A Forgotten History of Civilization?

Hearing Lin Huaian utter the word "appendix," Despite having been briefed beforehand, Zhou Jianmin remained silent for a long moment before nodding heavily. "Yes, Chief. It's... the appendix." Half a day earlier, After Xiao Jiguang successfully completed his Awakening, Dawn Base had not only measured his physiological parameters in athletic performance, but had also thoroughly sampled various bodily fluids and hair, in addition to conducting a head-to-toe scan. Truth be told, The scan ranked lowest in priority among these steps, serving primarily as a routine examination procedure. After all, the enhancements from entering the realm manifested predominantly in physiological functions; purely radiological changes were limited. It would not turn a bald scalp into a lush forest, nor would an extra eyeball sprout from nowhere. At most, a person's height might stretch up by a centimeter or two. Yet what left everyone utterly dumbfounded Was that during the scan, the imaging team suddenly discovered... The appendix Xiao Jiguang had surgically removed several years prior due to appendicitis had somehow regenerated without anyone noticing! "Elder Huang stepped in personally afterward to compare it against the actual situation," Zhou Jianmin said, sinking back into his seat to compose himself. "Ultimately, they confirmed that the location of the sea of qi almost completely coincides with the appendix. "At the same time, Elder Huang's team detected the trajectory of complexes within the appendix—which is to say, spiritual power." Lin Huaian pondered for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly. "So, Comrade Jianmin, the appendix is actually the sea of qi?" "Well, Elder Huang believes they aren't necessarily identical," Zhou Jianmin replied, shaking his head as he relayed the deductions of Huang Rong and the other specialists. "After all, according to the information Comrade Lin Yi provided, even if an external force completely pierces a cultivator's abdomen, they can still mobilize spiritual power to a certain extent. "Therefore, in the view of several experts, they lean toward the idea that the appendix is a physical projection of the sea of qi within the human body. "Its function is somewhat like an adapter commonly used for electronics. The sea of qi resides in the void, and the spiritual energy stored within passes through the appendix into the torso. To put it in esoteric terms, it is a byproduct of the boundary between the illusory and the real. "If the appendix is damaged, the spiritual power of the sea of qi can still be mobilized, but efficiency and various other aspects will be compromised." Lin Huaian reflected for a moment and felt Pan Yongnian's assessment seemed reasonable. He had also read the transcript Zhou Jianmin mentioned. According to Lin Yi's account of his past experiences, he had suffered severe abdominal trauma on several occasions. During one instance, he was critically wounded and on the verge of death, yet he could still mobilize spiritual power using a spirit stone—though the consumption was several times higher than normal. Thus, in Lin Huaian's view, The theory that the appendix was a projection influenced by spiritual power aligned much more closely with the actual circumstances Lin Yi had described. It was like two adjacent floors in a building: sharing the exact same horizontal coordinates, yet separated by a ceiling in reality. Still... Even if the appendix was merely a projection, this remained astonishing. In Lin Huaian's understanding, the appendix was virtually synonymous with a useless vestigial organ. To be sure, Papers published over the years had gradually demonstrated that during the early stages of human civilization, the appendix was very likely an important component of the immune defense line. Later, as the human immune system strengthened through evolution and modern medicine flourished, it gradually atrophied, though even today it could still serve as a reservoir for beneficial gut flora. Conversely, other studies had shown that appendectomies could actually reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease. Amid the back-and-forth in academic circles, the stereotype of the appendix remained unshaken. The only things that could contest the appendix for the title of the body's most useless feature were goosebumps and wisdom teeth—the dynamic duo of evolutionary baggage. And now someone was telling Lin Huaian that this very organ served as the conduit for the sea of qi? This certainly challenged his worldview... Wait, hold on! Something was not quite right. Although Lin Huaian was no expert in medicine or biology, his mental acuity far surpassed that of ordinary men. As his thoughts progressed, an epiphany struck him. He snapped his gaze toward Zhou Jianmin, his tone grave as never before. "Comrade Jianmin, don't tell me... the reason the appendix atrophied into an expendable vestige is that our home world lacks spiritual energy?!" "..." Zhou Jianmin remained silent for a few seconds before slowly nodding, adding further: "Chief, based on the expert panel's observations, Xiao's appendix appears to be developing further along a theoretically comprehensive trajectory. "In addition, during the earlier Awakening phase, Elder Huang also focused on the seven primary nodes that needed to be cleared. "According to comparative analysis, although these seven nodes have no corresponding physical organs, they are either neural convergence points in the human body or simply certain acupuncture points in traditional Chinese medicine. "In other words... the appendix is not the only organ in our home world's human anatomy connected to cultivation." Lin Huaian clenched and unclenched his fist, momentarily losing his composure for the first time. Zhou Jianmin's words conveyed a single implication: Not only was the human body of their home world fully compatible with the elements of cultivation, but under the stimulation of spiritual power, it could even restore certain functions along specific pathways! Put more bluntly... At some profoundly distant point in antiquity, Earth had very likely possessed spiritual energy—and perhaps even a cultivation civilization! Later, spiritual energy had vanished for reasons unknown. The path of cultivation in their home world was severed, and the organs adapted for cultivation began to decline and atrophy. After countless years, another succession of sages and scholars rose throughout history, constructing a technological civilization. Taking the thought a step further... Could the ancient myths and legends of Huaxia and around the globe have been...? At this thought, Lin Huaian straightened his posture. Drawing upon immense self-control to quell the turbulence in his heart, he looked calmly at Zhou Jianmin. "Comrade Jianmin, what are the thoughts of Dawn Base and the comrades at the Think Tank?" "Chief," Zhou Jianmin was not surprised by how swiftly Lin Huaian regained his composure, well aware of the leader's emotional resilience, and answered promptly, "from the information we currently possess, the intersection between the two worlds is by no means coincidental, yet it is likely not as simple as two sides of the same coin either. "The only certainty right now is that our home world harbors secrets buried in the distant past. "That past might date back thousands of years, or perhaps to an undiscovered chapter in the history of civilization. "Therefore, the experts wish to establish a sub-project focused on historical sites and lineages associated with myths and legends, to see if they can uncover any clues. "Of course, the principle remains: this is a project integrating science with cultivation. Those superstitious conspiracy theories floating around social media will never hold water." Zhou Jianmin's stance was resolute. Though it was unclear whether a past beyond science had been lost to the sands of time, One thing was certain: Even if minor traces remained, they could only be written records or physical artifacts. In the complete absence of spiritual energy, no Earthly Immortals could possibly emerge in modern times. Conspiracy theories that twisted natural disasters into clashes between overseas demonic cultivators were nothing more than completely baseless drivel.