The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 301: Water Spirit Palace

The stone stele was weathered and mottled, its inscriptions worn away by time. Only a few characters remained faintly legible.

It stood as a clear boundary, separating the abyss into two different worlds.

On Jiang Chen’s side, the left, the black water was as it had always been—dark, but normal.

But on the other side of the stele, the right, was another reality entirely. A bone-chilling aura radiated from it, a cold that seemed to seep into the very soul. Vaguely, the silhouettes of crumbling ruins slanted against the abyssal gloom.

The place had clearly been abandoned for ages, exuding an aura of profound decay and antiquity.

After a moment of calculation, Jiang Chen disembarked, sending the Demon Wood Boat across the threshold first.

He waited, senses on high alert. When nothing happened, he finally followed.

It seemed whatever dangers had once lurked here were long gone.

Crossing from left to right was a mere few feet, yet the change was immense.

The moment Jiang Chen stepped back onto the deck of the Demon Wood Boat, he was struck by the absolute quiet. There were no pressure waves from the movement of large fish, no abnormal vibrations—nothing.

The entire area was consumed by a deathly silence.

This place felt even deeper, more profound than the black water behind him. Occasionally, strange, faint lights would flicker in the distance, their source a mystery.

This was his first time here. With no guide, he had no choice but to proceed with caution, one step at a time.

He suppressed his aura, moving like a shadow through the water, determined not to attract any unwanted attention.

As he ventured deeper, he gradually approached the ruins of a large structure. At first glance, it resembled some sort of ancient, sacrificial altar. The ground was a web of cracks, surrounded by thick stone pillars. Chains forged from some unknown metal were draped over them, alongside runes of extreme complexity.

Jiang Chen’s Spirit Sense swept over the scene, imprinting every detail—especially the runes—into his mind. As he mentally pieced them together, his eyes widened. *If I’m not mistaken, these are an extremely ancient type of rune… something like the Celestial Circuit Dragon-Locking Script.*

Forget ordinary rune masters; even an expert like Old Bai couldn’t hope to carve these. The reasons were many, but one critical requirement was that the carver had to be at least at the Nascent Soul realm to possess enough Spiritual Energy to sustain the process. Attempting it without sufficient power would trigger a devastating backlash, one that could even imprison the carver’s own divine soul.

Such a vast area, covered in so many of these runes… it meant the master who carved them was an absolute top-tier existence.

At the very least, a Nascent Soul True Lord.

Just then, Jiang Chen spotted something new: what looked like an entrance on the far side of the altar. He steered the Demon Wood Boat closer, and a shimmering, seven-colored curtain of water materialized before him. Through it, he could faintly make out the shadow of a building.

Patience was a virtue. Instead of rushing in, he retrieved the Hydro Orb and dumped the large fish he’d caught earlier onto the deck. He grabbed one and hurled it toward the iridescent barrier.

With a soft splash, the fish shot straight through.

He had braced for an attack, but nothing happened. The fish swam about safely on the other side, which was also filled with water.

Still, Jiang Chen wasn’t convinced. He continued to toss the other fish from the deck through the curtain, one after another. He repeated the process, a methodical test of the unknown, until his hands were empty.

Only then did he carefully observe the other side. The fish swam to and fro, seemingly curious about their new, unfamiliar surroundings.

Seeing that there was truly no danger, Jiang Chen finally guided the Demon Wood Boat forward. As it entered, the seven-colored water curtain twisted slightly. With a gentle *pop*, man and boat passed through smoothly, arriving on the other side.

The scene that unfolded was one of utter desolation: a dilapidated palace, its halls shattered and walls crumbled.

A crooked plaque hung precariously, bearing three characters written in a powerful, flowing script: Water Spirit Palace.

On the eaves of the building directly ahead, something emitted a soft, white halo.

Jiang Chen glanced at the fish swimming nearby, then telekinetically nudged one toward the glowing object. When it approached without incident, he cautiously moved closer himself.

He soon discovered the source of the light: a milky-white, perfectly round pearl, about three inches in diameter. It pulsed with an incredibly rich water-attribute Spirit Qi. Its surface was covered with fine, wave-like patterns that weren’t carved, but seemed to be real currents of water circulating within the pearl itself.

A jolt of recognition shot through him. *Isn’t this a Water Spirit Pearl?*

When Spirit Qi reached a certain concentration, it would condense into an essence crystal. Over countless years, these crystals would form into Spirit Pearls of various attributes. While they couldn’t grant a cultivator a Spirit Root they didn’t possess, they could significantly amplify the power of a corresponding attribute. The most powerful Spirit Pearls were rumored to offer a one-hundred-percent boost.

This particular Water Spirit Pearl was small, so its amplification wouldn’t be that high. Even so, for a cultivator with a water Spirit Root, its value surpassed even a six-pattern Spirit Weapon.

And here it was, floating all alone, its light blooming for no one to appreciate.

Jiang Chen felt a sudden surge of “empathy” and couldn’t help but speak to it. “You’re masterless. I’m Water-Spirit-Pearl-less. If you’re not going to complain, I suppose we can make this work.”

He paused, then nodded sagely. “Your silence is consent!”

Without further ceremony, he snatched the pearl. The instant his fingers made contact, a torrent of water Spirit Qi tried to drill into his body. He immediately tossed it into his Jade Green Gourd for safekeeping. Once he acquired a water Spirit Root, he would take it out and properly refine it.

Next, he surveyed his surroundings, his Spirit Sense spreading out in tandem. He soon detected another object deep within the palace ruins. Judging from the intensity of the feedback, it was even rarer than the Water Spirit Pearl.

The path was too narrow for the boat, so he had to park the Demon Wood Boat outside. He moved like an eel, slipping through a collapsed gap in the wall.

He arrived in what looked like a grand banquet hall, now littered with the remains of curved-head tables, dining platforms, and stools. The object his Spirit Sense had detected wasn’t here; it was deeper still.

Seeing nothing of immediate value, he pragmatically stored a few of the more intact tables and stools before pressing on.

He followed a half-collapsed corridor to its end. Directly opposite lay a pile of rubble, and though he was still some distance away, he could feel an astonishingly powerful current pulsing from the wreckage, sending visible ripples through the water.

Jiang Chen didn’t hesitate. He activated his max-level Mystic Wood Golden Body Art, layering it with a crimson flame barrier and a final shell of thick, ochre earth before cautiously advancing.

Sure enough, he was immediately struck by the impact of a powerful current. Fortunately, his layers of protection held firm, deflecting the force without issue.

Once he was close enough, he began heaving aside sections of the rubble. His eyes soon fell upon a pocket of water. It wasn’t the murky black water of the abyss, but a sphere of impossibly clear water, like a captured spring.

And suspended at its heart was a single jade slip.