[{"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-331":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},1897105,2531,"Chapter 331: Second Entry into Tang Gu","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-331",331,"\u003Cp>Tong Yao did not keep Hua Changxi and the other two waiting long; soon he arrived to lead them to meet the Great Elder of the Artifact Saint Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jing Le of the Talisman Saint Pavilion pays respects to Great Elder Yi Ming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yan Zhenzhen of the Formation Saint Sect pays respects to Great Elder Yi Ming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao led Hua Changxi and the other two into a tent situated just outside the spiritual energy barrier; upon entering, Jing Le and Yan Zhenzhen immediately bowed to the red-robed middle-aged man seated inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that both knew the title of the Artifact Saint Palace's Great Elder, Hua Changxi instantly realized they had dealt with this person before; she quickly followed suit, saying, \"Hua Changxi of the Pill Saint Hall pays respects to Great Elder Yi Ming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Elder Yi Ming was a burly, powerful middle-aged man; looking at the three of them, he offered no pleasantries and cut straight to the point: \"I hear you wish to enter the forbidden grounds of my Artifact Saint Palace?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his very first words, he raised the stakes to the utmost limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not speak of Tang Gu, but rather of the Artifact Saint Palace's forbidden grounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let alone a sacred forbidden ground crucial to the stability of the Demon Prison; even an ordinary family's forbidden area is not somewhere outsiders can enter at will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le and Yan Zhenzhen, who had long dealt with Great Elder Yi Ming, exchanged a helpless glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew that since the Great Elder had not outright rejected them but was instead questioning them so casually, he intended to demand an exorbitant price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that neither Jing Le nor the other spoke, Hua Changxi remained silent as well, quietly observing developments from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Elder Yi Ming glanced at the three of them and spoke again: \"Not only do you want to enter my Artifact Saint Palace's forbidden grounds, but you also wish to claim the spiritual fire of our sacred land; aren't you being somewhat excessive?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he finished speaking, he pointedly looked at Hua Changxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhenzhen smiled and said, \"Great Elder, my Master told me that the Artifact Saint Palace intends to generously reward all friends who offered assistance; upon hearing this, we were overjoyed and thus boldly came to request our share of the gratitude gift.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Elder Yi Ming looked at Yan Zhenzhen with a smile and shook his head: \"The entire Artifact Saint Palace is deeply grateful for your help; however, the sacred forbidden grounds are of grave importance, so I cannot 'casually' allow you to come and go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Great Elder Yi Ming was merely a hair's breadth away from explicitly stating 'benefits must be given to enter Tang Gu,' the corner of Yan Zhenzhen's mouth twitched involuntarily; knowing they must trade news regarding the Xuanyuan City Lord's Manor for the chance to enter Tang Gu, she turned to look at Hua Changxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving Yan Zhenzhen's glance, Hua Changxi chose her words carefully: \"Great Elder, the three of us have discovered an interesting place; if you permit us to enter Tang Gu, we are willing to take Tong Yao along with us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Elder Yi Ming neither agreed nor disagreed, but continued to press: \"Oh? What kind of interesting place is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In dealing with people, Hua Changxi had grown somewhat; she knew one could not be led by the nose, answering whatever was asked. In verbal sparring, the key lay in controlling the initiative; even if holding a bad hand, one must play it as a trump card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait until Tong Yao has gone with us and returned before telling you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding the Xuanyuan City Lord's Manor, everything remained merely speculation on her part, along with Jing Le and Yan Zhenzhen; it was better not to reveal this information just yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Great Elder Yi Ming still seemed eager to engage in several more rounds of verbal maneuvering, Hua Changxi, unwilling to waste time, gave him no chance to speak: \"That region; without me, even if others know the location, they cannot enter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only with me present does it become an opportunity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Elder Yi Ming was not intimidated in the least; smiling broadly, he said, \"But without the spiritual fire, you cannot enter either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at him: \"Yet entering and exiting Tang Gu is not limited to a single path.\" She could also descend into the Nine Netherworlds and pass through Li Gate Fortress, though that would be rather time-consuming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Great Elder Yi Ming raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Jing Le spoke up: \"Great Elder, the opportunity we have discovered will be of great aid to artifact refining cultivators.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of ten artifact refining cultivators, nine also cultivate their bodies; an artifact refiner without a strong physique cannot walk the path far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The direct disciples of the Artifact Saint Palace all cultivate both magic and body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he knew that the place they were going contained Yellow Earth Qi, he thought that with Great Elder Yi Ming's thick skin, the elder might even insist on accompanying them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the true situation within the Xuanyuan City Lord's Manor remained unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the Yellow Earth Tree inside the City Lord's Manor had borne fruit was uncertain; if it had, then upon their entry, the distribution of the Yellow Earth Fruits would be the primary matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Great Elder Yi Ming truly went along, they feared they would not be able to compete with him for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled as she looked at Tong Yao, who had been standing silently to the side: \"For my part, I simply feel that given our relationship with Tong Yao, if we discover an opportunity, we ought to include a share for him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But we also know he is not one to accept things for free; consider the spiritual fire within Tang Gu as the bargaining chip he offers in exchange.