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

"Qingzhou Stone, rise!" Chu Lengyu shouted again.

One by one, the unique rocks of Qingzhou slowly rose up and floated in mid-air. Enveloped in spiritual energy, they began to slowly rotate.

"Refine it with spiritual fire, forge it with magical power." Chu Lengyu's hands danced like butterflies flitting among flowers, and streams of spiritual power shot out from her fingertips, striking the spinning rocks.

Under the impact of spiritual energy, the rocks began to gradually melt, forming a mass of blue liquid.

She then processed the other materials in accordance with the law.

Although it was something that could be done in the blink of an eye, she still made sure to give it a sense of ceremony.

"Condense!" Chu Lengyu's voice rang out again, and clumps of liquid began to slowly condense, gradually forming the shape of a cauldron.

As Chu Lengyu cast his final magic seal, the "Qingzhou Cauldron" finally took shape.

It floated in mid-air, emitting a faint light, attracting everyone's attention.

Its material is neither gold, wood, nor stone; it is incredibly simple, yet it looks as heavy as a mountain.

"The cauldron is complete!" Chu Lengyu's face was expressionless, and she gently waved her hand as the cauldron slowly descended onto the stone platform in the center of the square.

Everyone who witnessed the entire process was deeply moved.

The cauldron blank is complete; the next step is carving.

Amidst the watchful eyes of the crowd, the craftsman stepped forward, his expression solemn, as if bearing a tremendous weight.

After last night's thrilling assassination attempt, he understood even more clearly that this cauldron was far more important than his own life.

He secretly vowed in his heart: This cauldron is extraordinary, I will do my best to fulfill my mission.

He suddenly opened his eyes, staring directly at the cauldron blank, the tools in his hand, each one having accompanied him through countless years, and which he knew by heart.

He made bold modifications to the shape of the tripod, and then began to carve it quickly yet accurately according to the pre-determined pattern.

Every chisel stroke, every carving, embodies a simple love for the mountains and rivers of China.

The specific design of the Nine Tripods was finally decided by the Ministry of Rites after gathering a group of experts and going through countless deliberations and revisions.

The Nine Tripods symbolize the nine provinces of China. Not only must the materials come from all over the nine provinces, but the tripods must also be engraved with the charm of the mountains and rivers of each province, expressing their respective characteristics.

The Qingzhou Ding has four legs and two handles.

"Qingzhou is the only place in the Hai-Dai region," hence the Qingzhou Ding (a type of ancient Chinese cauldron) depicts not only winding mountains like dragons and snakes, and rivers encircling it like jade belts, but also scattered islands and fishing boats, creating a vibrant scene. (Note 1)

The four legs feature the Four Symbols: Azure Dragon soaring through the clouds, White Tiger roaring in the wind, Vermilion Bird bathing in fire, and Black Tortoise guarding the earth, signifying the four divine spirits who jointly protect the Great Xia.

The cauldron gradually reveals its divine charm, radiating a soft glow.

Among the delegation, people looked at the landscape sculptures that had been carved and formed, and discussed them animatedly.

“Look, Qingzhou is high in the east and low in the west, and the highest point is Mount Tai! Although I have never been there, I have longed to visit it for a long time.” An envoy who was quite knowledgeable about the geography of the Great Xia Dynasty pointed to the most prominent peak and said excitedly.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked in the direction he pointed, and saw the Taishan mountain range winding and undulating on the body of the cauldron, majestic and awe-inspiring.

Even those who have never set foot on Mount Tai will be awestruck by its exquisite carvings.

After all, that's Mount Tai, the foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains!

"You will be at the top of the mountain, and you will have a panoramic view of all the small mountains."

Some people who don't know much about Mount Tai are still influenced by the atmosphere at this moment and are determined to learn more about it afterward.

The Taishan mountain range is majestic and winding, and the craftsman, with a clear vision in mind, completed the work in one go.

The surrounding chatter seemed to have no effect on him.

He then picked up another carving knife, flicked his wrist, and left a long, curved mark on the cauldron, just like the bend of a river.

“This… should be the turbid water.” Another envoy recognized it, and then recited with slight excitement, “The sun and moon swallow and spit out the vast expanse, dragons emerge and disappear in the hidden spirit pool. I wish to ride the long wind to transcend the mortal realm, and visit the Yuanzhou in the Twelve Jade Pots.” (Note 2)

So everyone's attention immediately turned to the river, and they began to recall if they had any impression of it.

Among the crowd, only Yue Mu's face grew increasingly grim. He was unwilling to understand the majesty of the summit of Mount Tai, nor did he want to imagine the gentle beauty of the banks of the turbid waters.

He remained silent, seemingly out of place among the excited crowd.

The land of Daqian is fertile and abundant, but it is far less magnificent and colorful than that of Daxia, and it does not have so many poetic lines that one can easily compose.

He didn't care about those small countries; only the Great Xia was worthy of being the enemy of the Great Qian.

It was precisely because he knew this enemy so well that Yue Mu remained so silent.

More and more scenes are being sculpted by the skillful hands of craftsmen.

It begins with magnificent landscapes, towering mountains, rushing rivers, and crisscrossing streams, followed by farmland, fishing boats, and small people at work.

He adjusted the pressure of each stroke, his mind completely focused, and even in the dead of winter, beads of sweat still appeared on his forehead.

The architecture and figures are perfectly integrated into this scene, adding a touch of dynamism to this landscape painting.

Everyone gradually became engrossed in watching, their eyes following the craftsman's carving knife as he skillfully carved out a prosperous and beautiful Qingzhou.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that the scenery of Qingzhou on the body of the tripod is so lifelike that one can almost hear its sounds, see its colors, and feel its emotions.

Even the usually taciturn Master Huikong rarely spoke up and praised, "Amitabha, excellent, excellent."

And it's not over yet.

The craftsman changed to a different carving brush and carefully wrote place names such as "Mount Tai" and "Zhuoshui" next to the landscape patterns he had just carved. He also wrote county names such as "Qiancheng" and "Shouguang" next to the city figures.

He was so focused that every place name seemed to be the most precious memory in his heart, carefully engraved on the body of the cauldron.

Just by looking at these place names, people immediately thought of related historical anecdotes or local celebrities.

The name of Prefect Fan of Qingzhou is frequently mentioned, and his famous saying, "Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures," is widely circulated.

Even envoys from foreign lands were moved by it.

The envoy from Nanli revealed a deep sense of envy.

The envoy from Nanli was extremely envious of this.

The Xia Dynasty's long history and profound culture are unparalleled in the world!

Nanli was merely a small, mountainous country in the south, with an area and population smaller than even a single province of the Great Xia. Although its history was not short, it was often interrupted.

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Note 1: The name Qingzhou first appeared in the Book of Documents, Yu Gong: "The mountains and seas are Qingzhou".

Note 2: From Liu Yun's "Ode to Yangshui" (Ming Dynasty).

In addition, I am not good at historical research, so any errors in geography, landscape, or cultural allusions should be considered as fictional differences (facepalm).