Tomb Raiding: The Bloodline of Dragons and Snakes, Starting from the Kunlun Divine Palace

"So, whether it's an insect or a human body, it must need oxygen to survive. Let's assume that a mantis is the same size as a human, then it must need just as much oxygen to survive as we do."

"The history of life on Earth spans nearly 40 billion years, and life on Earth has become incredibly diverse, with over ten million species. However, let alone humans and praying mantises interbreeding, humans cannot even interbreed with chimpanzees, who are our closest relatives."

"Because there is severe reproductive isolation between different species, the more distant the kinship, the more severe the reproductive isolation, otherwise the ecosystem would have been in chaos long ago."

"From any perspective, the possibility of the Kunlun Mountain Mantis Man existing is less than 0.01%."

"Why is it 99.99% non-existent, and not 100% non-existent? Because nothing in this world exists absolutely. But from our current perspective, 99.99% = 100%."

The conclusion that Lieutenant Li reached was that the Mantis People did not exist.

“Alright.” Xu Zhengyang nodded. “We already understand why the Kunlun Mountain Mantis People shouldn’t exist, so why do some people still think there’s that 0.01% chance they might exist?”

"Because we obtained the same story from different intelligence organizations." Lieutenant Li glanced at everyone and then said, "The Northern Base Special Forces, the Southern Base Commando Team, and the secret files I saw at S.H.I.E.L.D. in the United States before I returned home."

"S.H.I.E.L.D." Xu Zhengyang felt that this was a department that only existed in movie stories. "This department really exists."

“Hmm.” Lieutenant Li nodded. “Although it won’t be as exaggerated and magical as depicted in Hollywood movies, they do have organizations under their umbrella that are similar to our Human Special Abilities Research Institute.”

"It is for this reason that our country has established a Shenlong Security Group, or Dragon Group for short. The agents in it are called Dragon Group agents, and each of them has superhuman strength."

"Nevertheless, we are still somewhat inferior to the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the United States, so we will never expose these people's abilities unless absolutely necessary," Lieutenant Li said mysteriously.

"Ah, actually I do know a bit about the Kunlun Mountains." Fang Zhanbo, true to his name, particularly liked to show off his extensive cultural knowledge, even though he had never been to university.

But to the young Jewish man who hadn't even finished high school, he was still very knowledgeable.

"I knew our crew was going to shoot a movie in the Kunlun Mountains, so I did some research beforehand."

Fang Zhanbo cleared his throat and continued.

"The Kunlun Mountains are known as the 'ancestor of all mountains' in China and are the birthplace of the ancient Chinese mythological system."

"The Queen Mother of the West, Nuwa, Kuafu and others all came from here. Jiang Ziya also sought the Tao in Kunlun Mountain, and later went down the mountain to assist the Zhou royal family in raising an army to overthrow the Shang dynasty, establishing a great achievement that will last for ten thousand generations."

"There are many myths and legends like these. In addition to myths and legends, some strange and unusual events are also associated with the Kunlun Mountains. It seems that anything is possible as long as it is against the backdrop of the Kunlun Mountains."

"Ah, I understand!" Little Jew exclaimed with delight. "Zhanbo, do you mean that all the ancient myths and legends of Xia Kingdom are related to Kunlun Mountain? Does that mean that there were once all sorts of extraordinary people living here, who were regarded as gods and demons by the ancient people?"

“That’s one way to understand it.” Fang Zhanbo nodded affirmatively.

"The story of the praying man happened against this backdrop."

"I've actually read this story before. It's appeared many times in science fiction novels from Hong Kong. After all, it was discovered in mainland China in the 60s, so some science fiction novels describe it. Although it doesn't mean the content is true, I can see its plausibility."

"When the geological survey team entered the Kunlun Mountains, there was nowhere for people to rest on the mountain. The team could only find caves to rest in randomly."

"The expedition team members had naturally heard some legends about Kunlun Mountain. While cooking, they even joked about whether to leave a bowl of clear soup noodles for the gods in the cave."

As he spoke, Fang Zhanbo became animated, as if he were the member of the inspection team.

Xiao Youyi knew that he was getting into character. Fang Zhanbo often went through this phase when trying to deduce stock price fluctuations.

Because he doesn't rely on extensive financial knowledge to create complex mathematical models.

Instead, it simulates the game between various major players and market makers, imagining oneself as a dominant player, and how one would think when driving up or shorting the stock market, thus making corresponding decisions.

However, sometimes retail investors can't guess what the big players are thinking.

So Fang Zhanbo sometimes guessed the bookmaker's moves correctly and made some money.

However, when he bet everything he had, a sudden change in the dealer's strategy caused him to guess wrong, and he lost all his money. This is actually a common occurrence in casino games.

"It was originally a joke, but it unexpectedly became a reality in the midst of laughter."

"From the darkness inside the cave, a large praying mantis rushed out. The difference was that this mantis had hind legs as strong as a human's, and its arms were like a praying mantis's!"

