[{"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-64":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},151750,261,"Chapter 64: First Kill","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-64",64,"\u003Cp>Hua Changxi didn’t rush into the stone cave to confront Zhuo Fan; instead, she quietly went down West Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could certainly stand on the moral high ground and vent her emotions at Zhuo Fan, but what then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was alone and couldn’t guard the Fire Spirit Mine every moment. She needed the power of Old You’s group to take over the mine. On that point, she couldn’t afford to fall out with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the cooperation had to continue, it was best if their relationship didn’t become too strained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this kind of cooperation left her feeling deeply suppressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly she had the advantage, but now she was the one on the defensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What exactly had she done wrong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of sincerity for the cooperation, she had given them the Creation Pill in advance, allowing them to shape their spiritual roots and take the first step toward becoming cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of profit distribution, she had given them forty percent of the Fire Spirit Mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, Old You’s four provided more manpower, but if outsiders really came to seize the mine, they would only rush to the front to shout and bicker; the one who truly decided the mine’s fate was still her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On that point, she felt she hadn’t taken advantage of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of combat power, she was definitely far stronger than Old You’s four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But relying on that alone didn’t seem to restrain them. They didn’t dare to clash with her head-on, but they had plenty of secret schemes—one moment wanting to freeload cultivation techniques, the next bringing in outsiders, endlessly annoying her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi felt like tearing her hair out. She thought the cooperation was perfectly fair, but Old You’s four were still dissatisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she thought of Eunuch Yu and Eunuch Lu. In the cooperation to refine pills, she had also dealt with them on fair principles, but in the end, Eunuch Yu tried to make trouble for her, and Eunuch Lu directly used his authority to punish her by sending her to the Herb Manor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both cooperations ended unsatisfactorily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi knew that while greed played a part, there was definitely something she had done wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did I do wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was a bit irritated. She relied on her technical skills to get by; when it came to the twists and turns of human relations, she felt truly helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She still had to find the reason so that next time she cooperated with others, she wouldn’t be so passive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning to Herb Valley, as usual, Hua Changxi made a round in front of the other menial workers to let them know she was properly watching the herb fields, then went back to her lodging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since she stayed in Herb Valley, apart from chatting with Guo Yu occasionally, she spent most of her time cultivating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Qi Training and Qi Sea stages, absorbing spiritual energy led to visible increases in cultivation. This kind of immediate reward made cultivation somewhat addictive for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So even cultivating for eleven hours a day, she did it with relish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, spending time cultivating without any increase in realm not only frustrated her but also severely dampened her enthusiasm for cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This state was wrong; she had to correct it quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi lay down on the bed, closed her eyes, and forced herself into cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as she entered the cultivation state, she “saw” the red inner core floating above her Qi Sea. At that moment, the inner core was wobbling left and right, trembling up and down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the inner core, Hua Changxi was stunned for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was nothing unusual—except for the first half month after advancing to the Core Formation stage, when she would see the inner core during cultivation; the rest of the time, she never knew where the inner core had gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, while cultivating in the Fire Spirit Mine, she hadn’t seen the inner core. Unexpectedly, when she returned to Herb Valley to cultivate, it appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is this inner core so elusive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi suddenly paused. Could the disappearance and appearance of the inner core have some special reason?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She immediately began recalling what happened today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference from an ordinary day was that Old You’s four had returned, and she heard that Zhuo Fan had brought in outsiders, which made her extremely angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, did the inner core appear because she was angry?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coming to such an absurd conclusion, Hua Changxi laughed at herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughing aside, the problem of her cultivation not improving had to be solved quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi calmed her mind and began operating the Little Bird Breathing and Spitting Technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi keenly noticed that as soon as she began the breathing technique, fire spiritual Qi drifted out from her Qi Sea and quickly vanished into her inner core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Slap!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi opened her eyes from cultivation and quickly slapped herself on the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could she be so stupid? In the Qi Sea stage, realm advancement happened because the Qi Sea expanded; now that she was at the Core Formation stage, to advance her realm, she naturally needed to make her inner core bigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why hadn't she thought of such a simple principle before?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi now seemed to understand a little why her realm wasn't improving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, when she cultivated, her inner core would run off somewhere, and all the absorbed spiritual Qi would merge into her Qi Sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the inner core didn't absorb spiritual Qi, how could it grow?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the inner core didn't grow, of course her cultivation couldn't advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, to improve her cultivation, the inner core had to be present every time she cultivated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a new problem arose: why did the inner core run away?