[{"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-60":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},1896834,2531,"Chapter 60: Golden Core Realm","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-60",60,"\u003Cp>Guo Yu hurried back to the stone cliff of Xishan, only to find the cave eerily silent, prompting him to stride inside quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering, he saw Elder You and two other Grandmasters sitting in silence; the injured Grandmaster on the stone bed lay motionless, unconscious or perhaps already... deceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master, where is Changxi?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder You replied, \"She went to the bottom of the cliff.\" Then he looked at his disciple, his expression shifting to surprise. \"You've broken through to the eighth rank?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Yu quickly explained how Hua Changxi had given him an Earth Gang Pill, and how he had broken through to the eighth rank while sleeping after consuming it. \"Master, Hua Changxi's alchemy skills are absolutely superior to those of most pharmacists in the Medical Bureau.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Elder You glanced at his two friends. \"That girl also treated me when I was injured; I trust her medical skills. If she says she can save Yang Chuan, I believe she is not lying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Fan and Jiang Ye exchanged a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Fan rubbed the box on the stone table and frowned. \"That girl clearly has her eyes set on this pomegranate we risked our lives to seize. Are you truly willing to give it to her?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, neither Elder You nor Jiang Ye was willing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye sighed. \"Yang Chuan swallowed just one pomegranate seed and nearly exploded to death. Keeping this pomegranate means we can only look at it, not eat it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder You added, \"What worries me most is that keeping this pomegranate will invite disaster.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We know nothing about cultivators. Hua Changxi is a cultivator and can sense the pomegranate's presence; other cultivators can too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Those who chased us before were martial artists. If we attract cultivators, will we have any chance of survival?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhuo Fan and Jiang Ye's expressions grew grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Fan looked at Elder You. \"I sensed no aura of a powerful expert from that girl. Are you certain she is a cultivator?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder You nodded. \"I told you before that I nearly died under the beak of a fire-breathing red eagle. She saved me. Although I didn't see how she acted, I know that red eagle was killed by her in a single strike.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Fan fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder You continued, \"Furthermore, I believe what that girl said: if the pomegranate isn't sealed, it will turn into an ordinary fruit. I have seen with my own eyes how many medicinal herbs at the bottom of this cliff wither quickly once removed from the ground.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Fan grew irritable. \"So you're saying we must give this pomegranate to that girl? Then what was the point of risking our lives to seize it? We even left Yang Chuan half-dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye said, \"...At least we have confirmed that beyond martial artists, there are cultivators.\" He looked at Elder You. \"Go call that girl over. Give her the pomegranate and let her heal Yang Chuan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Fan moved his lips, looking unwilling, but seeing his blood-soaked friend on the stone bed, he ultimately said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder You nodded and looked at Guo Yu. \"Go to the bottom of the cliff and bring Hua Changxi up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Yu nodded, hurried out of the cave, and leaped down the stone cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the bottom of the cliff, Hua Changxi had come intending to gather some green fruits to treat the bloodied man, knowing that Elder You and the other two would eventually compromise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had no other choice; they could not consume the Creation Pomegranate at all. Eating it would cause them to explode and die, just like the bloodied man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To save a life, they could only trade with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Hua Changxi reached the cliff bottom, she was greatly surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past two months, she had been wandering around the Nanshan Rift Valley and hadn't visited the cliff base. She hadn't expected that in such a short time, third-tier spiritual plants and fruits would appear here, and the quantity of second-tier spiritual plants and fruits had increased significantly compared to before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't this growth rate a bit too fast?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Annotations on the Hundred Herbs Classic\" clearly records that the higher the grade of a spiritual plant or fruit, the longer its growth period takes; hundreds or even thousands of years are considered short durations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to understand what was happening, Hua Changxi quickly harvested all the third-tier spiritual plants and fruits, not leaving behind any of the second-tier ones either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Guo Yu found her, Hua Changxi was picking third-tier Fire Jujubes from a Fire Jujube tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Changxi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Yu dared not approach the Fire Jujube tree; the fire spiritual energy surrounding it was so dense that getting close felt like plunging into a sea of fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi glanced at Guo Yu and continued picking