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

Pine Forest Cottage.

The system notification sounded on time.

【drop! 】

[The host has completed yesterday's diary entry.]

[Reward received: Tier 3 magic weapon, Heavenly Net Umbrella.]

【Do you want to claim the reward now? 】

"Huh?" Chu Lengyu said in surprise, "Another magic weapon? Are you sure you didn't pull any strings behind the scenes?"

[This entire system is completely innocent; the rewards are truly random.]

Chu Lengyu was skeptical.

The lightning-struck stone, the tortoise spirit shield, and the Heavenly Net Umbrella arrived just in time.

Why wasn't the system so generous when she was busy with the herb garden?

However, in the days following the winter solstice, she was repeatedly rewarded with items that would help her overcome her tribulation, which seemed quite suspicious.

However, Chu Lengyu knew that she wouldn't get any results from the system, so she simply accepted it with a peaceful heart.

She chose to claim the reward, and a white-faced, gold-patterned umbrella-shaped magic weapon slowly emerged from the void, spinning like a lotus, its surface shimmering with golden light, inspiring awe.

Chu Lengyu probed it carefully with her divine sense and discovered that it was another rare defensive treasure.

Chu Lengyu's heart began to pound with apprehension. She asked, "Could it be that the Golden Core Tribulation is really so difficult to overcome?"

She rarely hesitated for a moment. Should she... postpone her tribulation for two days?

Perhaps we can obtain a few more magical treasures from the system to ensure our safety.

But then she thought again, the path of cultivation is inherently against the will of Heaven. If she only seeks stability, when will she ever attain immortality?

With two defensive magical artifacts and the Shennong Herbal Pill, she should be able to protect her life in a critical moment.

Chu Lengyu exhaled and walked out.

the other side.

Lüyun got up very early.

She stood by the window, gazing at the gradually whitening sky, lost in thought.

Although she witnessed the beheading of the Chu couple yesterday, which was quite bloody, she did not have nightmares.

But at night, she tossed and turned, always thinking about the past three years when she and her mistress had spent every day together, relying on each other for survival.

Those days were cold and unpleasant, yet they are deeply imprinted in her memory and she thinks of them from time to time.

She stared blankly at the empty sky, then raised her hands and patted her cheeks to try and cheer herself up.

Lüyun went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast first.

Now that Miss Lu Yun has stopped eating, she will only eat a few bites when she sees something she wants to eat. But in the garden, besides Lu Yun herself, there is also Master Lu Dan and his two disciples, as well as Master Fu Wenshen and his disciple who are temporarily staying there. She has more motivation to prepare three meals a day.

After a quick breakfast, Master Lu gave his two disciples careful instructions and assigned them their tasks for the day before leaving quickly to meet them in the courtyard.

In the courtyard, Chu Lengyu was still dressed in white, her hair like clouds, her waist like a willow, her demeanor graceful, and her aura like a fragrant orchid.

She stood beneath the pines and cypresses, blending seamlessly with the surrounding scenery, resembling a delicate ink painting that was pleasing to the eye.

Upon seeing her, Master Lu's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but step forward and ask, "Are you really ready, young lady?"

Meeting his concerned gaze, Chu Lengyu smiled slightly, glanced at everyone, and said softly, "Preparations are never-ending, and I feel great right now."

Upon hearing this, Fu Wenshen nodded and said in a deep voice, "Miss Chu, the power of thunder is no small matter. You must be careful. If needed, I will do my best to help you."

"I appreciate your kindness." Upon hearing this, Chu Lengyu solemnly reminded everyone, "However, the tribulation lightning is a test of the heavens and earth for individual cultivators, and it will only be directed at me. Therefore, when I am undergoing my tribulation, under no circumstances should you approach me. Otherwise, not only will you needlessly add another bolt of lightning to affect me, but you will also needlessly lose your own lives."

"So that's how it is..." Master Lu stroked his white beard and murmured, "Leaving not a single loophole, it truly is a calamity."