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was truly perplexed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, after advancing to the Core Formation stage, she had become aware that cultivation at this stage was different from the Qi Refining and Qi Sea stages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, during the Qi Refining stage, she just had to follow the frequency and rhythm of the little bird's breathing in her mind, and she could absorb external spiritual Qi into her body, gradually increasing her cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Qi Sea stage, the cultivation state was actually similar to the Qi Refining stage. The only difference was that she could 'internally observe' her dantian and watch the Qi Sea gradually expand as it absorbed more and more spiritual Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she reached the Core Formation stage, she discovered that as soon as she entered the cultivation state, her consciousness would completely 'enter' her Qi Sea, as if her entire self had gone inside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Qi Sea stage, she was delighted to see the Qi Sea grow; now that she was inside the Qi Sea, she felt utterly hopeless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qi Sea was too vast; she was like a speck of dust inside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this state, if the inner core also ran around randomly, it was really hard for her to find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, the inner core had appeared on its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could the inner core really have been angered into showing up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this possibility, Hua Changxi hurriedly shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absolutely not, the inner core couldn't have a masochistic tendency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Definitely not the reason!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi then sighed in frustration, but what if it was?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was really getting annoyed, but since the inner core had come out, she had better seize the time to cultivate, or else, if it ran off again, she would be completely lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, for the next ten days, the inner core stayed put. Hua Changxi cultivated every second she could, and her realm finally improved a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Realm: Core Formation Stage 1.57 million \u002F 10 million]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, starting from the eleventh day, perhaps because her anger at Zhuo Fan had mostly subsided, the inner core disappeared again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To test whether the inner core was brought out by anger, knowing that You Laosi was in a stone cave guiding Qi into his body, Hua Changxi deliberately went to pick a fight, intentionally provoking Zhuo Fan and trading insults with him for most of the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn't work!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inner core didn't appear!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell is going on?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without anyone to discuss it with, she really couldn't figure out the problem on her own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi suddenly remembered the news Zhuo Fan had mentioned earlier, that various factions were gathering at Wuzhi Mountain in Qingzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I suppose many cultivators will go?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had hit a bottleneck in her cultivation, and working behind closed doors would only lead her into a dead end. She needed to go out and see the world, observe what other cultivators were like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she could meet one or two cultivators with compatible views, that would be even better, so they could exchange cultivation insights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, Hua Changxi immediately wanted to head straight for Qingzhou, but before leaving, she first went to find Guo Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? You're going into seclusion?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm, I've hit a bottleneck in my cultivation. I need to go into seclusion and make a breakthrough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How long will you be in seclusion?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know. Maybe ten days, maybe longer. Anyway, until I come out, don't let you or Old You and the others disturb me. If anyone asks where I've gone, cover for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing with Guo Yu, Hua Changxi ignored his reaction and flew straight toward the Southern Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was well aware that Old You's group of four and Guo Yu definitely did not want her to go into seclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Yu wanted to become a cultivator and kept hanging around her. Unable to offer anything of equal value in exchange, he could only hope to grow closer to her so that, out of goodwill, she might give him a Creation Pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Old You and his four, they had never managed to guide qi into their bodies, and they also wanted her guidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After learning that Zhuo Fan had brought outsiders in, Hua Changxi no longer wished to deepen her ties with them. The only reason she now tolerated them was because of the Fire Spirit Mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After circling the Rift Valley, Hua Changxi quietly left the Medicine Valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after flying out of the Medicine Valley, as she passed through a mountain valley, Hua Changxi spotted a herd of cattle stampeding at full speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a thin figure appeared among the cattle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thin figure kept leaping over the herd, reaching the front, then with a nimble somersault jumped onto the lead bull at the very front. Stretching out both hands, he grabbed the horns and, like pulling a brake, forcibly brought the lead bull to a gradual stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the lead bull stopped, the cattle behind also slowly came to a halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The valley fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A'niu!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recognizing who it was, Hua Changxi was thoroughly surprised. The youth looked so scrawny, yet his strength was unexpectedly enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the nearly two-meter-tall lead bull, Hua Changxi's eyelid twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could a normal person stop a charging giant bull like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at A'niu again. At that moment, he was sitting steadily on the lead bull's back, holding a bamboo flute and playing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flute melody was melodious, lingering endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This lung capacity... impressive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just gone through the fierce act of stopping the lead bull, and then he could immediately play the flute...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cultivator?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi shook her head. He didn't look like one. Then, the figure of Xu Ling emerged in her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Atavism?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because A'niu worked in the livestock yard of the Three-Pronged Medicine Village, and Hua Changxi didn't want others to know she had left the Medicine Valley, she did not go over to ask. She thought to herself that after she returned from Qingzhou, she would come and probe A'niu's situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worried about her stagnant cultivation, Hua Changxi had no mood to enjoy the scenery along the way. Traveling without rest, she arrived in Qingzhou after a day and a night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as she entered Qingzhou territory, she found that many people were talking about the Five Finger Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have you heard? The Qingzhou army has already headed to Five Finger Mountain, led by the Prince of Dong'an himself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What exactly is going on at Five Finger Mountain? Since July, so many martial artists have come to Qingzhou, all heading to Five Finger Mountain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What else could it be? It must be those martial artists fighting over territory again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This time it's more serious—even the Qingzhou army has been mobilized.