My low-key cultivation of immortality was discovered by the emperor in my diary.

The next day.

Master Lu packed his belongings and instructed the palace servants to move his precious alchemy furnace onto the carriage. He also brought two older and steady apprentices with him to help him on this trip.

At the other end of the palace road, the Grand Eunuch Hong Fu rushed over to convey the Emperor's decree: "If the alchemist has any needs, cooperate fully."

Master Lu was slightly surprised, not expecting the emperor to be so generous.

This is both an investment and a gesture of goodwill.

Meanwhile, in the imperial study, the emperor had just closed the book in his hand.

Starting from the twelfth diary entry that he hadn't finished reading the day before yesterday, he had accumulated three diaries that he hadn't read. Only after reading them all today did he glimpse Chu Lengyu's true thoughts.

In her twelfth diary entry, she continued—

"Actually, after I traveled here, I thought about many questions. For example, why did I travel here? What should I do after I traveled here? If I end my own life, can I return to my original world?"

"The system remains silent in response to my question, and I can glean the answer from its silence."

"After declining the emperor's invitation at the Star Gazing Tower, I walked the streets of the capital and saw the people bustling about. They all had their own lives, knew where they came from and where they were going, and knew how they lived each day."

"Seeing them living in peace and contentment, full of vitality, makes me feel that this world has something worth my effort."

"This diary entry is just to fill space; I wonder what kind of reward I'll get tomorrow."

"However, I think the system's judgment has always been too broad."

"The rewards have always been very random."

"The system says I'm using reverse psychology, but that's wrong. I'm just telling the truth."

Finally, the emperor smiled knowingly.

Chu Lengyu only showed her lively side in her diary.

He couldn't help but think of Jin'an, believing that girls her age should be as innocent and naive as she was. Although both were teenagers, Chu Lengyu's maturity and composure were far too advanced.

The emperor is now basically certain that this Chu Lengyu is not from this world, so her maturity and composure are likely her natural personality.

The emperor then realized that if she was not composed enough, yet possessed such terrifying power, she would be a great threat.

"The things of this world are truly wondrous," the emperor exclaimed.

In the thirteenth diary entry, Chu Lengyu wrote again—

"Uncle Lin said he would invite a master alchemist for me tomorrow. I hope that Master Lu will not disappoint me."

"If he can truly cultivate the elixir, I will spare no effort to nurture him, because talent is always the most precious thing, something that can only be encountered by chance."

"As for the reward for yesterday's diary, it was alright."

"A strange flame, the Azure Wood Cinnabar Flame."

"This is a type of strange fire that can grow. You can feed it spiritual herbs or the dregs of refined medicine, and it will absorb the essence from them and grow and transform on its own."

"However, it's only at the first level right now, and I don't have any spiritual herbs or pills to feed it. I can only have Green Bamboo pick some herbs from the herb garden to feed it casually."

"Adding the bronze alchemy furnace and alchemy inheritance from the last system reward, I can now complete a set."

"This is a good start, I suppose."

"Cultivating elixirs is destined to be a very long process, but it's worth the wait."

Wish me luck.

……

The fourteenth diary entry is longer than the previous two.

"Persuading Master Lu was easier than I had imagined."

"I'm ready to attribute all system rewards to ancient inheritance. That's a better explanation than explaining the system to them."

"So, I guess I've managed to steal one of the emperor's men this time?"

The emperor's lips twitched when he saw this, and he thought to himself: So you knew about this too.

"However, my target is not just Master Lu. Since he comes from Jade Cauldron Pavilion, I will naturally try to recruit the entire Jade Cauldron Pavilion."

emperor:"……"

He underestimated Chu Lengyu.

He could almost see her using the same methods she used to persuade Master Lu to lure all those old scholars from the Jade Cauldron Pavilion over.

He had no doubt that she could do it.

"After talking with him, my plans for the future are clearer."

"However, my plan needs to be realized with the help of the Nine Tripods."

