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

As the first rays of dawn illuminate the world, everything comes into view.

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the emperor sat solemnly on the dragon throne, surveying the assembled officials below.

"My beloved ministers, the morning court session has concluded, and I have something to announce." The emperor's voice echoed in the hall, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

Upon hearing this, the courtiers all fell silent, their faces showing respect, their eyes fixed on the emperor, awaiting his next words.

"Grand Preceptor Chu Lengyu, today we will begin casting the Qingzhou Cauldron. This is a grand event for our Great Xia Dynasty. I hereby order all of you to attend the ceremony and witness the birth of the Nine Provinces Guardian Cauldron." The emperor's face showed an undisguised excitement.

Upon hearing this, the courtiers whispered among themselves, discussing the matter animatedly, their faces showing anticipation.

The Nine Tripods have long been a hot topic of discussion both in the court and among the public.

With Chu Lengyu's swift and decisive actions as a precedent, none of the ministers objected. However, they did not entirely agree with the move; instead, they all chose to protect themselves and buried their dissent deep in their hearts, fearing that they might inadvertently bring about their own demise.

The human heart is like the sea; each person's thoughts and calculations are hidden beneath this moment of silence.

But if the Nine Tripods are lost, certain people will never let this opportunity pass. They will be like lurking venomous snakes, waiting for their chance to strike. Even if they dare not do anything openly, they have many tricks up their sleeves.

After the morning court session, the emperor led his officials to the site where the tripod was cast—the open square in front of the Golden Palace.

The emperor had privately inquired with Chu Lengyu whether they needed to find another place.

In his opinion, the casting ceremony of the tripod was similar to Taoist rituals, and it was necessary to carefully select a place with excellent feng shui in order to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

When faced with his question, Chu Lengyu simply replied, "Wherever I am, that is auspicious."

The emperor chuckled, realizing he had indeed asked a foolish question.

What she said is true. If we talk about feng shui, the best place in the world right now is probably Pine Forest Lodge.

Jin'an had only visited once when returning a gift, but she was deeply impressed and full of praise for it. However, although she liked it, she was unwilling to go to Chu Lengyu's residence to disturb him because she now held Chu Lengyu in awe.

In the emperor's view, his daughter was too thin-skinned and hadn't figured things out yet. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was right in front of her, and she had to seize it and hold onto it firmly.

Remember, opportunity knocks but once.

If it weren't for his status preventing him from acting rashly, he would have shamelessly asked Chu Lengyu for a place in the Pine Forest Cottage so he could stay there occasionally.

In the center of the square, all kinds of materials needed for casting had already been laid out.

The envoys from various countries who were invited to attend the ceremony, dressed in magnificent attire, stood at a distance with different expressions.

Many of them looked on with curiosity, their eyes scanning the scene before them, wondering what would happen next.

They spoke in hushed tones, exchanging their views.

"I've heard that the Nine Cauldrons are the national treasure of the Great Xia Dynasty, and the method of their forging is even more mysterious and unpredictable, unknown to anyone to this day. To be able to witness it with my own eyes today is truly an honor," an envoy exclaimed, his eyes filled with curiosity about the unknown.

“Indeed, even if it is not as miraculous as the legends say, and cannot determine the rise and fall of a nation, it is still a vital national treasure. Although we are foreigners, we can feel the importance that Great Xia attaches to this matter.” Another envoy nodded in agreement, his expression slightly solemn.

However, some people saw beyond the surface and couldn't help but exclaim, "The casting of the Nine Tripods was not only a display of skill, but also a symbol of the power of the Great Xia Dynasty!"

If the land were not abundant with resources and the country were not stable, the emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty would not have been able to undertake such a large-scale project.

Although most of the collected materials were worthless wood and stone, the manpower and resources transported from afar were not lacking at all.

Upon hearing this, all around fell silent. Every envoy was startled, and as their eyes met, they seemed to sense the unease in each other's hearts.

They began to silently compare whether their own country, faced with the same test, could so quickly and efficiently mobilize the nation's strength to accomplish such an unprecedented feat at the king's command.