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Elder Yi Ming chuckled softly; first he looked at Hua Changxi, then shifted his gaze to Yan Zhenzhen and Jing Le.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These three were all prominent figures from the three great sacred lands of Pills, Talismans, and Formations, each possessing great fortune; an opportunity discovered by them together...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing that these three juniors before him were all slick operators, Great Elder Yi Ming grew too lazy to trouble them further: \"Very well; since you are friends of Tong Yao, I shall allow you to enter Tang Gu once.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, Great Elder Yi Ming turned to look at Tong Yao and instructed: \"They are your friends; you must entertain them thoroughly and ensure absolutely nothing happens to them within Tang Gu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The implied meaning was for Tong Yao to keep watch over Hua Changxi and the other two, preventing them from running wild or acting recklessly inside Tang Gu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Tong Yao nodded in agreement, he led Hua Changxi and the other two out of the tent and headed straight toward the spiritual energy barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as they entered the spiritual energy barrier, Hua Changxi frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le also said with a grave expression: \"Why is the demon qi still leaking outward?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a poor expression, Tong Yao said: \"The mountain-protecting great formation was destroyed by the explosion, which affected the formation eye; a stone carving was shattered by the shock, and now the elders are all trying to find a way to repair it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mentioning the stone carving, Hua Changxi thought of Baili Changfeng, who had voluntarily turned to stone to suppress the crack in the formation eye, and a sigh arose in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao said: \"Let us go; the entrance to the Artifact Saint Palace's barrier is in the central region of the spiritual energy barrier.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The further they walked toward the center of the spiritual energy barrier, the worse Hua Changxi felt; the demon qi within the barrier was now far denser than before, and the abundant demonic energy within it was beginning to affect her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, she personally experienced the power of demonic energy fueling the black flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the back of Hua Changxi's right hand began to ache faintly, and various negative emotions constantly flashed through her mind; only after she silently recited the Clear Heart Mantra in her thoughts did she slowly suppress that inexplicable ferocity rising within her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, the four of them arrived at a massive fissure in the ground; Tong Yao took out a small red sword, inserted it into the crack, and red wave-like ripples immediately appeared in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In merely a moment, a red opening the height of a person appeared in the center of the ripples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let us go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao entered first, with Hua Changxi and the other two following closely behind; throughout the journey, none of the three looked around or spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four of them arrived at a stone platform amidst a sea of magma; then, after passing through a teleportation array, they finally appeared on the boundary stone platform at the center of Tang Gu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, on the boundary stone platform, five burly middle-aged men, bare-chested, were working hard to repair a stone carving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far from them, a cracked hole was clearly visible; because there was no stone carving to suppress it, a continuous stream of demon qi was leaking outward through the opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon qi here was too dense; faint black fish scales had already appeared on the back of Hua Changxi's right hand, and with her mind agitated, she quickly said to Tong Yao: \"I will go ahead first; you follow slowly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao and the other two all noticed the black fish scales on the back of Hua Changxi's hand, and their expressions changed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Le asked: \"Are you alright?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi offered no response and immediately leaped away from the Jieshi Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Tong Yao turned to Jing Le and Yan Zhenzhen: \"Changxi should be able to withstand these demonic energies; nevertheless, we had best not linger too long within Tang Gu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait for me a moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao hurried over to the five cultivators repairing the stone statues, exchanged a few whispered words with them, then turned back: \"Let us go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three walked toward the exit of the Jieshi Platform while conversing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao said, \"By the way, since you followed us into Tang Gu this time, I assume you also intend to subdue a spiritual flame?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhenzhen smiled and said, \"Spiritual flames are useful not only to alchemists and artifact refiners; they can also be employed to form formations and craft talismans. Even if one does not use them for formations or talismans, they can still be wielded to repel enemies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jing Le and I naturally desire a spiritual flame.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Yao smiled and said, \"The seven-colored spiritual flames nurtured within Tang Gu are all extraordinary. To date, I have subdued only five colors; let us see if this time I can subdue the remaining two as well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is Changxi's first entry into Tang Gu, yet she has already gathered all seven-colored spiritual flames. She must possess profound insights into subduing them. Let us hasten to find her; with her guidance, you may well succeed in subduing a few wisps of spiritual flame.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three quickened their pace outward, but regrettably, along the entire route out, they failed to encounter Hua Changxi.\u003C\u002Fp>",1907,"2026-06-12T02:51:23.636Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","53c23d38ee01090b060b8bf535f686a451405b03faf2ec8ff392e16034cd1670","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-332","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-330",558,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-cover.jpg"]