s the best target for bargain hunting.”

The corner of Jiang Chen’s mouth lifted into a merchant’s smile.

Adding icing to the cake is never as good as offering firewood in a snowstorm. Time to pull him in and draw him a big pie… no, give him a fair contract. Isn’t he the perfect cheap labor force… oh no, partner?

Jiang Chen glanced at the color of the sky. The sun hadn’t set yet. Since he had decided to do it, better early than late.

He adjusted his direction. He didn’t return to his own broken hut but instead headed toward the most remote part of the Outer Peak disciple quarters—the “dormitory bunk area.”

If he remembered correctly, Tie Zhu, that unlucky child, couldn’t even afford a single room and was still squeezing into bunk beds with others.

Investment matters required placing bets early.

Jiang Chen touched his chest, where his only remaining half-bag of aged Spirit Rice was hidden. This was the last bit of rations the original body had left.

Today, he would use this bit of rations to hook a big fish and help turn the tables.