[{"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-521":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},152207,261,"Chapter 521: Threefold Division","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-521",521,"\u003Cp>Before the Five Directions Grand Formation opened, heaven and earth were clamorous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Five Directions Grand Formation opened, absolute silence fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An inverted-bowl-shaped, five-colored light barrier unfurled in midair, firmly enveloping the entire auction ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>East of the light barrier, human cultivators gathered on the city wall of Dui Gate Pass; west of the light barrier, in the dim high sky, Netherworld experts stood in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gazes of both sides were focused inside the central light barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the slaughter inside the Five Directions Grand Formation was a predetermined 'contest' between Netherworld and human realms, compared to previous times, this time obvious problems had emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Netherworld side, the crown prince of the Nether River Clan had been trapped inside the formation—this could be said to be the first 'top-tier' Netherworld figure trapped since spiritual energy recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond that, a host of powerful Netherworld beings, such as the Ghost Chariot, were also quite thoroughly trapped in the formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was similar on the human side; first, there were the dozen or so Chu imperial family members thrown into the formation by Ghost King Su Mingyue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, all the top powers—the holy lands, guardian clans, Taisu Palace, Sanqing Palace, Xiangguo Temple, and so on—had direct-line disciples trapped inside the formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the main crowd trapped within the Five Directions Grand Formation were still cultivators at Core Formation realm (Commandant realm) or below, from both Netherworld and human realms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the city wall of Dui Gate Pass, under the gaze of various cultivators, Chu Junyi expressionlessly walked to Wei Zhenjie's side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhenjie, finding it inappropriate to speak with Chu Junyi publicly, only patted his shoulder with relief, then turned his gaze back to the Five Directions Grand Formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Junyi stood at Wei Zhenjie's side, first using his eyes to reassure Mengzi Yu and the others, then nodded in greeting to the other powers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, he noticed that the monk Jingliao from the Talisman Saint Pavilion kept his eyes tightly fixed on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master Jingliao, do you have any guidance?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, everyone looked at Jingliao, and even Wei Zhenjie turned back to look at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jingliao's expression froze, and he gave a shy smile: \"General Chu Junyi is too serious. This humble monk has no guidance, only...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that a Bodhi prayer bead hanging on the general's sword?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this question, Chu Junyi's right hand gripping the sword suddenly tightened, his eyes blazing brightly as he looked at Jingliao: \"Master Jingliao recognizes this prayer bead bracelet?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jingliao shook his head: \"This humble monk does not recognize it, but Bodhi seeds are rare—especially gold-veined Bodhi seeds, which only condense from Bodhi trees over a hundred thousand years old. That Bodhi prayer bead on the general's sword has exposed gold veins...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a treasure ought to be carefully stored, not used to adorn a sword!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Jingliao's answer, Chu Junyi was clearly somewhat disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He very much wanted to find the owner of the prayer bead bracelet, but unfortunately, he had never found any clues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the preciousness of the prayer bead bracelet, he naturally understood it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason he hung it on his sword was to motivate himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had always felt that his cultivation talent was extremely high, and his cultivation speed was something others could not match, yet the owner of the prayer bead bracelet was even more formidable than him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time he thought he could erase the brand on the prayer bead bracelet, the brand would grow stronger again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he began cultivating, the greatest frustration he had ever felt came from this prayer bead bracelet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, he kept the prayer bead bracelet carefully stored, but this time, because he was in a hurry to 'transform' and leave the auction scene, he hadn't put the bracelet away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Junyi immediately removed the prayer bead bracelet from his sword and tucked it into the Sumeru jade at his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the other cultivators felt a bit envious that even an accessory of Chu Junyi's was a high-grade treasure, they all shifted their gazes and once again focused their attention on the Five Directions Grand Formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Five Directions Grand Formation, once the trapped people realized there was no escape, their first reaction was to gather toward their respective factions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on past experience, although only one person could ultimately survive inside the Five Directions Grand Formation, at the very beginning the Netherworld and the human race would first engage in group battles, and only after one side had won would individual slaughter begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Cangming stood on the side of the Netherworld beings at the first moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, on the west side of the formation, Netherworld beings gathered, turbid qi grim and dense; on the east side of the formation, human cultivators assembled, spiritual light shimmering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the previous few Five Directions Grand Formation slaughters after the auction ended, only these two forces had ever confronted each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this time, an especially striking figure appeared within the formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Netherworld rogue cultivator, who neither stood with the Netherworld faction nor with the human faction, but alone, silently stood between the two sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her figure stood out conspicuously in the confrontation between turbid Qi and spiritual Qi, like a rift tearing through the boundaries of the camps, adding an indescribable strangeness to the already tense situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the tripartite situation within the great formation, neither the Nine Nether experts nor the human realm experts could make heads or tails of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhenjie glanced at his disciple beside him and transmitted his voice: \"What exactly is the situation with that Nine Nether rogue cultivator?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Junyi also found it somewhat difficult to understand the behavior of that Nine Nether rogue cultivator: \"Disciple is not very clear either, only that she has been following me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the various Nine Nether experts and human realm experts were discussing Hua Changxi, inside the great formation, Hua Changxi was frowning as she examined the five flagpoles at the five corners of the formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth — exactly one flagpole per element.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That rogue cultivator, have you been scared stupid? Hurry up and get over here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the Nine Nether camp, a demonic cultivator, seeing Hua Changxi standing still, immediately shouted at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing this, Hua Changxi shifted her gaze from the flagpoles, first looking at the human realm camp, then turning to look at the Nine Nether camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She ignored that demon and instead stared directly at the Nether River male who had been watching her and had tried to capture her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you fixated on me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Cangming could speak, a cultivator from the Nether River clan spoke up: \"How dare you be disrespectful to Crown Prince Cangming!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi raised an eyebrow: \"Cangming... so you are the Crown Prince of the Nether River clan!\" Then she spoke again, \"Why do you keep staring at me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cangming did not answer, but instead asked back with a dark expression: \"Why don't you come over?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi: \"Come over so you can capture me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cangming's mood at this moment was extremely bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For no other reason, after seeing that Hua Changxi refused to stand with the Nine Nether camp, his heart sank to the bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That person really might be a human, just as Yanmo had said!!!\u003C\u002Fp>",1233,"2026-05-29T04:11:04.856Z","2026-06-01T04:29:08.487Z",1,"deepseek-v4-flash","3b82c894172346ad477e58416a4cd2c56b2d7768ea4492b5251f351c760ca615","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-522","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-520",547,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-cover.jpg"]