As they pondered, everyone's expressions varied; some were lost in thought, some felt regret, and others showed deep admiration.

They seemed to see the unshakeable foundation of the Great Xia Dynasty, and the immense power hidden deep within its people, ready to converge into a vast ocean at any moment.

This invisible pressure makes many people feel uneasy.

Among all the nations, only the Great Qian might be worth a try.

At this moment, Yue Mu's face was gloomy. He snorted coldly and said, "These materials are nothing special. I'm very curious how the Chu State Preceptor will use these ordinary materials to forge the legendary national treasure?"

Suddenly, the atmosphere became subtle.

The envoy from Nanli hesitated to speak in response.

He believed that the Chu State Preceptor, as a cultivator, possessed unfathomable abilities that were far beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals like themselves.

Since she dared to cast the Qingzhou Cauldron in full view of everyone, she must have had a foolproof plan.

But seeing Yue Mu's extremely bad expression, he hesitated for a moment, his lips twitched, and he ultimately chose to remain silent.

He buried that awe deep in his heart and instead focused on the present, preparing to witness this historic moment with the utmost reverence.

Before arriving in Shenjing, he was worried that the Great Xia would send swords to Nanli.

However, given the vast disparity between the two sides, the Southern Li envoy even boldly believes that merging into the Great Xia is actually an excellent opportunity.

……

Chu Lengyu stood quietly on a high platform, seemingly detached from the world.

The weather was slightly overcast today, but no snow had fallen. A cold wind was blowing, and everyone was wearing coats and furs, but she was dressed in thin clothes, seemingly unconcerned about the biting cold.

"Imperial Preceptor, everything is ready. We may begin." The Emperor walked up to Chu Lengyu, his tone carrying a hint of respect.

Chu Lengyu nodded slightly. Her gaze swept over the materials, and then she raised her hands and began to form a series of hand seals.

As she moved, the surrounding air seemed to vibrate, and an invisible force gathered in the air above the square.

"Heaven and earth's spiritual energy, heed my command, gather!" Chu Lengyu's voice was clear and firm.

At her command, the surrounding spiritual energy began to converge wildly towards the center of the plaza, forming a huge vortex of spiritual energy.

The assembled officials were all astonished upon seeing this.

They felt that powerful force, and their awe of Chu Lengyu deepened, and their yearning for cultivators grew even stronger.

In their eyes, what Chu Lengyu displayed was nothing short of the legendary immortal arts, leaving people in awe.

Her extraordinary and otherworldly appearance aroused the curiosity of countless people, who longed to unveil the veil of mystery surrounding her, to uncover her secrets, and to find out how she was able to obtain such a heaven-defying opportunity, but in the end... they found nothing.

As for Chu Lengyu herself, she was like the bright moon in the sky, someone no one dared to offend.

Those who dared to covet her were all too afraid to reveal their greed and jealousy, keeping it buried deep in their hearts.

In recent times, there have been quite a few self-righteous "clever people" who have tried to find a breakthrough by looking at the emperor.

They attempted to provoke the emperor into issuing an order, forcing Chu Lengyu to hand over the coveted opportunity and cultivation method for immortality.

However, they forgot that the emperor could not be easily swayed by them. How could he possibly risk such a thing for a small gain?

Moreover, with the diary in hand, the emperor is the person who understands the path of immortality cultivation best. Even if he wanted to cultivate immortality, he would have to achieve it first and establish laws before allowing his subjects to do so.

Otherwise, the disorderly expansion of power will inevitably lead to unrest among the people, social unrest, and national instability.

Such covert confrontations are too numerous to count.

As a result, the emperor had many more troublesome matters to deal with, but he was happy to accept them.

He even gradually realized that he no longer aspired to be a "wise ruler" who would be remembered for all time.

His only concern is getting things done and doing them well, not caring about temporary fame.

Just like now, people laugh at him for being biased, foolish, and incompetent, but that is utterly insignificant.