[{"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-279":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},1897053,2531,"Chapter 279: Why One Must Undergo Trial","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-279",279,"\u003Cp>Hua Changxi had experienced cultivation stagnation several times before, and based on past experience, she could roughly guess the cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, it was insufficient trial; her state of mind could not keep pace with the speed of her cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even she herself felt that her cultivation speed had increased somewhat too rapidly during this period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding how to improve her state of mind, Hua Changxi knew only one method: going out for trial. Beyond that, she knew no other way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for places to undertake such trials, she knew of only one: the Nine Netherworlds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This single fact exposed a severe shortcoming Hua Changxi had always possessed. Although she was a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, theoretically a strong figure among cultivators, the world of cultivators she had actually touched or contacted was pitifully small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could say this was a severe lack of trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was aware of her problem, yet compared to the past, she now knew a few more cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Tong Yao, Jing Le, and Yan Zhenzhen, with whom she had cooperated several times, she felt they were worth maintaining long-term contact with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps I could seek out Tong Yao and the others to exchange insights on cultivation?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking thus, Hua Changxi sent a message to Tong Yao, inquiring about the progress of refining the spirit-displaying artifact and asking if he had time to meet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Tong Yao replied, arranging to meet on the first day of the eighth lunar month at the restaurant they frequently visited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time swiftly entered the eighth month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the first day of the eighth month, Hua Changxi arrived early at the restaurant where she often met Tong Yao. She thought she had arrived quite early, only to find Tong Yao, Jing Le, and Yan Zhenzhen already waiting there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Donor Hua, after several months apart, you have become increasingly unfathomable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Hua Changxi entered the room, Jing Le's eyes felt a surge of heat. He had not activated his talisman eyes, yet the sensitivity of his strange eyes still detected the anomaly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his eyes, Hua Changxi now resembled a volcano on the verge of erupting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Hua Changxi looked at Jing Le. Seeing his gaze clear and his expression serious, merely stating what he saw without any intent to pry, she smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My cultivation is currently stagnant, a tangled and chaotic mess; isn't that precisely what 'unfathomable' means?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, she glanced at Tong Yao and Yan Zhenzhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have you ever encountered such a situation?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao responded, \"You have reached a bottleneck in your cultivation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi walked over and sat down before the three. \"How does one break through a bottleneck?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhenzhen looked at her in surprise, somewhat astonished that she did not even know this. \"The simplest method is to consume a Realm-Breaking Pill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le shook his head to interrupt. \"This humble monk believes that is the least advisable method.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhenzhen looked over at him. \"Do you think all cultivators possess talent and comprehension as high as yours? If cultivators of ordinary aptitude do not consume a Realm-Breaking Pill, they will never break through a bottleneck in their entire lives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le did not argue with Yan Zhenzhen. Looking at Hua Changxi, he said, \"The reason cultivators encounter bottlenecks is mostly due to insufficient accumulation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A cultivator's accumulation consists of two parts: daily cultivation over time, and the realization and improvement of one's state of mind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Observing Daoist Hua's situation, it is most likely that her state of mind cannot keep pace with her cultivation speed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matched Hua Changxi's own guess. She hurriedly asked, \"How do you all improve your state of mind?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao spoke up. \"The fastest way to improve one's state of mind is through sudden enlightenment, but sudden enlightenment depends on fate; it can be encountered but not sought.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le nodded. \"The improvement of one's state of mind must ultimately rest on the bit-by-bit details of daily life. The solidity of life lies not elsewhere, but in every present moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the confusion on Hua Changxi's face, Tong Yao smiled. \"Jing Le means that we must go out for more trials.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi pondered for a moment, then asked a question that had long puzzled her. \"Why does more trial lead to an improved state of mind?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhenzhen replied, \"More trial means more experiences. With more experiences, one's vision naturally broadens. Once one's vision broadens, one develops perspective. With greater perspective, one's state of mind naturally improves accordingly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao showed agreement. \"That is correct.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Hua Changxi's brows had not yet relaxed, Jing Le also offered his own view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Going out for trial is to let oneself feel this world, constantly recognizing people and distinguishing things through collision with the world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Through constant contact with people, events, and objects, one examines what one wants, what one can obtain, and what one can control, thereby understanding where one's limitations lie.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only when one knows where one's limitations lie can one find one's own mode of existence. Within the choice of what to do and what not to do, one finds a place to stand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once one has a foothold, one knows how to coexist with the world. Thereafter, everything encountered will be usable by oneself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le's explanation was more accessible and easy to understand than Yan Zhenzhen's. Hua Changxi felt she had gained much and hurriedly asked, \"Then how can one quickly recognize one's own limitations?