The Immortal Commoner: Sowing Chaos

Chen Feng hummed tunelessly as he hacked away at a tree trunk with a crystal axe. After 5 days living in the fruitful plant cavern, he had settled into a simple routine.

This place was crazy fertile. Anything he harvested seemed to grow back overnight. Never-ending resources! Still, chopping wood and carrying it back for projects was tedious.

But oddly enough, Chen Feng didn't really get tired anymore. He could work for hours without fatigue. Must be this dense spirit qi energizing his immortal bod. Pretty sweet perk. Though sleep still came easy at the end of the day.

Today's project was a makeshift table. Meals on the floor were fine for a while, but Chen Feng was craving some furniture. He had already sculpted a rickety chair from woven vines and crystal shards. Now for a table to complete the lavish dining set.

Chen Feng smiled wryly, imagining how his cultivator peers would mock his shabby DIY creations. Not like he could order hand-carved furniture on Amazon down here. Immortals can't be choosers.

After many whacks of the axe, Chen Feng had a sizeable pile of wooden planks. Whistling cheerily, he hauled them back to his cave dwelling, ready to assemble his table over another endless day in his subterranean abode.

After dropping off the wooden planks, Chen Feng stretched and decided he had earned a little break. He strolled through the plant cavern, munching on juicy berries along the way. The spirit qi here kept him oddly full; he could go days without feeling hungry. One less mortal need to worry about.

As Chen Feng wandered, he pondered his situation. He had adjusted to his new immortal life fairly quickly. But truthfully, it was a lonely existence down here. He missed human interactions and relationships, even simple conversations.

Chen Feng sighed, plopping down on a rock ledge overlooking an underground lake. Its crystal clear waters rippled gently. For a moment, he thought he saw a shadowy face looking back at him from below the surface.

He shook his head. "I must be going crazy already, seeing things..." Chen Feng muttered. Talking to himself was becoming a normal activity these days in the absence of company.

Shaking off his melancholy, Chen Feng stood and stretched. He headed back to continue working on his table. No use moping about isolation. He had an endless stretch of immortal years ahead; might as well stay busy.

Whistling a jaunty tune, Chen Feng returned to carving wooden legs for his table, feeling content again in his strange new life.

After some time, Chen Feng put the finishing touches on his handcrafted wooden table. He stood back admiring it proudly. A bit uneven on one side, but otherwise sturdy enough for underground immortal living.

Chen Feng moved the table to a cleared space beside his makeshift bed. There, the perfect spot for enjoying meals in style. He mimed eating imaginary dishes atop his new furniture.

"Mmm, yes, exquisite feast today of foraged mushrooms and cave moss," Chen Feng narrated dramatically. He chuckled at his antics, then decided a nice swim would make for a good break after the woodworking.

Chen Feng strolled over to the underground lake, peeling off his shirt. He dipped a toe in the cool water. Invigorating! With a running start, he leapt into the deep pond, submerging himself completely.

As Chen Feng enjoyed the refreshing swim, his mind wandered. Back to wondering about the strange shadowed face he thought he'd seen here days before. Just a trick of the light? Or something more...

He shook his head, surfacing from the water. "Don't go imagining things now," Chen Feng scolded himself. With a contented sigh, he paddled around the still pond, letting his concerns float away.

After a lengthy swim, Chen Feng hauled himself back onto the rocky shore. He glanced down at his tattered garments - the only set of clothing he still possessed after his cliff fall and transmigration. They were more holes than fabric at this point.

Chen Feng sighed. An immortal he may be, but traipsing around stark naked still didn't appeal. He had to fashion some new attire.

He pondered options as he wrung water from his ragged pants. Leafy vines could be woven into a crude tunic perhaps. Or he could weave long grasses into a makeshift robe. Chen Feng made a mental note to start gathering suitable plant materials.

For now, he resigned himself to waiting for his damp clothes to dry before returning to his shelter. Chen Feng stretched out atop a sun-warmed boulder, closing his eyes. The tranquil setting soon lulled him into an afternoon nap.

When Chen Feng awoke, the sun had moved across the cavern ceiling. His clothing was dry enough to wear. Donning the frayed garments, he set off to forage for replacement materials. He murmured wryly, "Immortality sure doesn't make one immune to wardrobe malfunctions."

After weaving together enough vines and grasses to fashion a simple loincloth, Chen Feng had covered his most vital areas. It wasn't high fashion, but would suffice for now.

