321: Chapter 321: An Air Base from 500,000 Years Ago?

Inside Qingfeng Temple.

Upon hearing this, Professor Wen immediately became interested.

"A cast-iron pot from 320 million years ago? Coal comes from plants, and cast iron is metal. Can plants turn into iron? That is simply impossible!"

Suddenly, she knitted her brows slightly, as if recalling something.

"Speaking of that, I remember one as well—"

Zheng Ming and Celestial Master Zhang turned their heads to look at her, full of curiosity.

"In the 18th century, in a quarry near Aix in the Provence region of France, workers discovered some tools in a limestone layer 50 feet underground."

"Later, according to records from the 1820 'American Journal of Science and Arts', these tools had turned into agate, indicating they were processed at the location where they were found. This means human activity predates the formation of the limestone."

Celestial Master Zhang put down his teacup and couldn't help but ask: "Then when was this limestone formed?"

Professor Wen looked at him and shook her head in a thought-provoking manner, "About 250 to 300 million years ago, in the late Permian period, even earlier than the appearance of dinosaurs."

"In other words, when these tools that turned into agate were sealed in the limestone, dinosaurs hadn't even been born on Earth yet."

Zheng Ming was full of shock, "250 million years ago, there were humans, and even tools?"

Celestial Master Zhang's expression also changed drastically; he felt unable to believe it.

Professor Wen spread her hands and said with an innocent look: "That's right!"

After she finished speaking, both men in the living room gasped.

A long while later, on the screen, Xiaoyu finally recovered from the mind-boggling iron pot mentioned earlier.

She then asked with shining eyes, "Big Brother, are there more? This is so interesting!"

Jiang Zhe operated the tablet and continued to explain: "Of course there are."

"500,000 years ago—the Heliopolis metal tubes."

Several dark silver metal tubes appeared on the interface. The cross-sections were very clear; one could tell at a glance that they were hollow.

"These were discovered by French archaeologists in Gabon, Africa. In the underground veins of Heliopolis, workers found a batch of tubular metal objects embedded in the rock layers."

"These metal tubes varied in size; the largest was 10 centimeters in diameter, while the smaller ones were only a few centimeters."

"They were embedded in the rock layers. Some were straight, while others were curved, and a few even had 90-degree bends—just like corner joints for water pipes."

"Later, geologists determined that the rock layer where these metal tubes were located dated back 500,000 years."

"Even more bizarrely, in-depth composition analysis revealed that these metal tubes contained aluminum, magnesium, chromium, and titanium—which is the formula for our modern aerospace alloys."

Jiang Zhe narrowed his eyes, his expression suddenly turning serious, "Natural minerals do not form hollow tubes, let alone curved joints!"

"If a curved pipe were formed, one could argue it was the work of nature; but if it were formed by nature, why would these metal tubes have curved joints?"

"Xiaoyu, do you know what this means?"

Xiaoyu's beautiful eyes widened, and she let out a deep breath, "500,000 years ago, someone buried metal pipes underground?"

Jiang Zhe shook his head slightly, "Not exactly; it means someone buried aerospace alloy pipes underground 500,000 years ago."

"You must know that the smelting temperature of pure aluminum is 2000 degrees, and modern humans only mastered this technology in the 19th century; but the things I'm showing you were already there 500,000 years ago."

"As for whether they were buried or destroyed, I don't know either."

After he finished speaking, Xiaoyu's expression changed dramatically in shock, and even the live stream comments disappeared completely.

But soon, the comments exploded like a tidal wave.

"Holy crap, 500,000-year-old metal pipes, and they're aerospace alloys?"

"The smelting temperature of aluminum is 2000 degrees. Who had this technology 500,000 years ago?"

"It must be natural, right? It has to be natural?"

"Big Brother already said, natural things can be straight or curved; but dammit, it has 90-degree curved joints! This is definitely not some natural mineral; this is a piping system, and it's freaking aerospace-grade piping!"

"Who lays pipes underground? Damn, aliens?"

"..."

On the big screen, Xiaoyu hurriedly picked up the drink on the table and took a sip, finally calming down.

"Big Brother, these metal tubes, are they really...?"