Fire Jujubes. \"Wait a moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after harvesting all the third-tier Fire Jujubes did she jump down from the tree, eating one as she walked toward Guo Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time she reached Guo Yu, she had confirmed that consuming one third-tier Fire Jujube increased her spiritual energy by one thousand points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having witnessed Hua Changxi's strength, Guo Yu now treated her with far more solemnity than before. \"My master and the others are looking for you; they say they have matters to discuss. Let's go up quickly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled but did not follow Guo Yu up the stone cliff immediately; instead, she turned to pick green fruits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't that she wanted to play hard to get, but she needed to maintain the initiative in her negotiations with Elder You and the other two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, Elder You and his companions were the ones in need, yet they merely sent Guo Yu to summon her, acting as if she should be available at their beck and call. If she appeared too accommodating, she would be handing over the initiative to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Hua Changxi pick green fruits at a leisurely pace, Guo Yu felt anxious but dared not urge her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While picking green fruits, Hua Changxi asked, \"Master Guo, do you know the three people Elder You brought back? What are their backgrounds?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Yu replied, \"They are all close friends of my master. The injured one is Elder Yang Chuan, an elder of the Beggar Sect. The refined and righteous one is Sect Leader Jiang Ye of the Canal Gang. The hot-tempered one is Chief Escort Zhuo Fan of the Weiyuan Escort Agency.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked surprised; she hadn't expected Elder You's three friends to be such notable figures. \"In that case, among the four, Elder You seems to be the least accomplished.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Yu's twitched slightly. \"Master was formerly the Chief Constable of the Six Doors. After some incident occurred, he voluntarily came here to guard the Medicine Valley.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was taken aback. \"The Chief Constable of the Six Doors...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father worked for the Six Doors, so she knew quite a bit about the organization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Six Doors handled cases in the martial world and maintained frequent contacts with various martial sects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the former Chief Constable, Elder You must have accumulated considerable connections; if trouble arose, he should be able to call for reinforcements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Learning that all four of them had such influential backgrounds, Hua Changxi's thoughts suddenly became more active. \"What kind of friendship exists between Elder You and the other three?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Yu's expression turned solemn. \"A bond forged through life-and-death struggles.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the scene where Elder You and the other two risked their lives to save the bloodied man, Hua Changxi accepted this statement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the spiritual plants and fruits at the cliff base and thinking of the Fire Spirit Mine in the Nanshan Rift Valley, the desire in Hua Changxi's heart to claim the Fire Spirit Mine for herself became harder to suppress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not discovering the Fire Spirit Mine would have been one thing, but now that she had found it, watching others take it away felt like having flesh sliced from her bones; the reluctance was overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's go up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally planning only to trade with Elder You and the others to save a life, seeing now that things were developing toward cooperation, Hua Changxi delayed no longer. After finishing harvesting the third-tier green fruits, she lingered no more and quickly ascended the stone cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the cave, Zhuo Fan was growing impatient. \"Half an hour has passed, and she still hasn't come up. Is that little girl trying to play hard to get with us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his words had fully faded, Hua Changxi entered, followed closely by Guo Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the two, Zhuo Fan snorted and turned his head away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi glanced at him, guessing that this must be Zhuo Fan, the hot-tempered chief escort of the Weiyuan Escort Agency that Guo Yu had mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye reluctantly stroked the box containing the pomegranate, and upon hearing Elder You's light cough, handed the box over to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder You took the box, also feeling reluctant, yet still passed it to Hua Changxi: \"This fruit belongs to you now; I only ask that you save Yang Chuan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi accepted the box and, before the group, gathered spiritual energy in her right hand, cast a sealing technique, released several strands of spiritual energy, and sealed the box with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing red light emerge from Hua Changxi's fingertips, then fly out through gestures they could not comprehend and swiftly vanish into the box, awe spread across the faces of Elder You and his three companions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sealing the Creation Pomegranate, Hua Changxi looked at Elder You and the other two: \"Are you certain you wish to use this pomegranate to save Senior Yang Chuan's life?