[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl":3,"chapter-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-274":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Great Jin's Most Iron Rice Bowl",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1897048,2531,"Chapter 274: The Intrusion of Outside Cultivators","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-274",274,"\u003Cp>Hua Changxi saw Director Gu remain silent, observed that the others holding the Qihuang Tokens were lost in thought, and then swept her gaze around the rest of the hall; where was the schadenfreude from before, or that arrogance of having her completely figured out?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let us begin the lesson!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone present possesses a foundation in medical arts and pill refining, so I shall proceed quickly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The contents of the \"Comprehensive Guide to Processing Grade-One Spirit Plants\" were undoubtedly basic to those present; Hua Changxi did not probe their processing skills but began lecturing at the pace she used for apprentices in the Danyuan Secret Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In past lectures, Hua Changxi would interact with her students, mindful of their level of comprehension, but today she immersed herself solely in organizing and consolidating her knowledge of Grade-One spirit herb processing techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she paid no heed to her audience, the speed of her lecture was extraordinarily fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Hua Changxi lectured above with self-forgetting fervor, most of those seated below listened with little engagement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could not be helped; Hua Changxi's earlier challenge to Director Gu had unsettled many minds, especially those of the eight hall masters who had received the Qihuang Tokens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the secret realm masters of the Spirit Realm Pavilion found their thoughts wandering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If those who obtained the Qihuang Tokens could not hold their positions as hall masters, what of them, the secret realm masters? Could they continue to possess their secret realms indefinitely?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Hua Changxi, who lectured with undivided attention, the hall masters of the Qihuang Halls and the secret realm masters alike confronted a problem they had overlooked: in their daily pursuit of power, they had neglected the corresponding responsibilities they ought to bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among those present, only Gu Xing was likely pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized that Hua Changxi had begun to actively influence others' thoughts and manipulate their actions, and she was remarkably adept at seizing people's vital weaknesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He too disapproved of the Qihuang Hall masters merely occupying positions without working, and the secret realm masters taking benefits without assuming responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By directly pointing out today that Director Gu could not hold his position as hall master, Hua Changxi had sounded a warning bell for all the hall masters and secret realm masters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Grade-One spirit herbs came in many varieties, they could all be categorized; Hua Changxi explained the processing methods and techniques by category, completing the theoretical portion of the \"Comprehensive Guide to Processing Grade-One Spirit Herbs\" within a single morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With the theory concluded, we shall now begin discussing how to perform the processing practically.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"None of you present lack a foundation, so we shall not follow conventional teaching methods. Instead, please take out a Grade-One spirit herb you do not know how to process, and I will guide you through its processing right here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, everyone present felt some surprise, and soon they began discussing among themselves in small groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Ziyang whispered to Meng Qingyao, Dongfang Hao, and the others, \"Hua Changxi is trying to take this opportunity to test our strength.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Dongfang Xu smiled and said, \"If she wishes to test us, we can also take this chance to test her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Nianyi, knowing that Meng Yuchuan deeply disliked Hua Changxi for stealing the spotlight from his younger sister, sought to cater to his preferences and whispered with a smile, \"Brother Meng, I have a way to make her lose face.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spoken, she produced a rare Grade-One spirit plant emitting a faint purple glow and looked at Hua Changxi with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wonder if Hall Master Hua can process this spirit herb?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Jiang Nianyi produced the spirit herb, everyone's eyes turned toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What spirit herb is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most people in the hall did not recognize this spirit plant; even Xia Zhen frowned tightly, clearly having never seen such an herb before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi narrowed her eyes as she looked at the spirit plant, then gazed at Jiang Nianyi: \"Who are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Nianyi had been reveling in the fact that no one recognized the spirit herb in her hand, but upon hearing Hua Changxi's question, her expression instantly stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was, after all, a alchemy genius selected by the Dao-Protecting family; having been at the Medical Bureau for so long, how could Hua Changxi still not know who she was!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Nianyi took a deep breath and forced a smile: \"I am a member of the Jiang clan of Jizhou, Jiang Nianyi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi's eyes flickered as images surfaced in her mind: the Jiang brothers who had tried to seize the mountain spirits in Mount Wuzhi only to be killed by her in return, and the old man Jiang whose flesh she had burned to ashes, leaving only his Nascent Soul to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was from the old man Jiang's storage equipment that she had retrieved the \"Records of Qianyuan Travels,\" through which she learned that cultivators from the outside world had already infiltrated the Four Spirit Realms long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, it is the Jiang clan of Jizhou!