[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin":3,"chapter-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-372":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The First Iron Rice Bowl of Great Jin",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},152058,261,"Chapter 372: Count Your Blessings","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-372",372,"\u003Cp>\"Ah~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zhixuan encountered the closest brush with death since he began his cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A giant hand appeared out of nowhere, and before they could react, they were all seized. Then, in an instant, the rift valley turned into a cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately after, their bodies plummeted and they were thrown to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Crack~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanied by the sound of breaking bones, He Zhixuan felt his body on the verge of falling apart, but ignoring the excruciating pain, he struggled to look at the person who had attacked them, hoping to find a chance to escape death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the direction from which the giant hand retracted, he saw a red figure that rapidly merged with a somewhat blurry figure from his memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zhixuan's eyes widened and his voice trembled: \"Hua... Hua Jiuniang!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was pondering how to deal with these people when she heard an incredulous soft call. Turning her head, she met He Zhixuan's shocked gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she didn't recognize this person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zhixuan saw a trace of confusion flash in Hua Changxi's indifferent eyes and smiled bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the most talented junior of the Wuyi Marquis Manor, he even had a place among the many prodigies of the capital, yet he left no impression on Hua Jiuniang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zhixuan endured the pain and laboriously sat up straight. He wanted to stand, but the impact his body had suffered was more severe than he imagined, so he could only sit and look up to speak with Hua Jiuniang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wuyi Marquis Manor, He Zhixuan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Hua Changxi was also surprised. She carefully examined He Zhixuan, \"saw\" the tiger totem image within his bloodline, and then showed an expression of recognition: \"So you're that little tiger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back when Fifth Niang had a difficult labor, she had caused a scene at Wuyi Marquis Manor, successively sparring with a small and a large spirit tiger summoned by bloodline power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zhixuan's mouth twitched. Hua Changxi hadn't remembered him as a person, only the bloodline totem of the He family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they were relatives; his life... should be safe, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others with He Zhixuan, after learning that the one who caught them was Hua Changxi, also began to declare their origins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hua... Peak Master, my name is Tang Yuyuan. Tang Yufeng is my cousin. Every time my cousin returns to the Tang family, he mentions you, saying that not only are your medical skills superb, but you also possess a broad and benevolent healer's heart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You must not know how much I admire you. Before this, I always regretted never getting to see you in person.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now the heavens have opened their eyes, finally allowing me to meet the true Buddha. You are even more... even more... perfect than I imagined.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Peak Master Hua, my feelings at this moment simply cannot be expressed in words. I only hate that heaven didn't give me the talent for alchemy or medicine; otherwise, I would surely have joined Danyuan Peak and become your most loyal follower.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, He Zhixuan and the others all looked at Tang Yuyuan in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Yuyuan did not return a single glance, only gazing at Hua Changxi with admiration, as if she were a celestial being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi's mouth twitched, and she did not respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other three Nascent Soul cultivators, after all, were not as uninhibited as Tang Yuyuan. Moreover, they were all older than Hua Changxi and found it hard to swallow their pride, so they only briefly offered some information favorable to their survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Peak Master Hua, I am from the Xingguo Duke Manor. Our Jin Fan often mentions you, saying he really wants to be friends with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Peak Master Hua, I am from the Weiguo Duke Manor. Consort Duan is my cousin. The Seventh Prince who joined your Danyuan Peak is my nephew.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Peak Master Hua, I am from the Yuan family. The Star Observation Tower's Tower Master is my uncle. Every time the Yuan family holds a family meeting, my uncle always instructs that if Peak Master Hua has any needs, the Yuan family must do their utmost to assist.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the other Core Formation cultivators, some were also from these five families, while others were their vassals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at these people with some speechlessness. Good heavens, every single one of them had some relation to her, more or less. How was she supposed to kill them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five Nascent Soul cultivators and thirteen Core Formation cultivators—she certainly couldn't let these people go, but killing them outright seemed a bit of a waste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi glanced at the stone cave behind her. Since they had been captured anyway, they might as well stay here and work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Want to live?