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder You and the other two exchanged glances and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled: \"I admire the deep bond between you four seniors, yet I must still say this: you give me the pomegranate, I act to save a life; this is a fair transaction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhuo Fan immediately objected; he truly felt the little girl was taking advantage of their distress, but just as he was about to speak, Jiang Ye stopped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Hua Changxi smiled: \"I know that you three seniors must believe this pomegranate is invaluable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Fan could not hold back: \"Is it not?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had fought for their lives against more than ten different factions in a chaotic battle before finally seizing this fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi said: \"I do not deny that this pomegranate is indeed extraordinary, but given Senior Yang Chuan's injuries, can you find a second person capable of saving him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Furthermore, even if this pomegranate is a treasure, if you do not know how to use it and cannot eat it, then in your hands, it is merely a useless fruit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Fan remained unconvinced: \"How can it be useless? We could exchange it with others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled slightly: \"All four of you are people of great insight; if the pomegranate is useless in your hands, it will likely be useless in the hands of others as well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Moreover, as I stated, if this pomegranate is not sealed, it will soon turn into an ordinary fruit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that case, even if you seniors wished to find someone to exchange it with, you probably would not gain any significant benefit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Fan snorted: \"Ordinary people might not understand the pomegranate's function, but surely the people of the Three Pure Palaces and the Taisu Palace know of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If nothing else, we could hand the fruit over to the Celestial Master's Mansion and earn a great favor from them. If that fails, we could still give the fruit to the Medical Bureau.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Little girl, do not think you have us cornered; were it not for saving Yang Chuan, you would not even qualify to stand here and speak with us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither Elder You nor Jiang Ye stopped Zhuo Fan; they too wished to dampen Hua Changxi's arrogance, for it was truly face-losing for the four of them, totaling over two hundred years of age, to be manipulated by a little girl barely in her teens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Zhuo Fan's words, Hua Changxi's eyes flashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three Pure Palaces, Taisu Palace, Celestial Master's Mansion...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very good; she had just learned of three more places where cultivators might exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of the Taisu Palace, Hua Changxi could not help but think of her twin younger sister, Hua Shinian; she wondered how she was faring now and whether she was a cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without dwelling further on the thought, Hua Changxi looked at Zhuo Fan: \"Then why did you seniors not simply take Senior Yang Chuan directly to those places you just mentioned to seek help?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Fan choked up and looked toward Elder You and Jiang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While inwardly scorning his old friend for being unable to best a little girl in argument, Elder You also marveled at Hua Changxi's sharp mind; he could only step forward and say: \"Yang Chuan's condition is critical; we simply did not have time to seek help elsewhere.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhuo Fan nodded eagerly: \"Yes, yes, that is exactly the reason.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi let out a ambiguous \"Oh~\" with a faint smile: \"So that is how it is~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her reaction, the expressions of Elder You and the other two became somewhat embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Yang Chuan's severe injuries were indeed one reason, the primary reason they had not gone to the Three Pure Palaces and other places was their unwillingness to accept the situation and their lingering hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going to the Three Pure Palaces and such places would leave them no room for negotiation; whatever others said would stand. Returning to seek Hua Changxi was based on the belief that, before a little girl, they could still secure some bargaining power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi did not press the matter further and began to state her purpose: \"As for me, I greatly respect you seniors, and I mention these things only so that no resentment remains between us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A transaction entered willingly by both parties means neither side takes advantage of the other; reaching such an understanding will allow us to coexist more harmoniously in the future, would you not agree?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder You and the other two exchanged glances once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coexist more harmoniously in the future?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did she mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did this little girl intend to befriend them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder You exchanged looks with Zhuo Fan and Jiang Ye, then spoke: \"Of course; we voluntarily gave you the pomegranate, making this a fair transaction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled: \"Since we have laid everything out in the open, I shall now proceed to refine medicine and treat Senior Yang Chuan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Hua Changxi enter the stone chamber for refining medicine, Elder You, Jiang Ye, and Zhuo Fan exited the stone cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After moving some distance away from the cave, Jiang Ye looked at Elder You and asked: \"That girl's words carried hidden meanings; what do you think she is planning?