Chapter 30: Unlock the Secret of "The Classic of Mountains and Seas"

"The creatures brought by extraterrestrial civilizations to Earth that later went extinct include the Di Jiang 帝江, also referred to by ancient humans as Hun Dun (Chaos,混沌). This creature had a rounded body, four wings, and six legs, with no external features like eyes, ears, mouth, or nose. On its home planet, the Di Jiang did not need to eat; it absorbed something akin to wireless energy from its surroundings and did not require excretion. It perceived its environment through unique sensory mechanisms, evolving its distinctive appearance. With nothing to do every day, it developed a love for the arts to pass the time. This is why 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas' describes it as an intelligent, multi-talented divine bird.

The Qi Zhong跂踵was another extraterrestrial species. After adapting to the Earth, it became attracted to the scent of plague. Wherever a plague occurred, it could sense it beforehand and was thus regarded by ancient humans as a vicious bird.

Other creatures recorded in 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas', such as the Li Hu 鵹鹕, Zhu Nou 朱獳, Bing Feng 并封, Kui Niu 夔牛, Ya Yu 猰貐, and He Yu 合窳, were also extraterrestrial beings. However, they later became extinct on the surface of the Earth for various reasons, most commonly due to being hunted by ancient humans. (Figure 30.1)

Figure 30.1: Species in 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas' (imaginative drawing)

Currently, the Alliance maintains a base where these ancient creatures are bred. Occasionally, they are released onto the surface for research purposes, which is why some people still catch glimpses of them. Some extraterrestrial species from ancient times, with their strong vitality and adaptability, managed to survive and reproduce, though their numbers are now extremely limited.

For instance, certain species of squid and octopus in the ocean exhibit remarkable resilience and adaptability. These creatures have even interbred with other ancient soft-bodied animals to continue their lineage. They survived primarily because your ancestors could not conquer the sea."

"Wow." Buweiro's explanation, accompanied by 5D holographic images and sound effects, allowed me to clearly understand the ancient creatures recorded in 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas'. So, that's the truth behind them.

"What about dragons? What's their story? Why can't they be found now? I've always believed that dragons existed. Otherwise, our ancestors wouldn't have included an imaginary mythical creature in the Chinese Zodiac 十二生肖, especially since all the other zodiac animals are real." After Buweiro retracted the 5D holographic display, I asked the question closest to my heart, one that resonates with the faith of billions of my fellow citizens.

"You are quite correct. Dragons did indeed exist. However, they were also extraterrestrial creatures, not native to Earth. Dragons were a highly adaptable and resilient species. With their majestic and powerful appearance, as well as their extraordinary abilities, they were revered by your ancestors, eventually becoming a symbol of cultural faith.

In ancient times, dragons did not only appear in your country but also traveled to other parts of the Earth. They occasionally interbred with Earth's large creatures, producing hybrid offspring. For example, your legends of Jiao Long 蛟龙 and Ying Long 应龙, as well as Western tales of elemental dragons and hydras, are all descendants of dragons.

As for the saying that 'dragons have nine offspring' 龙生九子, some were indeed hybrid descendants, while others were purely imaginative creations. Although it is the belief of your ancestors, they have not escaped hunting. Extreme ancient people firmly believe that eating dragon meat can change one's body and soul and prolong their lives. As a result, they often hunted dragons in secret. In the end, the Alliance intervened and took the remaining dragons away."

Buweiro's explanation filled me with excitement and passion. Once the initial excitement passed, I asked about the magical powers of the dragon, curious to know if the legends were true: "Do dragons really have the powers described in our country's legends—flying through the sky, diving into the sea, and breathing fire?"

"It's true. Breathing fire, diving underwater, and running on land are all innate abilities. Dragons are highly intelligent creatures capable of manipulating the ancient Universal Energy Field. With the help of this Universal Energy Field, they can fly, teleport, and control weather phenomena—essentially what you know as weather manipulation in your legends.

In the past, some dragons were released and soared through the high-altitude clouds. Occasionally, they were spotted and photographed by humans on planes, but such incidents were suppressed. Dragons have also appeared in other places and were occasionally witnessed in ancient times. Your ancestors recorded these sightings, which is why the belief has persisted until now. If it were false, it would have been abandoned long ago."

My excitement grew even stronger, and Buweiro was laughing too—it didn't seem like he was laughing at my ignorance. Suddenly, I remembered a long-debated question:

"Oh, right. 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas' often describes places as being a certain number of 'li' away from a specific mountain, and these mountains are said to contain various creatures and plants. Our ancient ancestors, modern researchers, and even foreign scholars have attempted to locate these mountains based on the distances described in 'li', but some can be found while others cannot. What exactly does this distance—'li'—represent? People have argued about it for ages."

"In 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas' , the unit of distance 'li' refers to the transmission range used by the Interstellar Alliance. It has no connection to the 'li' used in your modern distance measurements.

In ancient times, many extraterrestrial bases were built in large mountains. Different alien civilizations often transported experimental subjects to other bases for exchange and study.