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, before the others could respond, Tang Yuyuan nodded frantically: \"Peak Master Hua, the spirit energy recovery has just begun; the Four Spirit Realm still needs us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at this man and thought the Tang family were all quite interesting: \"If you want to live, hand over everything you have on you. No hiding anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remember, I'm only giving you one chance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, He Zhixuan and the other four immediately exchanged glances, while the Core Formation cultivators looked to the five of them for guidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zhixuan glanced at Hua Changxi, recalling how she had effortlessly captured all of them earlier, and wisely took off his storage ring and placed it on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi stared at him with piercing eyes, saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zhixuan met her gaze, felt a pang of fear, hesitated, and then took out the sword he had stored in his dantian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others saw this and, though reluctant, followed suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, only the Nascent Soul cultivator from the Duke of Wei's mansion still kept a jade pendant in his dantian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that this man was not being honest, coldness appeared in Hua Changxi's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he was a Nascent Soul cultivator, and even if he went to mine Nanming Stone, he would generate enough value, so she did not want to kill him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if she did not severely punish this man, he might cause her trouble in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Seeing' the jade pendant in his dantian, she suddenly felt an urge to pull it out and throw it in his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was this impulse to take out the jade pendant that sparked a flash of inspiration in Hua Changxi's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the dantian and the sea of consciousness are within the human body, they are a kind of 'alternate space' that almost no outsider can 'enter' except the cultivator themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, spiritual roots, though growing within the physical body, are different from flesh, bones, organs, and meridians; spiritual roots can only be sensed, not actually touched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spiritual roots were manageable, being superficial, so they could be intervened with spiritual needles to some extent. But for the dantian and sea of consciousness, which were in 'alternate space,' even she, who prided herself on her acupuncture skills, could not insert needles into the dantian or sea of consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly wondered if there were any methods or techniques that could act directly on spiritual roots, dantian, and the sea of consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since unlocking the Qihuang Halls numbers one through nine, Hua Changxi had been occasionally wondering what the contents of halls ten through eighteen taught.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Halls one through nine covered almost all the steps and processes of alchemy, so the remaining halls ten through eighteen seemed unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, she had a different idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that halls ten through eighteen focused on the study of spiritual roots, dantian, and the sea of consciousness?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zhixuan saw that Hua Changxi was staring at Duan Yue from the Duke of Wei's mansion. Recalling the earlier fear, he couldn't help but shoot Duan Yue a look, signaling him not to hide anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yue, also feeling his scalp tingle under Hua Changxi's gaze, hesitated repeatedly and then took out the jade pendant from his dantian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the jade pendant was taken out, it flew into Hua Changxi's hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The jade pendant was a portable cave dwelling, stocked with many things, including one-thought-communication talismans, message talismans, and recording stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at Duan Yue and said, \"You can't see the situation clearly and are not honest at all. If I didn't think your cultivation level was decent, I wouldn't use someone like you at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll keep this jade pendant here. Don't worry, I won't take it for myself, but whether you can get it back depends on whether you can create enough value.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In light of your recent concealment, you will go to the bottom of the cliff to mine Nanming Stone from now on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, He Zhixuan and the others were shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi actually had a way to probe their dantians!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring their reactions, Hua Changxi began to inspect their belongings. After collecting all communication items and suspected communication items, she let He Zhixuan and the others take back the rest of their cultivation resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at them and said, \"Weren't you looking for this blessed cave? From now on, you'll stay here and refine artifacts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having saved their lives, He Zhixuan and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Core Formation cultivator quietly said, \"But we don't know how to refine artifacts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi: \"If you can't, then go to the bottom of the cliff and mine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone: \"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zhixuan thought for a moment and asked, \"How long do you plan to keep us here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi thought for a moment and said, \"Until the day I am strong enough that I no longer need to hide my identity, I will let you go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, He Zhixuan and the others were speechless, all complaining in their hearts: You don't need to hide your identity now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi saw their unwillingness and reluctance and soothed them, saying, \"This is your fate. Meeting me, at least you are alive and still have a future. If you had met someone else, you might already be dead. Count your blessings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zhixuan and the others: \"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1708,"2026-05-29T04:10:48.594Z","2026-06-01T04:29:08.487Z",1,"deepseek-v4-flash","811d914cfe53f2069739621a8cdc1f1121c97e8eefa74c3411813f8465fa33ad","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-373","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-371",547,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-cover.jpg"]