The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 216: Goal: Spirit Chef

Thanks to the fortune he had amassed at Fire Peak, Jin Fugui had been aggressively buying up land and expanding his herd of spirit beasts. Consequently, the supply of spirit manure was no longer a concern.

The real bottleneck lay with Mo Yu.

The jump from two mu of Spirit Farm to four wasn’t just simple arithmetic.

On the surface, the workload had merely doubled.

In reality, the drain on a cultivator’s Water Spiritual Qi and mental focus was exponential. Irrigating four mu of high-grade land with the Minor Rain Spell was not a task to be taken lightly.

It was a significant challenge for a single cultivator.

Mo Yu scanned the expanse of the fields from right to left, calculating the qi consumption in his head. “Two to three mu a day,” he admitted, rubbing his chin. “That is my absolute limit.”

“Can’t you just split it over two days?” Jin Fugui asked, puzzled.

Mo Yu glanced at Jiang Chen and shook his head. “It’s not about whether I can split it. If I take two days, Old Jiang has to wait two days.”

If this were summer, autumn, or winter, a delay might be acceptable.

But this was spring—the season of genesis, the most critical time of the year for a Wood Spirit Root cultivator.

If all four mu were planted and irrigated simultaneously, the resulting surge of Wood Spiritual Qi would be incredibly dense.

For Jiang Chen, this environment was a cultivation accelerator. It was a key window for boosting his strength.

A Spirit Farmer might not live by the sword, but in this world, strength was still king. A higher realm meant more land, and more land meant the ability to cultivate rarer, more valuable resources.

Jin Fugui’s eyes widened in understanding. “You mean… we need to find another Water Spirit Root cultivator?”

Mo Yu nodded. “I suggest hiring one more. That way, we can irrigate all four mu in a single session. But the final decision rests with Old Jiang.”

Jiang Chen considered it for a moment. “I understand Old Mo’s reasoning. Let’s find another one.”

He immediately retrieved a Communication Talisman.

He had two viable options for a Water Spirit Root assistant.

One was Lin Yu. The other was Wang Bing.

Jiang Chen didn’t hesitate.

He instinctively chose Lin Yu. She had been instrumental during his research into basic talismans, and their working relationship was solid.

As for Wang Bing… things were a bit awkward between them. To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, it was better to leave her out of this.

He injected a strand of Wood Spiritual Qi into the talisman. The connection clicked open almost instantly.

“I need someone to cast the Minor Rain Spell. Are you free?”

Negotiations were swift. Jiang Chen and Lin Yu agreed on a time. She would fly over from the Rain Pavilion at noon.

Hearing that backup was on the way, Mo Yu let out a visible sigh of relief. “To be honest, Old Jiang’s growth is critical for all of us. We can’t afford to cut corners.”

Jin Fugui and Lin An nodded solemnly in agreement.

The metaphor was unspoken but understood by all: they were a crew on a ship.

A sturdy ship could weather violent storms. A massive ship could haul mountains of resources.

Mo Yu, Jin Fugui, and even Lin An were essentially crew members. They were replaceable; if one left, another could take their place.

But Jiang Chen was the ship itself.

They dared not disembark.

If they left, where would they find Top-quality Spirit Rice? Where would they get access to rare spirit plants and expert guidance?

A stable, high-yield Spirit Farmer was the rarest resource of all. Jiang Chen had become the foundation of their future success.

With the plan set, the group sprang into action.

Jin Fugui began unloading the manure. In the old days, before he struck it rich, he had to use spirit camels to haul the load. Now, he simply patted a high-capacity Storage Bag, and piles of premium fertilizer appeared on demand.

Mo Yu moved to the first mu and began chanting the incantation for the Minor Rain Spell.

Lin An, observing the fields, pointed toward the older plots. “Senior Brother Jiang, I noticed there are still some unharvested plants in the second and third mu. Should I clear them?”

“No,” Jiang Chen corrected him. “The plants in the second mu are called Green Gourds. Do not cut the vines. Once the cycle resets, they will sprout new gourds. They are rare spirit plants, so handle them with care.”

He pointed to the third mu. “That field is reserved specifically for Senior Sister Wang Bing. It is primarily used to cultivate the medicinal herbs she needs for alchemy. The vines on the perimeter are Golden Crow Vines—also perennial, so do not harvest the main stems. As for the interior crops… that is still undecided.”

Lin An nodded, filing the information away.

He knew that if Jiang Chen became too busy, the management of these delicate crops would fall to him. It was better to ask now than to make a costly mistake later.

“I’m going to prepare lunch,” Jiang Chen told Lin An, seeing the others busy with their tasks. “If they need anything, handle it yourself if you can. Only come to me if it’s beyond your ability.”

It was only 10:00 AM, still early for lunch.

However, considering the guest list—especially the addition of Lin Yu—Jiang Chen wanted to prepare a feast.

More importantly, he wanted to grind his proficiency in Spirit Cuisine.

He had a gut feeling that cooking was just as vital as alchemy or artifact forging. It was an indispensable skill for the future.

Currently, his cooking—like his talisman and alchemy skills—had not yet been officially certified by the System. He wasn’t sure if he hadn’t met the hidden requirements or if he was missing a key ingredient.

If the System would just unlock it, he could simply burn some Lifespan and max it out instantly.

Fortunately, practice makes perfect. His skills were improving naturally with every meal.

And today, Jin Fugui had brought a haul of premium ingredients, clearly hoping to satisfy his own gluttony.

Jiang Chen set to work, preparing six signature dishes.

Spirit Rice & Chicken Clay Pot

Ingredients: Spirit Rice, Spirit Chicken, Chestnuts, Spirit Mushrooms.

Effect: Warming and nourishing. Rapidly dispels cold and enhances blood vitality.

Steamed Crystal Fish Dumplings

Ingredients: Ground Spirit Rice flour, Koi meat, Top Grade cabbage, dried shrimp.

Effect: Nourishes the lungs and internal organs; protects against elemental dryness.

Braised Spirit Spring Fish Head

Main Ingredients: Fathead fish raised in Spirit Spring water, Top Grade chilies, potatoes, and carrots.

Effect: Powerful cold-dispelling properties; replenishes trace amounts of Spiritual Qi.

Five Elements Sour & Hot Vegetable Soup Cold-Tossed Frost-Hit Cabbage Fire-Roasted Sweet Potato

Compared to ordinary meals, Spirit Cuisine possessed tangible cultivation benefits.

According to rumors Jiang Chen had heard, a meal prepared by a Master Spirit Chef could be worth over 30,000 Mid-grade Spirit Stones. The food wasn’t just sustenance; it was medicine. A low-level cultivator could potentially break through a bottleneck just by eating a properly balanced dinner.

Jiang Chen’s current ambition was to evolve into a true Spirit Chef.

His dream? To be sitting at the dinner table one day, take a bite of roast chicken, and suddenly Ascend to immortality.

At noon, a white Paper Crane descended from the sky, gliding smoothly onto the edge of the Spirit Farm.

By this time, Mo Yu had already finished irrigating the first three mu of land. Lin Yu only needed to handle the fourth and final plot.

Her timing, however, was impeccable.

The first order of business wasn’t the Minor Rain Spell.