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the slightly nostalgic tone in Hua Changxi's voice, Jiang Nianyi looked confused: \"Hall Master Hua... knows the Jiang clan of Jizhou?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled: \"Far more than know; I share a significant connection with the Jiang clan of Jizhou. When I first embarked on the path of cultivation, I knew a certain Elder Jiang who helped me greatly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Nianyi was truly astonished; she had never expected Hua Changxi to have any connection with the Jiang clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was she surprised; others were equally shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Nianyi cautiously tested the waters: \"The Jiang clan has many members; may I ask which elder Hall Master Hua is referring to?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi shook her head: \"I do not know; he did not leave his name at the time. I only know his surname was Jiang.\" She paused, then fixed her gaze on the spirit plant glowing with faint purple light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Jiang clan of Jizhou truly possesses profound foundations, to even possess Purple Star Firefly Grass, which grows only in the starry void.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Hua Changxi recognized the Purple Star Firefly Grass, Jiang Nianyi was even more shocked than when Hua Changxi had claimed knowledge of the Jiang clansmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled at Jiang Nianyi: \"Although this Purple Star Firefly Grass is only Grade-One, it is rarer than ordinary Grade-Five or Grade-Six spirit herbs. May I ask how Fellow Daoist Jiang obtained this specimen?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Nianyi steadied her mind: \"Hall Master Hua is truly knowledgeable; this Purple Star Firefly Grass was accidentally obtained by our clan ancestor in a certain secret realm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi remarked: \"Obtained in a secret realm, you say? Then that secret realm must connect to the Star Sea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing that the Jiang family knew of a secret realm connecting to the Star Sea, Xia Zhen, Gu Xing, and Prince Shou all sharply turned their gazes toward Jiang Nianyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Shou thought that since the gate of the Four Spirit Realms was closed, making it impossible to leave the realm, if there truly existed a secret realm connecting to the Star Sea, the imperial family could send people out of the Four Spirit Realms to the outside world to seek resources and opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Zhen, however, frowned tightly, looking at Jiang Nianyi with thoughtful scrutiny, his eyes flashing with investigation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the Jiang family also a clan established by cultivators from the outside world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Gu Xing, his eyes were filled with worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the closure of the Four Spirit Realms' gate restricted cultivators from leaving, it simultaneously protected all living beings within the Four Spirit Realms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Four Spirit Realms were currently only in the early stage of spiritual recovery; the highest realm achieved was merely the Spirit Condensation or Soul Emergence stage, and not a single person had yet attained the Dao Integration stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such combat strength, they would be unable to resist an invasion by cultivators from the outside world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a secret realm connected to the Star Sea existed, did that not mean cultivators from the outside could enter the Four Spirit Realms through this Star Sea secret realm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing asked in a deep voice: \"Young Friend Jiang, may I ask where that secret realm connecting to the Star Sea is located?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the burning gazes of the three, Jiang Nianyi felt her scalp go numb: \"I do not know where the secret realm is; my clan ancestor did not tell me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fearing the three might actually go to Jizhou to find the Jiang clan ancestor, Jiang Nianyi quickly added: \"Perhaps I remembered incorrectly; maybe this Purple Star Firefly Grass was not obtained in a secret realm after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled: \"Purple Star Firefly Grass grows only in the starry void. If it was not obtained in a secret realm connecting to the Star Sea, then there are only two possibilities.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Nianyi looked over nervously; at this moment, she deeply regretted bringing out the Purple Star Firefly Grass to trouble Hua Changxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at her: \"First, the Jiang clan ancestor can leave the Four Spirit Realms, for only by exiting the realm can one enter the starry void. Second, the Jiang clan ancestor came from the outside world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hua Changxi, stop talking nonsense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Nianyi's expression turned agitated: \"Hua Changxi, the Jiang clan of Jizhou has a long-standing heritage; everyone in Jizhou knows of us. How dare you fabricate lies here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at her without speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a prodigy selected by the Xia family, Xia Zhen felt compelled to offer some protection and spoke up: \"Cultivators must not pry into each other's opportunities. Young Friend Hua, you have gone too far.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Regardless of where this spiritual herb came from, it is an opportunity belonging to the Jiang family; outsiders have no right to interfere.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Xia Zhen, Hua Changxi confirmed one thing in her mind: the Xia family, or rather the Dao-Protecting clans, definitely knew of the existence of external cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Nianyi was a prodigy found by the Xia family; perhaps the Dao-Protecting clans still maintained contact with external cultivators?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing's heart felt heavy at this moment; he glanced at Gu Jinfan, who was seated a few places away, just as she was looking at him.\u003C\u002Fp>",1732,"2026-06-12T02:51:23.636Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","1bccddce98f34de6aad78f373812d8f399de3fc3aa26db0a47e5a149aa2afedd","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-275","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-273",558,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-cover.jpg"]