The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

The group of disciples was still a distance away in the snow, but they were already waving their arms, shouting enthusiastic greetings over the howling wind.

When they finally trudged into the courtyard, their breath puffing white in the freezing air, Jiang Chen stepped out to meet them.

“Long time no see, everyone!” he called out with a warm smile.

Wu Guangman, the burly leader of the Earth Spirit Root team, stepped forward. His face crinkled into an eager, fawning grin. “Senior Brother Jiang! As soon as we heard it was you breaking ground on new fields, we dropped everything and came immediately.”

Reclaiming wasteland to expand a Spirit Farm usually involved two paths.

You could wait for the Immortal Sect to assign a mission, in which case the sect’s official Earth Vein teams would handle it. Or, you could spend your own money and hire a team privately.

Generally, the sect only dispatched teams for official rewards. If a cultivator wanted to change locations or expand their private holdings, they had to go to the Earth Vein Department and pay Spirit Stones out of pocket.

This time, Lin An had personally scoured the department, asking team after team.

At first, most had flatly refused. Breaking ground in the dead of winter was brutal work; the soil was frozen solid, and the earth qi was biting.

But the moment Lin An mentioned the employer’s name, Wu Guangman’s attitude had flipped.

Why?

Because Jiang Chen had successfully developed 3 mu of Second-Grade Spirit Farm in less than a year.

Regardless of how he did it, that kind of speed, efficiency, and ability demanded respect.

Jiang Chen cupped his hands in a polite salute. “I’ll have to trouble you brothers again this time.”

“No trouble! No trouble at all!” Wu Guangman and the others waved their hands frantically.

Jiang Chen shifted his gaze to Lin An. “These disciples are old acquaintances. Treat them well. If any issues arise, notify me immediately.”

Before turning back to the house, Jiang Chen retrieved a heavy jar from his storage bag.

“Ten catties of High-Quality Spirit Wine,” he said, handing it over. “I know the winter earth is harsh on your cultivation. Drink this to keep the cold from your bones.”

High-Quality Spirit Wine?

The disciples’ eyes widened. Everyone knew Spirit Wine—it was the most common beverage in the cultivation world. But the “High-Quality” prefix changed everything.

Wu Guangman swallowed audibly. They had worked for Jiang Chen before, but this level of generosity was new.

Jiang Chen left them and returned to the house.

He couldn’t delay any longer. The Spirit Weapon, the Blood Gourd, still needed to be refined.

He wasn’t worried about the farm work. Wu Guangman knew the rules, and Lin An was there to supervise.

Jiang Chen descended into the silence of the second basement level.

He stood before his crafting bench, repositioning the mold for the gourd. Taking a steadying breath, he circulated the Nine Flames Mystic Art.

Crimson Fire Spirit Power surged from his dantian, flooding his meridians until his hands glowed like molten iron.

Thrum.

Faint vibrations traveled through the earth walls. It seemed the team outside had already started attacking the frozen soil. Fortunately, the basement was deep enough that the disturbance was minimal.

Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes, locking his focus on the furnace.

He poured his energy into the process.

Time dissolved in the heat of the flames. He didn’t know how long passed before the Spirit Weapon mold let out a resonant hum.

Done.

Jiang Chen immediately withdrew the surrounding fire qi. With practiced care, he pried open the mold.

The transformation was complete.

The emerald verdance of the original Jade Green Gourd had vanished entirely. In its place sat a gourd the color of dried arterial blood. The surface was no longer smooth; it was webbed with raised, vein-like ridges that resembled twisted blood vessels. Occasionally, tiny beads of crimson liquid would weep from the pores of the shell.

Four distinct spirit patterns glowed faintly on its surface.

Jiang Chen swept it with his spiritual sense, and the information window manifested in his mind.

[Spirit Weapon: Blood Gourd] [Quality: High-Quality] [Effect 1: Sturdy] [Effect 2: Storage] [Special Effect 1: Refining]

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “Only four spirit patterns?”

