[{"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-429":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},1897203,2531,"Chapter 429: Star Sea Pool","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-429",429,"\u003Cp>When Hua Changxi stepped out of the Pill Saint Hall, she truly felt the magnitude of the changes brought by this revival of the Sacred Land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world outside was no longer as she remembered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lightly tapped her toe, riding the wind to ascend a hundred zhang into the sky, overlooking this earth soaked in the power of the Divine Tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Centered on the Pill Saint Hall, the surrounding heaven and earth had been forcibly unfurled like a scroll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once-familiar streets, markets, and crowds had now transformed into boundless plains; hills rose and fell like waves, while mystical mist swirled and ascended in the deep valleys, where nascent mountain ranges could faintly be seen spreading along the earth's edges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning her gaze westward, the former imperial capital, Jingcheng, no longer displayed its once towering and magnificent scenery, revealing only desolation and decay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, with the successive revivals of the Artifact Saint Palace and the Pill Saint Hall, which spurred the expansion of the southern and eastern territories, Jingcheng had been effectively dismantled by half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, while Jingcheng was crumbling, new cities were unfolding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lingering warmth of Xuanfu's southward expansion had not yet dissipated when the tide of eastward expansion was already foreseeable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One imperial capital fell, and a Xuan City rose...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing upon this renewing world, two words suddenly sprang to Hua Changxi's mind—reincarnation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realms undergo destruction and revival; royal power sees succession and renewal; ultimately, traces remain to bear witness to what once existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what of people?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What can humans leave behind?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi shook her head; she had clearly been influenced by Gu Xing, starting to ponder such ethereal and intangible matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exhaling a breath, Hua Changxi mounted her Somersault Cloud and flew swiftly toward Jingcheng; by the time she stepped onto the capital's streets again, night had already fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Star-Gazing Tower loomed beneath the night sky, its structure piercing the clouds to become a jade pillar holding up the firmament, with starlight flowing from its eaves like an inverted Milky Way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire building was clad in starry armor with a glazed texture, its walls inlaid with swirling nebulae that flowed, while stellar mist steamed within them like gauze curtains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the Star-Gazing Tower had reappeared for some time, observers still felt awe-struck whenever night fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was no exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowadays, ordinary individuals could no longer approach the Star-Gazing Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Hua Changxi reached Central Street, where the Star-Gazing Tower stood, she was stopped by a cultivator bearing the tower's insignia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please announce me; I wish to see Tower Master Yuan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the cultivator could refuse, Hua Changxi added, \"My name is Hua Changxi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Hua Changxi's name, the cultivator's eyes flashed; he glanced at her quickly and said, \"Wait a moment.\" Then, after speaking briefly to a nearby cultivator, he hurriedly ran toward the Star-Gazing Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene was witnessed entirely by Wei Zhenjie of the adjacent Heaven Division.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Yunxiao, who had just returned to report on the situation at the Pill Saint Hall, happened to be there as well and asked puzzledly, \"What is Hua Changxi doing at the Star-Gazing Tower at this hour?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhenjie, however, had some suspicions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason the Pill Saint Hall had successfully promulgated the Sacred Land laws binding the Secret Realm Masters was entirely because Hua Changxi had passively contributed her merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Star-Gazing Tower had previously absorbed Hua Changxi's merit, it was highly likely she had come for that very reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhenjie suddenly asked Huo Yunxiao, \"With the revival of the Pill Saint Hall, Hua Changxi must be quite angry, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Yunxiao nodded, looking perplexed: \"The revival of the Sacred Land is a good thing; the Divine Tree even bestowed upon Hua Changxi a new peak and a new secret realm, and used her oath to generate the Sacred Land laws. What a great honor! I truly don't understand why she would be angry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhenjie glanced at his disciple without responding, but his expression was filled with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the power of merit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merit power that stimulated the further revival of the Pill Saint Hall must have been accumulated by Hua Changxi when she opened the Path of the Physical Body and manifested the Realm of Laws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether opening a Great Dao or manifesting the Realm of Laws, each feat was incredibly difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Hua Changxi to encounter a similar opportunity to accumulate merit again would likely be extremely difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were him whose merit was drained, he would feel the pain too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sigh...