Farming to Cultivate Immortality – CH1

Chapter 1 – Here Comes Three Acres Land

Xia Yi spent half a day confirming one undeniable fact: he had transmigrated into a novel.

He had been reading two novels simultaneously—one was a newly released fantasy cultivation story, and the other was a two-hundred-chapter farming novel. Based on probability, there was a 50% chance he could have been cultivating immortality, averting a great disaster, and eventually ascending to some heavenly realm.

But no, he transmigrated into the farming novel.

Farming novels come in many varieties. Some involve nation-building and becoming a grand advisor, or perhaps baking cakes and soap and opening chain stores across the land. However, the one Xia Yi had been following was, unfortunately, the most literal kind of farming novel.

Xia Yi had been using it as bedtime reading to help him fall asleep, watching as the protagonist fertilized crops, caught pests, and planted seeds, expanding his three acres of land into ten, then growing it to a hundred acres. It was like following an ongoing agricultural documentary series.

“System, system, come out. I know you’re there,” Xia Yi called out mentally.

[System No. 179 at your service. Host, please receive the storyline now.] a robotic voice echoed in his mind.

Instantly, a flood of information poured into his brain. Xia Yi calmed himself down and slowly filtered through it.

“System, who are those flying around on swords and gourds? What is the Qi Mountain Sect? I’m the son of a governor, living a life of luxury? And now I’m supposed to join Qi Mountain and cultivate immortality?” Xia Yi, noticing the growing absurdity, couldn’t help but snap. “So, not only do I have to farm, but I also have to cultivate immortality?”

[What farming? You just need to cultivate and complete tasks. Why would you be farming?] The system sounded confused.

Xia Yi had a sinking feeling. “Cultivating immortality? Look around you, look at me. Do I look like a governor’s pampered son? Does my outfit scream ‘immortal cultivator’ to you?”

At that moment, Xia Yi was standing on the edge of a field, surrounded by scattered rows of corn. As far as his eye could see, there was nothing but farmland stretching into the distance.

He himself was dressed in tattered clothes, with the legs of his pants reduced to strips of fabric, and his straw shoes had holes, showing his toes. His face was gaunt from hunger, and he was leaning on a stick, holding a bowl in his other hand—essentially the perfect image of a refugee.

Leaning on his stick, Xia Yi said shakily, “You better figure out what’s going on here, fast.” His voice trembled from hunger.

[Please wait, host. I’ll check right away and see what the issue is.] The system sounded a little panicked.

Xia Yi began staggering toward a village in the distance. After just a few steps, cold sweat poured down his face, and his vision blurred. He was already on the verge of collapse.

The farming novel he had been reading told the story of a protagonist who fled to this place and eventually started a diligent life of reclaiming wasteland and farming.

[Host, are you still there?] the system’s voice broke in. [I’ve checked. Due to a bug in the main system, the timelines have gotten mixed up, and data transmission from both worlds was corrupted. While you’ve transmigrated into the farming world, you’ve still got the cultivation system.]

Xia Yi thought for a moment and said, “Well, shouldn’t you fix the error, or send me back if you can’t?”

After a pause, the system replied, [The data is too vast. Although the bug is fixed, the result cannot be changed. So, host, you’ll have to stay in this world. But your tasks will still be issued by me, System No. 179, and they’ll involve cultivation.]

Xia Yi was stunned but had no choice but to compromise. “Can I at least go to the cultivation world?”

The system replied, “Host, everything is already set. If you complete all the tasks, you’ll be able to choose which world to go to.”

Wiping his cold sweat, Xia Yi sighed, “Fine. Then hurry up and issue a task. What do I need to plant? I also need to find something to eat first.”

[Host, here is your first task: Join the Sect Successfully.]

[Task Description: Join the Qi Mountain Sect and become a disciple of the Sect Leader.]

[Completion: 0/1]

[Reward: Beginner’s Gift Pack]

“How am I supposed to join a sect and cultivate in a farming novel? Where do I even find this Qi Mountain Sect? I’m going to report you for this!” Xia Yi suspected the system might have a virus.

[Host, after discussions with the main system, you can complete cultivation tasks by farming in this world. For example, if you plant three acres of potatoes and complete a beginner task in the farming world, it will also count as completing the corresponding beginner task in the cultivation world.] the system explained, its robotic tone laced with tension.

“I’ve never farmed before! I don’t know how! I won’t be able to complete the tasks!” Xia Yi, growing frustrated, felt another wave of dizziness and nearly collapsed. “Get me some food first.”