It was a decent result, but he had hoped for more. Fortunately, this was only the first attempt. He had materials for four more. Perhaps one of them would hit the coveted nine patterns.

Since the vibrations from outside hadn’t ceased, Jiang Chen decided to press on.

He grabbed the second set of materials.

The refinement of the second Blood Gourd went significantly smoother. He now had a feel for the material ratios, the optimal flame temperature, and the precise timing. He adjusted his technique, refining the process based on the data from the first attempt.

The Fire Spirit Power in his dantian drained steadily, but his expression remained impassive as the Nine Flames Mystic Art roared through his veins.

This time, the process was faster.

Click.

He opened the mold.

Four spirit patterns.

Jiang Chen frowned. He placed the two Blood Gourds side by side on the workbench.

The first one on the left. The second on the right.

They were identical. Same color, same weight, same size, same quality. Even the spirit patterns looked like carbon copies.

“Once might be a coincidence,” Jiang Chen muttered. “But if the third one comes out exactly the same, it means there’s a flaw in my method.”

Despite his timing being more precise and his material ratios more meticulous, the result hadn’t budged.

He set the gourds aside and retrieved a vial of Fire Spirit Liquid he had accumulated. He downed it in one gulp, simultaneously refining the energy to replenish his depleted reserves.

Just as he was preparing for the third attempt, a voice drifted down from the entrance.

“Senior Brother Jiang!”

It was Lin An.

Jiang Chen immediately abandoned the furnace and headed upstairs.

When he stepped out into the courtyard, the biting winter wind hit him instantly. He saw Wu Guangman and the other Earth Spirit Root disciples sitting on the frozen ridges of the field, resting. Each of them clutched a cup of the High-Quality Spirit Wine.

They looked terrible.

Their skin was pale and waxy. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, and waves of visible, freezing air radiated off them.

This was the brutal reality of opening land in winter.

When an Earth Spirit Root cultivator manipulated the soil, they connected with the earth veins. In winter, that meant channeling pure Yin-Cold Qi directly into their bodies. Tie Zhu had suffered the same fate when he tilled the soil previously.

Although Earth Spirit Root disciples had high resistance, it was still agony.

Seeing Jiang Chen emerge, they scrambled to stand up, trying to look presentable.

Lin An hurried over to report. “Senior Brother Jiang, the ground is harder than we anticipated. The frost runs deep. They… they might need three days to finish.”

Jiang Chen looked at the shivering workers. “You’ve all worked hard. Don’t push yourselves to the breaking point. Extending the timeline by a few days is fine.”

Wu Guangman’s face tightened with gratitude and pride. “Senior Brother Jiang, please rest assured! We will finish in two days! If we don’t, we won’t take a single Spirit Stone!”

Jiang Chen turned to Lin An. “What is the agreed remuneration for this job?”

“Two Low-grade Spirit Stones per person, per day,” Lin An replied quickly.

Jiang Chen nodded. “Change it.”

The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze.

Wu Guangman’s heart skipped a beat.

“Four Low-grade Spirit Stones per person, per day,” Jiang Chen said, his tone serious.

For a second, there was silence.

Wu Guangman and his team went from terror to astonishment, and then to pure, unadulterated joy. They bowed deeply, cupping their hands in unison.

“Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang!”

Although it was only an increase of two stones, it showed that Jiang Chen respected their labor. Unlike other employers who would scold them for being slow and look for excuses to dock their pay, Jiang Chen was rewarding their suffering.

Jiang Chen gestured to the cups in their hands. “And during this period, all your food and drink will be provided by the house.”

Wu Guangman looked overwhelmed by the favor. “Senior Brother, this is too much! We have our own Vitality Pills, we can just take those…”

Jiang Chen smiled, a genuine warmth that cut through the winter chill.

“We’re all on the same side here. Don’t be polite.”