Chapter 29: The Mysterious Kunlun Mountains

"Planetary Traverser? In ancient China? Where exactly?"  

"Kunlun Mountain. A place of spiritual vitality and abundant natural treasures. Back then, it was a hub adored by many extraterrestrial civilizations—a bustling hotspot. The planetary traverser was located within Buzhou Mountain 不周山, part of Kunlun."  

This revelation astonished me again, and at the same time I was a little excited. Buweiro rarely commented on a certain place or thing, but I didn't expect him to have a special liking for Kunlun Mountain in my country. I immediately wanted to ask him about it.

"Kunlun Mountain—I know it! It's regarded as China's most sacred mountain and was first mentioned in 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas' 山海经. However, most people in China see 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas' as a fantastical book full of myths and legends. As for the specific location of Kunlun Mountain, there is still no conclusion.

I've also heard of Buzhou Mountain—it's said to be the one knocked down by the water deity Gong Gong 共工. Are these legends true? Were there really immortals in ancient times? Can you tell me more, Buweiro? I'm incredibly interested in my country's history and myths."  

I asked a lot of questions in one breath, eagerly awaiting Buweiro's response.  

"Of course, young brother. The Alliance will grant any of your requests, so don't hesitate.  

First, let me clarify that Kunlun Mountain isn't a single mountain. It is composed of many large and small mountain ranges and peaks. The area you've delineated in your country—encompassing the borders of Tibet, Qinghai, and Xinjiang—is correct. However, its actual expanse is even greater than your current maps suggest.  

If we align its ancient geography with modern maps, Kunlun Mountain would stretch all the way to Qilian Mountain in Gansu Province, forming an extensive network of ranges that traverse in all directions. Buzhou Mountain, as it was known in ancient times, would correspond to today's Pamir Plateau 帕米尔高原." 

I never imagined that Kunlun Mountain was even more vast than I thought, and Buweiro even pinpointed the specific location of Kunlun Mountain as described in ancient legends.  

"Wow, the Kunlun Mountain range is so massive! No wonder its exact location has been debated for thousands of years. Based on what you're saying, the range is so expansive that standing anywhere around it could technically count as being on Kunlun Mountain, right?"  

Seeing the approving look in Buweiro's eyes made me very happy. Encouraged, I asked another question: "The ancient Kunlun range was so vast—how has it shrunk so much over time? And in The Classic of Mountains and Seas, it's said that Buzhou Mountain was a pillar supporting the sky. But the Pamir Plateau today is just a highland, nowhere near touching the heavens. How do you explain that?"

"Much of the Kunlun range was destroyed in ancient conflicts," Buweiro explained. "This brings us back to the last great battle of the ancient era. While the battle didn't completely shatter the planet, like what happened during the age of the dinosaurs, it did destroy the terrain between what is now Qinghai and Gansu provinces, cutting the Kunlun range in two. The area of conflict became the current Qaidam Basin 柴达木盆地, which remains ecologically devastated to this day."  

I was very interested as Buweiro continued: "As for Buzhou Mountain, the name has been passed down from ancient times. In those days, what you now call the Pamir Plateau was far more expansive. At its heart was a large base—where many alien civilizations travel through the stars.

Since interstellar travel required massive amounts of energy, many extraterrestrial civilizations connected the core of their large base to the sun, creating a radiant energy pillar. This pillar constantly absorbed hydrogen from the star and used nuclear fusion to generate the energy needed for travel. To the ancient people living at the foot of the mountain, this appeared to be a divine mountain reaching the heavens. Over generations, this phenomenon transformed into the ancient myths you know today.

As for the 'immortals' in The Classic of Mountains and Seas, they were intelligent beings from various extraterrestrial civilizations. Because they looked different from ancient humans and could harness universal energy fields to fly, disappear, and move freely in and out of Kunlun and Buzhou Mountains, your ancestors, unable to comprehend them, simply regarded them as deities."  

"So that's the truth! But wasn't the Kunlun Mountain range a harsh environment? Why did so many extraterrestrial civilizations like to gather there? Was ancient Kunlun Mountain some kind of scenic paradise, only to be destroyed and irradiated into what it is today?"

"No, the environment in ancient times was even harsher than it is now. The key difference was that the magnetic fields were much stronger. As I mentioned earlier, areas along Earth's 30°North Latitude have intense magnetic fields, and the Kunlun Mountain range, located along this latitude, was no exception.  

Strong and unstable magnetic fields are problematic for modern human technology. However, for early-stage civilizations that could manipulate magnetic fields at will, such places were considered paradises. Their technology thrived in magnetic environments, and many extraterrestrial species adapted their bodies to be magnetism-friendly. Even if they weren't naturally attuned to magnetic fields, it didn't harm them. Humans, on the other hand, would experience various physical discomforts.  

When ancient extraterrestrial species traveled through Kunlun and Buzhou Mountains, they wore specially designed nano-suits. These suits allowed them to control the surrounding magnetic fields for flight and traversal, emitting radiant, colorful lights in the process. When ancient humans saw this, they thought they were witnessing divine beings."  

Buweiro's explanation made me nod thoughtfully.  

"Then what about the fantastical creatures and magical mountains mentioned in 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas'? Why are some animals and peaks still identifiable today, while others are completely untraceable?" I decided to get to the bottom of this since we were already talking about the text.  

"In ancient times, the earth had many more plants and animals than it does now. Over the past thousands of years, or in the past few hundred years, the advancement of human technology has not paid attention to environmental protection, causing many species to disappear and become extinct.

A civilization that does not protect the ecological environment is not a perfect civilization. The rare animals in  'The Classic of Mountains and Seas' that cannot be found today are either extinct due to environmental damage or gradually disappearing due to human hunting.  

Some plants and animals were brought from their own planets by alien civilizations for scientific research, or mutated by experiments. They were left alone to fend for themselves. Ancient people saw them,  but today, they're either gone or unrecognizable.  

As for some of the disappeared mountains, they were either destroyed in battles, others were hidden due to the Interstellar Alliance Treaty, so you can't see them. Some were taken away by alien spacecraft."  

Buweiro's explanation left me with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. "Some species were brought here from extraterrestrial planets? Like what? Could they survive on the Earth? Did any of them reproduce and exist to this day?"