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I really don't know what those martial artists see in Five Finger Mountain. That mountain is eerie—once you go in, you never come out. And yet they're risking their lives to fight over it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They've got nothing better to do. If the martial artists don't come out to fight, how else can they show off their skills?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who said these things were all ordinary people; they thought that over at Five Finger Mountain, it was a brawl caused by martial artists fighting for territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time Hua Changxi reached Anyang Prefecture, the prefectural city closest to Five Finger Mountain, although there were the most martial artists, the streets were also filled with figures of Daoist priests and Buddhist monks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The people from Tai Su Palace, Sanqing Palace, Demon Suppression Division, Shura Gate, and some ancient aristocratic families have all been fighting fiercely at Five Finger Mountain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This has been going on for almost three months now. It's been so long—why is there still no resolution?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At first, the Demon Suppression Bureau, relying on its status as the court's representative, tried to forcefully occupy Five Finger Mountain. The Tai Su Palace and Three Pure Palace were reluctant to contend, and the Demon Suppression Bureau nearly succeeded. But then the Asura Sect suddenly jumped in. Later, some old aristocratic families also joined the fray, making the situation even more chaotic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard that immortal fruits have appeared on Five Finger Mountain; mortals who eat them can become immortals. Is that true or false?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who knows? Some say it's a spirit fruit, some say it's a divine fruit, and others say it's a spiritual treasure. Anyway, there's all kinds of talk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although the information is chaotic, the fact that Five Finger Mountain has attracted so many factions to contend for it means the claim of it being a cave heaven or blessed land is most likely true.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alas, even if it is a cave heaven or blessed land, what does it matter? With those major powers around, ordinary people like us can only stare helplessly. We can't get involved.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What these people were discussing were matters unknown to common folk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi did not linger in the city. He bought some dry rations and headed straight for Five Finger Mountain. Before long, he saw the mountain with its overlapping peaks shaped like five fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the official road leading to Five Finger Mountain, the Qingzhou Army, armed and armored, had blocked the intersection, not allowing anyone to approach the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Swish~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some soldiers felt something flash past their field of vision and immediately reported to the leading general: \"General, someone has entered Five Finger Mountain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing this, the general said: \"...You're seeing things. Remember, our mission is to guard the intersection and prevent ordinary people from entering or leaving.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone who could leap past their guarded intersection in the blink of an eye was not an ordinary person; they were not under their jurisdiction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The general looked toward Five Finger Mountain, his expression somewhat grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn't the Demon Suppression Bureau of the Heaven Division supposed to be invincible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of Five Finger Mountain, all factions had gathered. It had been almost three months of tug-of-war, and the Demon Suppression Bureau still hadn't secured it. They had even forced the prince to personally intervene. What kind of invincible was that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rumble~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, dust suddenly billowed as a mountain collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing this, many of the Qingzhou Army soldiers' expressions changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They're fighting again. Is there no end to this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General, there are quite a few villages around Five Finger Mountain. Those people have no restraint and don't avoid civilians when fighting. If this continues, how many villages will be completely annihilated?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The general was also furious, but after venting his anger, he could only sigh helplessly: \"The clashes within Five Finger Mountain are not something we can participate in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fortunately, the prince sent people early to notify the villages at the foot of the mountain to evacuate immediately. Those who didn't leave can only blame their bad luck.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Thumb Village, the siblings An Ze and An Ran led a group of young people, constantly rescuing injured villagers from houses collapsed by rocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the village, two cultivators were engaged in fierce combat. Spiritual energy continuously shot from their hands. Everywhere they passed, the mountain was destroyed beyond recognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mountain face directly facing the village was blasted apart, and rolling rocks surged toward Thumb Village like a tidal wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No! Everyone, run!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rocks slid down too fast; many couldn't escape in time. An Ze and An Ran slowed down to protect several children. As the rocks were about to crush them, everyone felt both despair and resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whoosh~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scorching blast of air suddenly struck, and then the villagers of Thumb Mountain saw the rapidly sliding rocks fly backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately after, two red fire lotuses descended from the sky, growing larger from afar, and directly enveloped the two people fighting on the back mountain of Thumb Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, a horrifying scene appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames 'shua' burst out on the two fighters. They had just let out a scream when the flames engulfed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, the fire lotuses disappeared, and those two people... also vanished, as if they had never existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The villagers of Thumb Mountain stared dumbfounded at this sight, and the Qingzhou Army soldiers blocking the road in the distance were equally dumbstruck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, some elders of Five Finger Mountain suddenly began kowtowing toward the mountain: \"The mountain spirit has shown itself! The mountain spirit has shown itself!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",3056,"2026-05-29T04:10:26.746Z","2026-06-01T04:29:08.487Z",1,"deepseek-v4-flash","5323e2f60f116a660df09475a009ba931c471152a1e7022bafe7b64577c97cd1","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-65","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-63",547,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-cover.jpg"]