"Judging from the detailed annotations provided by the system, the Nine Cauldrons truly deserve to be called the treasures of the human race, with each cauldron possessing unique effects."

"Whether it's cultivating spiritual herbs, establishing the underworld reincarnation system, the City God system, or other things I envision, all of these require the help of the Nine Cauldrons."

Upon seeing this, the emperor was filled with a big question mark: What were the "Nine Tripods"? It seemed that they had never been mentioned in her previous diaries.

He could only silently memorize the word and continue reading his diary.

"However, this reward... seems a bit too much."

"Moreover, they are bound to the fate of the human race. Once I refine the Nine Cauldrons, my own fate will be bound to the human race, which has great drawbacks and endless troubles. I need to consider this carefully."

"The Nine Cauldrons are of very high status. Even if I successfully transcend the tribulation and form a golden core, I will not be able to completely control them. I can only achieve the initial refining."

"According to the information provided by the system, even a Nascent Soul stage is not enough to master them; the minimum cultivation level is Deity Transformation."

The emperor quickly recalled the nine realms that Chu Lengyu had mentioned, and the Nascent Soul realm was the fifth one.

The Nascent Soul stage... just by looking at the name, you can tell how profound and mysterious this realm is.

The emperor both longed for it and felt a pang of regret.

"In addition, I heard a lot of new information from Master Lu today."

"Among cultivators in this world, there is only a distinction between innate and acquired realms."

"The sacred land for cultivators is far in the northwest, called Fog Mountain. There is also a very mysterious ice lotus in the mountain."

"I need to prepare for my tribulation now, and I also have some miscellaneous matters to attend to, so I can't get away for the time being. Around spring or summer, I'll make another trip to Misty Mountain to see what kind of foundation the cultivators there have."

Upon first hearing of the distinction between realms and the name of Mist Mountain, the emperor was both surprised and delighted.

He always remembered Chu Lengyu's lament in the fourth diary entry about the unknown history, the lack of distinctions between realms, and the shallow foundation of this world, which the emperor always brooded over.

I never expected to find the answer in the fourteenth diary entry.

The emperor was momentarily dazed and realized that he was not as happy as he had imagined.

He used to yearn to be a spiritual practitioner, and searched for it for many years.

However, in his mind now, Chu Lengyu, the cultivator, was far more powerful.

The emperor remained silent, but a glimmer of anticipation rose in his heart as he looked forward to Chu Lengyu's trip to the Misty Mountain.

The diary ended with:

"I had been thinking about living in seclusion, and perhaps Wushan was a good option."

"But on the night I went to enjoy the snow, I changed my mind, or rather, I realized my truest thoughts."

"But then the emperor's words reminded me and gave me a new idea."

"I am the only immortal in this world; what harm is there in the world worshipping me?"

"Since this world is barren, I will be the one to sow the seeds."

"Sow a single grain in spring, reap ten thousand grains in autumn."

"I look forward to the day when I reap the rewards."

After reading it, the emperor fell into deep thought.

He summoned Hong Fu to deliver an oral message to Master Lu.

Chu Lengyu wants to research spiritual herbs, and although the main reason is for her own benefit, it can also benefit the people. The emperor is very clear about this and must give her his full support.

After a while, Hongfu returned with the imperial decree. Seeing that His Majesty was still deep in thought at his desk, he stood aside and couldn't help but wonder if His Majesty was troubled by the matter of the ancestral worship ceremony on the winter solstice tomorrow.

In the past two years, the calls for establishing an heir have grown louder, which the emperor dislikes greatly. He gives no opportunity to his sons, and he always personally handles matters such as sacrifices, not allowing any imperial heirs to organize or accompany them.

Tomorrow is the 21st day of the 11th lunar month, the Winter Solstice, when the Emperor will traditionally offer sacrifices to Heaven and his ancestors. This is an extremely complicated and physically demanding matter, and Hongfu couldn't help but worry about the Emperor's health.

In the inner palace, with the Empress presiding over the Winter Solstice Banquet, there should be no major problems.