She wanted to say aliens, or perhaps a prehistoric advanced civilization, but the words stuck in her throat, and she still felt unable to say it out loud.

Jiang Zhe did not deny it and continued to explain, "That is impossible to know. They are embedded in the rock layers, with no signs of artificial excavation around them."

"This is different from the 500,000-year-old spark plug, which was proven to be a fake out-of-place artifact."

"Moreover, similar metal tubes have actually been discovered in mines in France, Fu Nation, and the USA."

"They all share a few commonalities: they are hollow, made of metal, and embedded in ancient rock layers."

"Later, geologists claimed they were natural, but natural minerals do not form hollow pipes, nor do they form 90-degree curved joints."

"Archaeologists claim they are man-made. It is possible that the places around the world where these metal tubes appeared were aerospace facility bases, just like the satellite and rocket launch bases of major global powers today; but 500,000 years ago, there wasn't even Homo sapiens on Earth."

He looked at Xiaoyu's stunned expression and smiled slightly, "They just lie there. The academic community has debated for decades, and no one can convince anyone else."

Xiaoyu and the viewers were somewhat bewildered; they were completely numb.

An aerospace launch base from 500,000 years ago...

Fine, considering that human miracles disappear completely within three to five thousand years.

500,000 years ago, Earth had everything—minerals, geography, climate, and conditions—enough to form intelligent civilizations multiple times. Thinking this way, the answer seems not so hard to accept!

...

Beijing, University of History faculty housing.

Professor Chen Runzhi's expression was very complicated, "The Heliopolis metal tubes, I know about this. They were discovered by French archaeologists in the 1960s, and it caused quite an uproar at the time."

Qian Mingyi couldn't help but ask: "Aluminum, magnesium, chromium, titanium—this is the formula for modern aircraft fuselages. Who was making this 500,000 years ago? Could it really be, as Jiang Zhe said, an aviation base from 500,000 years ago?"

Professor Chen Runzhi shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

Old Liu, standing to the side, looked thoughtful, "Our geological explanation is that these are natural mineral nodules, and the hollow interior is the space left behind after organic matter decayed. This point can be explained by nature, but natural nodules would never grow into 90-degree curved joints."

Professor Wang Shouren looked at the three of them with a zen-like expression, "Don't overthink it. Jiang Zhe is not a fool. We know in our hearts what kind of things he would single out to talk about. It's either a naturally formed miracle or someone laid pipes underground 500,000 years ago."

"But the time is too distant, and nothing can be verified. Unless, in the future, the archaeological community discovers ancient cities thousands or even tens of thousands of meters underground—a combination of ancient natural and man-made creations—we can only then truly confirm that prehistoric civilizations or alien civilizations existed on Earth multiple times!"

After Professor Wang Shouren said this, the expressions of Professor Chen Runzhi, Qian Mingyi, and Old Liu relaxed.

...

On the other side, at Qingfeng Temple.

Wen Jingqiu's beautiful eyes widened, "This is indeed thought-provoking. The Heliopolis metal tubes; the French scholar Tiller published a report in 1968, and the entire archaeological community was shocked at the time."

Zheng Ming hurriedly looked at Professor Wen: "Why?"

"Because it looks too much like a modern industrial product. You have to know that extracting aluminum requires electrolysis, and electrolysis was only invented in the 19th century; chromium and titanium are metals that were only widely used in the 20th century."

"And these metal tubes were already there 500,000 years ago."

"490,000 years before us, some creature had already mastered smelting technology exceeding 2000 degrees."

Speaking of this, she herself felt it was somewhat funny, "Originally, I didn't believe in these things; but there are simply too many of these out-of-place artifacts in professional fields. They absolutely cannot be underestimated!"

It was evident that Professor Wen's expression was very serious and grave.

Celestial Master Zhang and Zheng Ming sat up straight again, and their expressions also became much more solemn.

Just then.

Jiang Zhe's calm, yet terrifyingly thought-provoking voice came again.

"Xiaoyu, what's next is the most terrifying thing—nanotechnology from hundreds of thousands of years ago!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Xiaoyu, the teachers, and the viewers all widened their eyes.

Nanotechnology from hundreds of thousands of years ago?