His curiosity nagged at him - just how indestructible was this immortal body of his? He had healed from mortal wounds before, but wanted to test the extent of his abilities.

Chen Feng glanced at the sharp crystal dagger he kept by his bedside. That would do nicely for some experimentation.

Wincing in anticipation, he carefully dragged the crystal blade across his forearm. A stinging cut appeared, blood welling up. But before Chen Feng's eyes, the wound rapidly closed itself until the skin was smooth once more.

Emboldened, he stabbed down hard into his thigh. Again, fiery pain followed by instant healing. Chen Feng chuckled. It seemed no injury could leave a lasting mark.

He wondered just how far he could go. Did he even need vital organs?

Filled with daring after his initial tests, Chen Feng twirled the crystal dagger in his hand. What would happen if he pierced something truly vital? There was only one way to find out.

With slightly trembling hands, Chen Feng slowly positioned the dagger tip over his heart. This was definitely crazy, but morbid curiosity compelled him.

Taking a deep breath, he swiftly plunged the blade into his chest. Agonizing pain exploded through Chen Feng's body. He choked, dropping to his knees as his mouth filled with hot blood.

Clutching the embedded dagger, Chen Feng's vision darkened at the edges. His immortal heart struggled valiantly against the mortal blow. After an excruciating minute, the pain began to subside.

Coughing blood, Chen Feng dislodged the gory blade from his rapidly closing wound. Within moments, it was as if he had never inflicted the gruesome injury at all.

Chen Feng laughed weakly. Clearly there were no limits to his resurrective capabilities. He made a mental note to avoid any more unnecessary suicide attempts. Better ways to spend immortality than continuously killing himself.

After satiating his masochistic curiosity for now, Chen Feng gathered his crystal dagger and makeshift spear to venture out exploring. There were surely more fascinating sights to discover in this subterranean labyrinth.

As he walked, Chen Feng muttered aloud to himself, "Maybe I'll find a nice hot spring down here to soak in. Or a gemstone treasure trove would be even better!"

He smiled wryly, marking the cave walls with little arrows to track his path. Talking to himself might be weird, but it beat only hearing silence day after day.

"Though I guess I could be like one of those meditating hermits, seeking enlightenment through solitude," Chen Feng mused. He shook his head with a snort. "Nah, I'd go crazy in a week."

The tunnels stretched on monotonously. Chen Feng occupied himself by thinking of the baffled reactions from the cultivators up above if they knew he was down here immortal and thriving. That amused him to no end.

"Just you wait, I'll find a way to shock them all someday," Chen Feng chuckled to himself. For now, he focused on navigating the subterranean maze, trusting striking opportunity would come in the endless time ahead.

After what felt like hours of walking, Chen Feng was growing bored of the similar scenery. Just rocky tunnels branching into more rocky tunnels. He paused, considering turning back.

Then a faint glow up ahead caught his eye. Chen Feng hurried towards it until the tunnel opened up into a massive glittering cavern. His eyes widened. "Woah..."

It was a breathtaking geode chamber, lined with amethyst crystals glinting in the dim light. Chen Feng walked among the towering crystalline structures, marveling at their beauty. This was easily the most spectacular place he had encountered so far beneath the earth.

As he explored, Chen Feng's mind turned philosophical. "We view the surface world as everything, while oblivious to these hidden wonders below ground."

He trailed a hand along the smooth facets of a gigantic amethyst cluster. "Yet this geode rivals any palace in magnificence. My eyes are now open to earth's secrets."

Energized by his discoveries, Chen Feng carved a marking on the cavern wall before departing. There was much yet to explore in this subterranean realm. And an immortal had all the time needed to uncover its treasures.

After what felt like a week of wandering the cave tunnels, Chen Feng happily returned to the lush plant cavern he called home. Time was hard to judge without the sun, but his internal clock sensed days had passed.

Chen Feng went to his "map area" - a bare cavern wall he used to sketch out notable locations. First he added the breathtaking geode chamber, using a crystal to scratch a simple map.

He stepped back, visualizing the subterranean network in his mind's eye. Somehow down here, his memory and cognition felt sharper than ever before.

Back on the surface Chen Feng had been rather slow-witted. But now his mental faculties grew more powerful by the day. An unexpected boon, perhaps due to the dense spirit qi enveloping him.

Chen Feng smiled, returning to his humble dwelling. The environment may be unusual, but this strange immortal existence was really starting to grow on him. He looked forward to uncovering more of the cave system's secrets, his lonely wanderings now having greater purpose.