Chu Lengyu didn't give them any more time for pleasantries. She immediately vanished in a flash, transforming into a streak of light that carried everyone for dozens of miles, until they arrived at a desolate wilderness.

This place was the location she had chosen beforehand to undergo her tribulation.

The surrounding area was overgrown with weeds and undulating with mountains, but there was no sign of human habitation, so the power of the lightning tribulation would not harm the innocent.

She settled Lüyun and the others on a low hill, where they had a good view and could observe what was about to happen in a relatively safe place.

Afterwards, Chu Lengyu flew alone and gracefully towards the designated place for her tribulation.

After choosing a spot, she slowly closed her eyes and began to regulate her breathing and calm her mind, adjusting herself to her peak condition.

Her breathing was long and deep, as if it blended into the natural atmosphere around her.

The porcelain bottle hanging from her waist contained Shennong's Herbal Pills, which she had prepared for herself to deal with any potential crises.

During this process, Chu Lengyu's mind gradually calmed down, and she discarded all distracting thoughts, leaving only her firmest belief.

She knew clearly that this was the first life-or-death test she was facing, and if she couldn't even survive the Golden Core Tribulation, she would deserve to die.

After adjusting, Chu Lengyu slowly opened her eyes, calm and composed.

She first took out the lightning-struck stone, a dark stone with its surface covered with countless silvery-white mottled marks left by lightning.

Chu Lengyu learned from the system's annotations that this kind of lightning-struck stone is extremely rare, requiring thousands of natural lightning strikes to form, and is inherently very hard.

She wanted to use the stone's properties to add a solid layer of defense to the Heavenly Net Umbrella.

Then, with a gentle wave of her hand, the platinum-colored umbrella slowly unfolded in the air, its surface shimmering with a faint spiritual light, breathtakingly beautiful.

But at this moment, Chu Lengyu had no time to appreciate the beauty. She placed the lightning-struck stones in the center of the umbrella and reinforced them with magic.

Finally, Chu Lengyu took out the Turtle Spirit Shield, a defensive magic weapon made from the shell of a spirit turtle. It was dark green and engraved with Bagua patterns, with an ancient and simple style.

She infused a wisp of spiritual power, and the Turtle Spirit Shield released multiple tortoise shell phantoms that spun continuously around her, forming a defensive barrier.

She set up a small spirit-gathering array, made thorough preparations, and began her breakthrough to the Core Formation stage.

The surrounding spiritual energy seemed to respond to some kind of summons, and it converged wildly.

Centered on her, a massive vortex of spiritual energy, several miles in diameter, was formed, absorbing all the spiritual energy within a radius of dozens of miles!

Within her dantian, spiritual energy was also spinning rapidly, compressing itself more and more tightly, becoming smaller and smaller.

Just then, the weather suddenly changed. Thick, dark clouds quickly gathered, blotting out the sun and shrouding the wilderness in a depressing grayness.

Silver lightning flashed through the clouds like wild snakes, accompanied by deafening thunder, inspiring fear in all who beheld it.

Chu Lengyu's expression remained unchanged as she took out spirit stones and kept them in her hand for later use. She knew that the real test was about to begin.

Suddenly, an extremely dazzling bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, carrying a world-destroying force, and struck straight down.

The lightning struck the lightning-struck stone, and the silvery-white lightning marks on the stone seemed to come alive, reflecting the power of the lightning.

The remaining lightning struck the surface of the Heavenly Net Umbrella, making its spiritual light even brighter. The magic array on the surface of the umbrella was activated and began to rotate rapidly, dispersing and absorbing the power of the lightning.

Chu Lengyu gripped the Heavenly Net Umbrella tightly, her spiritual power surging around her, merging with the spiritual light flowing on the umbrella's surface, fiercely resisting the power of the lightning tribulation.

Each lightning bolt struck was like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting, but she managed to defuse them one by one with the help of her magical artifacts and her own abilities.

Despite the fierce thunder and the fact that she blocked it all, Chu Lengyu felt no relief.

This is merely the first test of the tribulation.