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le shook his head. \"Donor Hua, there are no shortcuts in cultivation, nor are there shortcuts to understanding oneself. However, you can discover your limitations through obstacles from the external world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these words, Hua Changxi suddenly felt a sense of broadened horizons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, being jointly resisted and targeted by Prince Shou and others had exposed her limitations completely. Compared to the numerous and powerful faction of Prince Shou and his allies, she stood isolated and unsupported.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le looked at the back of Hua Changxi's right hand and reminded her, \"The function of the Awakening Mark lies in nothing else; it serves solely as a reminder and warning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the future, when the Awakening Mark surfaces, Donor Hua should carefully feel her state of mind at that moment. Where the heart stops, the true self is revealed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Hua Changxi lost in thought, Tong Yao added, \"Trial is very important; it is an indispensable process for understanding oneself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le said, \"The primary task in life is to have self-awareness; only then can anything else follow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhenzhen interjected, \"Actually, it is not that complicated. It is simply that through trial, one more easily clarifies what one should do, what one should not do, and why one makes such choices.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le showed agreement. \"Cultivators emphasize cause and effect. Things have roots and branches; affairs have beginnings and ends. Knowing the sequence clarifies cause and effect. One bears what must be borne, failing neither the Tathagata nor oneself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi understood the meaning of the three. To summarize in one sentence, trial is actually the process of investigating things to extend knowledge; it is the process of enabling a person to emerge from chaos into clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, she had been narrow-minded, thinking that diligently cultivating and raising her cultivation level would settle everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowadays, her cultivation level was no longer low, yet she was restricted everywhere within the Medical Bureau. She had previously been unable to solve this puzzle, but now she understood some of the internal reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had her limitations: limitations of the body, limitations of the heart, and limitations regarding her influence on others. The most direct manifestation was this: just because she became powerful did not mean others would listen to her or like her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless she used martial force to beat people into submission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet acting tyrannically and being a tyrant was not what she desired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps she did not understand herself as well as she imagined; perhaps the definition she currently gave herself was merely a wishful self-delusion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le looked at Hua Changxi and offered further guidance. \"People are prone to self-deception and arrogance; going out for trial is a process of correcting oneself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi nodded. Regardless, she truly needed to go out for more trials in the future. Then, looking at Jing Le and the other two, she sincerely expressed her gratitude. \"Thank you, three Daoist friends, for resolving my doubts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao smiled and said, \"If we can help you, we would be very glad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhenzhen said, \"Debating the Dao among cultivators is quite necessary; solitary cultivation easily leads one into a dead end. We must exchange ideas more often in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled and agreed, then asked, \"By the way, where do you usually go for tempering?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expressions of Tong Yao and the other two faltered slightly. After a moment of silence, Tong Yao spoke: \"Fellow Daoist Hua, every Sacred Land has its own exclusive tempering secret realm. Does the Pill Sage Hall not have one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi widened her eyes: \"An exclusive tempering secret realm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhenzhen looked at her suspiciously: \"Yes. Successors of the Sacred Lands can all enter and exit their Sacred Land's secret realms for tempering by virtue of a token.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi fell silent for a moment: \"Whether the Pill Sage Hall has such a secret realm, I truly do not know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhenzhen confirmed again: \"Are you really not a successor of the Pill Sage Hall?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi replied, \"...I am not entirely sure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhenzhen was speechless: \"Do you know that all the major Sacred Lands are currently whispering among themselves that you are the number one figure of the Pill Sage Hall? And now you claim you are not a successor of the Sacred Land. It is truly...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao looked at Hua Changxi: \"Successors of the Sacred Lands possess tokens.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi hurriedly asked: \"What kind of token?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao hesitated for a moment, glanced at Jing Liao and Yan Zhenzhen, and finally, all three simultaneously produced a small wooden sword about the length of a palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao's sword was a small blade of fiery red; Jing Liao's was a small golden sword; Yan Zhenzhen's was a small black sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhenzhen explained: \"Every successor of a Sacred Land receives one of these Divine Wood Swords. The one from the Central Sacred Land is earth-yellow, while the one from the Pill Sage Hall is green.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was certain that she did not possess such a small sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her reaction, Tong Yao and the other two were perceptive enough not to press further, yet their eyes were filled with confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was actually not a successor of the Pill Sage Hall, yet almost all the recent commotion surrounding the Pill Sage Hall had been caused by her. What was the reason for this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, Yan Zhenzhen quickly spoke to break the quiet: \"By the way, Tong Yao, how is the refinement of the Display Spiritual Artifact progressing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mention of this, a smile appeared on Tong Yao's face: \"The refinement is nearly complete. Before the fifteenth day of the eighth month, we will be able to deploy the Display Spiritual Artifacts to various locations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1883,"2026-06-12T02:51:23.636Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","f4dd889118689b14eaaf723ff7d67934df896974aee9824a3a0ef41f3a8aa5f9","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-280","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-278",558,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-cover.jpg"]