The extraterrestrial civilizations brought their technology and living experimental subjects with them, including early humans. First, ancient humans were created as Earth-based primates and served as ideal living test subjects. Second, your ancestors were intelligent, capable of remembering events, performing chores, and communicating with their kind, making them easy to organize and utilize.

For all these reasons, extraterrestrial civilizations often took your ancestors along on their spacecraft or travelled around the world using Universal Energy Fields. As a result, your ancestors regarded each alien race as deities. Many people witnessed, heard, or experienced extraterrestrial experiments firsthand, passing down these accounts from generation to generation."

Buweiro's explanation cleared up a lot for me. It turned out that humanity's ancestors had been constantly manipulated by extraterrestrial civilizations.

"What about the exotic plants mentioned in 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas' ? Some of them can no longer be found, or perhaps they've gone extinct. Were those also brought from other planets?

Also, why is it that the climate around each mountain—or rather, extraterrestrial base—is so different, even though the distances between the peaks aren't that far?" I initially intended to mention specific plants or mountains but couldn't recall any on the spot. 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas' features too many creatures and plants, and some are still in ancient traditional Chinese characters, which people can't even recognize, so I can only ask for a general idea.

"Good question, and your observation is correct. However, the number of ancient plants that went extinct wasn't very high, mainly because your ancestors leaned towards eating meat and fruits. Some plants disappeared because they were over-harvested after their benefits were discovered.

For example, Xun Grass 荀草. Your ancestors, having developed an appreciation for beauty in ancient times, discovered that eating this grass made their bodies more refined and graceful. They searched for it everywhere, treating it like food, which eventually led to its disappearance. This might also explain why humans gradually became more attractive over generations.

There are also endangered plants that still exist today, like Zhu Shan 竹山 and Huang Guan 黄雚, which were used for bathing and could cure skin ailments and swelling. These can still be found today.

Let me give you an example of an alien tree species: the San Zhu Tree 三株树. This tree could grow pearls. Your ancestors loved picking these pearls to make jewelry, leading to the extinction of all San Zhu Trees on land. Ancient humans lacked environmental awareness and would cut down entire trees to take them home—not just for the pearls but also to use the wood as firewood."

I couldn't help but chuckle at this. Buweiro continued:

"As for why the climate around each mountain base varies greatly, despite their proximity, it's because each alien race required different environmental conditions. To live comfortably, they used their base technology to modify the external climate.

Some races preferred cold environments, so they set their mountain base to maintain freezing temperatures year-round. Others preferred heat and adjusted their climate to remain consistently hot. When your ancestors visited these mountains, they would experience vastly different environments.

After undergoing experiments, some of your ancestors who survived were returned to their tribes. They shared what they had seen and experienced with their kin, and these stories were passed down orally, eventually being compiled into what you now see as the fantastical   'Classic of Mountains and Seas'.

"Oh, I see!" I suddenly had a moment of realization. "It's not just 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas' —many ancient texts describe shamans or priests in ancient tribes. These figures were said to communicate with ghosts, gods, or celestial beings and relay divine messages to their people. Some were even taken away to become immortals.

I always thought these were just legends, but it seems they were actually taken by extraterrestrial civilizations for experiments. Those who didn't return likely didn't survive. The extraterrestrial civilizations must have kept quiet to avoid causing fear in the ancient tribes, ensuring their unwavering faith."

"That's about right, young man, the more you know, the clearer your analysis is. You are very smart." Buweiro praised me for the first time, but I knew my own limitations. His words were purely polite, but I was still very happy in my heart and continued to ask questions:

"In 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas', every mountain is said to have a mountain god with a unique form, and each god had different preferences for the offerings made to them. Why is that? Did some aliens enjoy eating Earth's food or wearing fancy jewelry? And why does 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas', a book from our country, record so many non-Asian plants and animals? Were they brought here by extraterrestrials?"

"Yes, every mountain had an alien administrator managing the base. Because of their varied appearances, your ancestors described them as different mountain gods. As I mentioned before, once a species reaches a basic level of technological civilization, intelligent beings tend to find eating and drinking a waste of time.

The mountain gods will not eat the sacrifices of the ancients, as they would find it troublesome. Your human ancestors worshipped the mountain gods only for the comfort of faith. Only by worshipping the mountain gods could the tribesmen feel safe."

Seeing me nod, Buweiro continued, "Your analysis is correct. The aliens in each mountain and each race base cooperate in scientific research. Not only do they exchange technology, but they also occasionally capture animals and plants from all over the world for research. The surviving useless species will be released back into the wild and seen by your ancestors.

The names of many ancient creatures and plants were given by your ancestors. Some of these names are still used today, while others have changed over the course of history. The aliens themselves used codes to identify Earth species, as they didn't bother naming them."

"Oh, I see. What are some of the animals and plants brought to our country from around the world? Are any of them still around today? Please share a few examples. 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas' fascinates not just me but also many others, both domestically and internationally."