The system quickly responded, [Host, 50 meters to your right, there’s a cornfield. As an excellent cultivation system, I can scan up to 500 meters around you. There’s no one nearby, so you can grab some corn and survive this immediate crisis.]

Xia Yi had no energy to deal with the system at the moment. Trembling, he took a couple of steps toward the cornfield before his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

Just before losing consciousness, he heard the panicked voice of System 179: [Host, you can’t pass out now!]

…

Xia Yi slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying on a bed. Looking around, he noticed that the room was very simple. Besides the bed he lay on, there was only a wooden cabinet in the corner.

‘179, where am I?’ Xia Yi asked in his mind, still confused.

[You were rescued. The person who saved you is about to come in.] 179 replied.

With a creak, the wooden door swung open.

Bathed in the warm, orange glow of the sunlight, a tall man’s silhouette stood at the door.

He took a few steps inside, and upon seeing that Xia Yi was awake, he paused briefly before speaking in a deep, magnetic voice, “You’re awake? Come and eat something.”

The man walked over to the bed, carrying a large, rough ceramic bowl.

From the moment Xia Yi first laid eyes on him, his mind blanked out. His gaze was completely locked on that bowl.

When the man approached the bedside, Xia Yi somehow found the strength to sit up in one swift motion and reached out to grab the bowl.

“Easy, take it slow,” the man said, his deep voice calm as he caught Xia Yi’s outstretched hand in midair with his own large, well-defined fingers.

He then brought the bowl closer to Xia Yi.

The rich aroma of millet porridge hit Xia Yi’s nose, and his stomach churned with hunger as his mouth began to water uncontrollably.

Inside the bowl was a thick, steaming porridge, topped with bits of salted vegetables. Xia Yi quickly grabbed the chopsticks resting on the side of the bowl and began shoveling the porridge into his mouth, then lifted the bowl and gulped it down eagerly.

When he was about to scrape the last grain of rice from the bowl, the man took the empty bowl from his hands.

Licking his lips with a sense of unfinished satisfaction, Xia Yi finally looked up at his savior.

The man was tall and muscular, with deep-set, handsome features. He wore a simple dark blue cloth outfit, but if it were replaced with something more fashionable, he could easily pass for a model straight out of a magazine.

Feeling grateful, Xia Yi carefully chose his words and said earnestly to the man, “Brother, though words can’t fully express my gratitude, I owe you my life today. One day, I will repay this debt.”

Xia Yi thought he had spoken gracefully, and in a way that sounded appropriately ancient. But to his surprise, the man simply gave him a strange look before silently taking the empty bowl and walking out of the room.

‘179, did I say something wrong?’ Xia Yi asked nervously.

[Don’t worry about it. I don’t think it’s worth overthinking at this moment.] 179’s flat mechanical voice replied.

Feeling more energetic after eating, Xia Yi decided he couldn’t stay lying in bed any longer. He got up, pushed the door open, and stepped outside.

The place was a small courtyard, modest but neat and tidy. Several buildings with red brick and green tiles surrounded it, and in one corner of the yard, there were some farming tools, suggesting the household was doing fairly well.

Gazing at the distant mountain range and the fields at the foot of the hills, Xia Yi took a deep breath. ‘179, I can smell the scent of nature—fresh and soothing.’

[And the scent of farming] 179 reminded him.

At that moment, the man emerged from the kitchen and, with a calm expression, said to Xia Yi, “Come over here.”

Without another word, he turned and walked toward the main house. Xia Yi quickly followed him.

Inside, the man sat down at the table and placed a worn-out little bundle on it. “You were found collapsed by the roadside by Aunt Si, who brought you here. She found this travel pass and household registry in your bundle, so she sent you to me. You’re looking for your aunt, aren’t you?”

Xia Yi was internally bewildered, but he wisely refrained from answering yes or no. Instead, he made a serious face, pretending to listen and reflect on the situation.

He had perfected this look during his school days, when he couldn’t answer his teachers’ questions.

The man frowned in thought for a while before continuing, “Your aunt was my stepmother. She passed away last year.”

With that, he looked at Xia Yi, carefully observing his expression.

Xia Yi was still lost in thought, maintaining his serious, innocent expression. Only when he realized the man had been silently staring at him did he snap out of it.

He quickly lowered his head, putting on a mournful expression.

The man nodded slightly before saying, “I know it’s not easy for a young man like you to travel such a long way. Since you’re my stepmother’s nephew, you can stay in the old house my father left behind at the edge of the village.”

“The land we rented out includes three acres. After the harvest, you can reclaim half an acre to start farming.”

There it was—the three acres finally made their appearance.