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder You shook his head: \"That girl arrived in Medicine Valley in the third month; I do not know much about her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Yu, who had remained background until now, spoke up: \"Master, I think Hua Changxi may have her sights on the resources held by you seniors.\" He then recounted how Hua Changxi had inquired about Yang Chuan and the others' activities at the cliff base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Fan was speechless: \"This little girl has rather grand ambitions; could it be she wants to involve herself in martial arts world affairs?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye shook his head: \"I do not think so; she likely intends to use us to obtain information.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were it not for their extensive information networks, they would not have had any share in this recent struggle for the exotic fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder You agreed with Jiang Ye's assessment, believing this was indeed Hua Changxi's intention: \"If she truly harbors such thoughts, then it will be our turn to make transactions with her later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye said: \"She is quite a clever girl; let us simply wait actively for her to speak first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Chuan's injuries were indeed severe; Hua Changxi carefully controlled the dosage of the green fruit, using its gentle life force and restorative abilities to slowly nourish his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the cracks on Yang Chuan's body gradually healed, she brewed a medicinal soup to replenish his qi and blood for him to consume.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Yang Chuan's complexion gradually improve, and though he remained unconscious, his breathing had stabilized, the hearts of Elder You and the other two finally settled back into their chests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three of them had also been injured during the struggle for the pomegranate; seeing Yang Chuan's condition stabilize, they finally calmed their minds to treat their own wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half a month later, Yang Chuan awakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he had survived, his lifelong cultivation was completely ruined, and Yang Chuan's spirits were low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding this, Elder You and the other two felt utterly helpless and could only continuously offer him comfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twentieth day of the seventh month, within the Fire Spirit Mine located in the rift valley deep in Nanshan, a whirlwind storm several meters in diameter arose; at the center of the storm, Hua Changxi sat cross-legged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, the storm gradually dissipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Realm: Core Formation Stage 1,010,000\u002F10,000,000]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi successfully broke through the Qi Sea Stage and advanced to the Core Formation Stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the red Qi sea, covered by heavy crimson clouds, floated a tiny pill bead shimmering with brilliant red light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this very moment, Hua Changxi felt she was that pill bead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Qi Sea Stage, she had viewed her dantian Qi sea from a god's-eye perspective; now, having reached the Core Formation Stage, she discovered her 'self' had entered the dantian, becoming that pill bead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Looking' at the boundless, vast, and surging dantian Qi sea, Hua Changxi felt like a mere speck of dust within it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wished to fly, and the pill bead would race across the Qi sea, yet no matter how much she accelerated or how long she flew, she could not find the sea's edge, instead becoming dizzy and losing her direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi withdrew her gaze, and 'herself' immediately flew out of the Qi sea, returning to her physical body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having advanced to the Core Formation Stage, Hua Changxi could clearly feel her increased strength, yet her heart harbored an indescribable sense of floating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this be influenced by her transformation into the pill bead hovering above the Qi sea?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pill bead suspended above the Qi sea, touching neither heaven nor earth, was indeed in a floating state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi frowned slightly; did the state of the pill bead directly affect one's state of mind?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new problem had arisen in her cultivation, leaving her somewhat at a loss, but recalling that she had also fumbled her way through the Qi Refining and Qi Sea stages, she relaxed a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, looking at the data for the Core Formation Stage, she felt a headache coming on again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivating the Core Formation Stage to perfection required ten million spirit qi points; following the pattern of breakthroughs in the previous three stages, advancing to the next realm would likely require hundreds of millions of spirit qi points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi glanced around the Fire Spirit Mine, her eyes flashing with determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could already foresee that the further she progressed, the more cultivation resources she would need; she absolutely had to finalize the cooperation with You Lao and the other four, claiming this Fire Spirit Mine for herself!\u003C\u002Fp>",3269,"2026-06-12T02:51:22.172Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","453403204644636a1ea67914a87c7798277d030e0c8671f1c886c7e926e299df","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-61","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-59",558,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-cover.jpg"]