The Eternal Farmer: I Trade My Harvest for Immortality

Chapter 87: Not Just Breaking Even, But a Potential Windfall

Jiang Chen watched the tiny sprout unfurl. *So,* he thought, *the other two identical seeds will also grow into Green Gourds.*

He mentally consulted the *Spirit Farm Encyclopedia*.

An ordinary Green Gourd, cultivated from a single seed, could yield between 8 and 35 fruits. A mature, standard gourd sold for about 50 Low-grade Spirit Stones. A decent, but unremarkable, crop.

However, it had three known mutations.

First, there was the Ladle Gourd. A squat, flattened variety, each plant produced 16 to 33 fruits. A mature one was worth 20 Mid-grade Spirit Stones, but its awkward shape made it unpopular. Even as a mutation, it was a commercial dud.

Second was the Small Gourd, also known as the Mini Gourd. Conveniently portable, a single plant could bear 20 to 66 of them. A mature Mini Gourd was worth 60 Mid-grade Spirit Stones. If refined into a storage artifact, that price jumped to a staggering 300.

Third, the Giant Gourd. As its name suggested, it was enormous, with each plant only producing 3 to 8 fruits. A single mature gourd was worth 200 Mid-grade Spirit Stones. Refined into a storage artifact, it could fetch 700.

But these were just the *known* mutations. Jiang Chen’s Spirit Finger was a wild card; it didn’t follow the rules. It could even cause a mutation to mutate again. There was no telling what kind of gourd he might end up with.

“Might as well plant one and see what happens,” Jiang Chen mused with a slight smile.

While gourds were pricier than Spirit Rice, they weren’t a daily necessity, so there was no point in cultivating them on a large scale. Growing a single plant for a few gourds would be a fun little side project. Other people polished walnuts for amusement; he could polish gourds.

With that decided, Jiang Chen returned to his room and turned his attention to the remaining two seeds. One was an earthy yellow, the other a deep, dark red. Both had reacted sluggishly to his wood-attribute Spirit Qi, indicating they belonged to different elements. What they were, however, would only be revealed by forcing them to sprout.

He followed the same procedure as before, placing both seeds near his companion Green Lotus. He would use the accelerating properties of the Green Lotus Domain to bypass the normal, lengthy cultivation process.

As the minutes ticked by, the air outside grew heavier and hotter.

*Zhi-la-la~ Zhi-la-la~*

The incessant drone of cicadas buzzed through the humid air once more. Da Huang, who had been dozing peacefully under a poplar tree, was jolted awake by the racket. He bared his teeth in annoyance, but his four legs were useless for climbing trees. Defeated, he shot a frustrated look at the canopy before trotting away.

*Gu-gu~*

From her coop, the Pearl Chicken blinked, her expression one of pure schadenfreude.

Inside the house, Jiang Chen let out a long, slow breath. He had poured his Spirit Qi into the process relentlessly, feeling the reserves in his sea of Qi drain away until, finally, the two seeds split open.

The sprouts that emerged were not green. They mirrored the colors of their seeds: one earthy yellow, the other dark red.

He repeated the now-familiar steps, filling two bowls with nutrient-rich black soil. He planted a seed in each and watered them with spring water. This time, it took a full 7 or 8 minutes before the system’s information finally appeared.

The dark red seed:

**[Fire Vine]**

**[Spirit Qi: Weak]**

**[Slightly Damaged]**

The earthy yellow seed:

**[Earth Guide Grass]**

**[Spirit Qi: Weak]**

**[Slightly Damaged]**

Jiang Chen vaguely recalled the Fire Vine from the *Spirit Farm Encyclopedia*. It was a fire-attribute spirit plant with a cultivation time measured in years. A mature vine sold for about 50 Low-grade Spirit Stones, though the price could climb to 80 during shortages.

More importantly, it had three known mutations.

The first was the Blazing Vine, a variant bred for combat. A single mature vine was priced at a hefty 400 Mid-grade Spirit Stones. If refined into a Spirit Weapon, it could easily sell for 800.

The second was the Blazing Spirit Vine, which offered both defense and recovery. While still a fire-attribute plant, it was primarily used to bolster the defenses and healing speed of cultivators with fire Spirit Roots. A mature vine was worth around 500 Mid-grade Spirit Stones—and that was before being refined. As a Spirit Weapon, its price could soar to 900.

The third was the Flame Dragon Vine, a terrifying plant that integrated both offense and defense and contained a trace of dragon aura. It could attack and defend, and its draconic energy gave it a suppressive effect against demonic beasts. Even unrefined, its price reached an astonishing 1,500 Mid-grade Spirit Stones. If forged into the Spirit Weapon known as the [Flame Dragon Whip], even a low-quality version would command 2,500 Mid-grade Spirit Stones.

“Hiss.” Jiang Chen drew a sharp, hissing breath.

Of the five unknown seeds he’d bought at the Green City auction, three were Green Gourds—a slight step up from Spirit Rice. But if any of them mutated, the profit would be immense.

He immediately shifted his focus to the last sprout. He had no memory of [Earth Guide Grass]. The *Spirit Farm Encyclopedia* was a vast tome covering countless species; it was impossible to absorb it all at once, so he usually just skimmed it.

He flipped to the earth-attribute section and began searching. Soon enough, he found the entry for [Earth Guide Grass]. With a sweep of his spiritual sense, the information was branded into his mind.

This plant was most valuable near an Earth Vein. It had the ability to gather trace amounts of earth energy; the more plants there were, the denser the energy became. For cultivators with an earth Spirit Root, it was a useful cultivation aid. A single stalk was worth about 1 Mid-grade Spirit Stone.

Its growth cycle was fascinating. In areas with weak earth energy, it took a month to mature. But in a place rich with it, like an Earth Vein, it could sprout and mature in a single day.

As of now, it had only one known mutation: [Earth Dragon Saliva]. It was a specialized bait used to attract the demonic beast known as the Earth Dragon. Its price was respectable, hovering around 100 Mid-grade Spirit Stones. However, it was subject to market fluctuations. When Earth Dragons were sighted in the Dark Forest outside Green City, the price had once skyrocketed to 200 Mid-grade Spirit Stones, and it was so scarce that any available stock was bought instantly.

A thoughtful look crossed Jiang Chen’s face. *If it’s bait for Earth Dragons, and I add it to my Golden Wine, could it also work on the Dragon Carp in the Black Dragon Pool?*

He had long been intrigued by the legendary fish in the pool but had never found a reliable way to lure them. If this [Earth Guide Grass] could mutate into [Earth Dragon Saliva], he might finally have his chance.

He had spent 33 Mid-grade Spirit Stones on a gamble. Now, it looked like he hadn’t just broken even—he was on the verge of a massive windfall.

Three types of spirit plants. If even *one* of them produced a mutation, he would make a fortune!!!