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhenjie showed regret; having experienced both the Star-Gazing Tower and the Pill Saint Hall, where she passively contributed her merit power twice, Hua Changxi would surely have learned her lesson. Trying to 'covet' the merit power on her person in the future would probably be difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accumulating merit is not easy; almost everyone else who possesses merit has a master and someone guiding them from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Hua Changxi wandered alone; she had suffered from a lack of information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, by paying the price herself, she had bridged that information gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Hua Changxi follow the people from the Star-Gazing Tower inside, Wei Zhenjie and Huo Yunxiao ceased paying attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After bidding farewell to Wei Zhenjie, Huo Yunxiao, who had intended to return to the Pill Saint Hall, immediately turned back upon hearing from the gate guards that Chu Junyi had returned from the Nine Netherworlds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Junyi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Yunxiao didn't even knock before entering Chu Junyi's room; upon stepping inside, he saw Chu Junyi holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads, examining them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing it was Huo Yunxiao, Chu Junyi's tightly furrowed brows immediately relaxed, and his expression softened considerably: \"Eldest Senior Brother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Yunxiao glanced at the prayer beads coiled around his wrist: \"Why are you looking at these Buddhist prayer beads again? The master of this string has been polished so bright by your handling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Junyi looked down at the prayer beads, his expression somewhat frustrated: \"Earlier in the Nine Netherworlds, I nearly erased the brand on the beads, but now, the brand on them has deepened again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Huo Yunxiao showed astonishment: \"Your growth in strength is already defying heaven; is there someone even more powerful than you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Junyi rarely smiled, but Huo Yunxiao's exaggerated expression curled the corners of his mouth: \"Master has long said that there is always someone better, and skies beyond the skies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Yunxiao took the prayer beads and rubbed them: \"Who do you think the master of these Buddhist prayer beads actually is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of depth passed through Chu Junyi's eyes: \"I wonder that too.\" Saying this, he took the prayer beads back and began discussing other matters with Huo Yunxiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Star-Gazing Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Hua Changxi entered the tower, she saw Yuan Qi, his face beaming with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tower Master Yuan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Peak Master Hua.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exchanging greetings, Hua Changxi did not beat around the bush but got straight to the point: \"I hear Tower Master Yuan is highly skilled in divination; can you calculate why I have come this time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Qi smiled: \"Peak Master Hua overestimates me; the art of divination cannot calculate everything or everyone. Take Peak Master Hua, for instance; I cannot calculate your affairs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi raised an eyebrow. \"Is that so?\" Her tone carried skepticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Qi explained earnestly, \"Those with profound cultivation and those bearing great fortune cannot be easily divined; otherwise, one will suffer a fierce backlash.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi neither affirmed nor denied this. Looking at Yuan Qi, too lazy to engage in verbal sparring, she stated plainly, \"I am here to collect a debt. The Star-Gazing Tower owes me a great favor. Does Master Yuan acknowledge this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Qi raised an eyebrow, a look of 'just as I thought' flashing across his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had suspected as much; the revival of the Pill Saint Hall should not have proceeded so quickly. It turned out it was also because it had absorbed Hua Changxi's merit power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I acknowledge it! If Peak Master Hua has any matter where she desires the Star-Gazing Tower's service, please speak freely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at him. \"I do not need your service.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Yuan Qi fell into contemplation, realizing Hua Changxi wanted him to make an offer voluntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Star-Gazing Tower had only reappeared by absorbing Hua Changxi's merit power; this karma could not be escaped. Since Hua Changxi had come to their door, they should repay what they could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Follow me, Peak Master Hua.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the Star-Gazing Tower, Yuan Qi was nearly godlike. With a wave of his sleeve, a streak of starlight flashed, leaving Hua Changxi no room to refuse, and instantly the two found themselves in a strange space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the four corners of the space appeared four giant pillars of light: the Azure Dragon coiling around a pillar, Zhu Que spreading its wings, the White Tiger scaling a wall, and the Black Tortoise covering the foundation. The pressure emitted by these Four Spirits swept through every corner of the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering, Hua Changxi immediately sensed the spiritual energy surrounding her body had been sealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This place is...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi watched Yuan Qi vigilantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Qi smiled. \"This is the forbidden ground of the Star-Gazing Tower—the Star Sea Pool.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Star Sea Pool was not large, resembling the mouth of a well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the well's mouth appeared to be merely a square inch, it revealed an endless galaxy. Its rim seemed connected to the real universe; gazing into it gave one the sensation of falling into the starry sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing no threat, Hua Changxi relaxed, finally having the mood to explore this space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The transparent ground flowed with starlight; every step triggered a web-like pattern of glowing runes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air was filled with a cool star mist. Between breaths, one could smell cosmic dust, while the sound of surging galaxies echoed in one's ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at Yuan Qi in confusion, unsure why he had brought her here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Qi pointed at the Star Sea Pool. \"This Star Sea Pool connects to the celestial stars of the Four Spirits Realm and can automatically recover and store all ownerless treasures within the Four Spirits Realm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Among these ownerless items are powerful magical artifacts, unique ancient treasures, various strange materials, and even jade slips recording ancient techniques...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Star-Gazing Tower owes Peak Master Hua a great karmic debt. You may reach into the Star Sea Pool and grasp once. Whether you seize a treasure depends entirely on your luck.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1767,"2026-06-12T02:51:24.126Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","2c47e1bb7e554b8bac59930d53f6e7c053c3d804bf7fb2f1e532a8e1f8631460","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-430","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-428",558,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-cover.jpg"]