"When it runs, it's like a person wielding two scythes. It moves like the wind and has extremely strong explosive power. In the blink of an eye, the team members inside the cave were killed, while the team members guarding the cave entrance managed to escape."

"Such an incident naturally alarmed the relevant local authorities, so the next day, the local authorities sent a guard team to investigate."

"After all, no one would believe it if they heard it. When the guard team went into the cave, the giant mantis reappeared. It moved around in a bizarre way and killed several team members in the front row in a matter of minutes. The bullets hit its body as if they were just tickling it."

"That's true!" Lieutenant Li also recalled something. "Commander Wang Xiong and I once witnessed a dark shadow that looked like a praying mantis. Our team fired at it, but it was like hitting a piece of solid armor. Maybe that's why it was rumored to have a body made of titanium alloy."

Chapter 80: Xu Zhengyang: The Mutant Giant Mantis Due to Nuclear Contamination

"After the pursuit failed, people were sent down the mountain to keep watch and prevent anyone from entering again. To avoid unnecessary sacrifices, no more troops were sent up the mountain for the time being."

"But just at this moment, perhaps the mantis was too hungry on the mountain, or perhaps it was following the fleeing soldiers, it actually chased them down the mountain."

"Haha, Zhanbo, you could be a storyteller!" Little Jewish couldn't help but laugh as he watched Fang Zhanbo's vivid storytelling.

"Little Jew, don't interrupt, we're getting to the climax." Fang Zhanbo glared at Little Jew, then gathered his emotions again and continued telling that science fiction story.

"This mantis-man leaped from high above in front of the soldiers! Wielding its two scythe-like arms, it instantly killed several soldiers."

"But what the mantis didn't expect was that it jumped into the camp this time. Although it gained the upper hand at the beginning with its courage, it was no match for the sheer number of people."

"The praying mantis had not escaped its fear of fire. Although its shell was covered in sticky mucus and appeared sturdy, it was not resistant to fire. During the fight, the fire pit set off the tent, and the sticky mucus on the praying mantis's shell melted under the high temperature, thus killing the mantis."

“If that’s the case, then I’m the nemesis of the Mantises.” Amy touched the flamethrower on her arm. “Unfortunately, I overused it when I used it to burn the Golden Gunners this time, and it’s already damaged.”

"If the Mantis is so powerful, I'd like to see it for myself." Big Steel Tooth, whose severed arm had been bandaged and whose strength was gradually returning, was also eager to try. "Amy, let's go back to the Northern Base and ask Commander Gao to repair and upgrade our equipment. I think I can become even stronger."

“Hmm.” Amy nodded. “Let’s hear what Zhanbo knows about the legends of the Mantis People. Although it’s like science fiction, I feel that the descriptions are very realistic. It’s not like ordinary literary novels, but more like a documentary biography.”

Fang Zhanbo then took a sip of water and continued his story.

"The story got more and more outlandish later on. The reason why the mantis people have superhuman jumping ability is that, in addition to their strong lower limbs, they also have a mechanical transmission structure that is like a running start device."

"The steel knife on his arm is made of titanium alloy, which is lightweight and sturdy, and can kill in an instant."

"The mantis man was taken away and handed over to relevant biologists for street research, in the hope of unlocking the secrets behind it."

"To avoid causing panic among the locals, the relevant departments have deployed troops to guard the Kunlun Mountains. This news has not been made public to this day, but judging from science fiction, it is estimated that it will be disclosed about ten years later, around 1993."

“I can understand that,” Lieutenant Li nodded and said. “Because of our country’s secrecy system, historical data on mysterious phenomena will be kept confidential for ten or even several decades. Since these specimens are still under research, even if the research ends now, it will still take another ten years before they can be disclosed to the public.”

“That’s why!” Fang Zhanbo felt that his information matched that of Lieutenant Li. “I think it must be an old guard who participated in this battle back then. After retiring, he wanted to earn some extra money, so he incorporated the true story into his science fiction novel.”

"Strange things have always tended to happen in clusters."

"Most ghost stories are concentrated in the Kunlun Mountains. In addition to the mantis man, there are also legends of Death Valley and moving corpses, all of which originated in the Kunlun Mountains."

"Besides these legends, various stories about ghosts and monsters becoming immortals also originate from this. Just like Shennongjia, there are always reports of extinct animals appearing in Shennongjia every now and then, such as the widely circulated "donkey-headed wolf" incident. The characteristic of these kinds of rumors is that they appear in clusters. All strange things tend to appear in clusters in a specific area."

"I don't think this is a coincidence, because these places themselves have extreme natural environments that can breed mutated organisms."

“Extreme natural environment?” Lieutenant Li repeated Fang Zhanbo’s words thoughtfully. “I understand. Only in the primeval forests and high mountains far from modern human civilization, and in the extremely cold glaciers, can there be some plants and animals that have not been domesticated and discovered by humans.”

“However, I don’t think this is necessarily some kind of mutated creature,” Xu Zhengyang said, shaking his head. “The appearance of titanium alloy in a living organism is too far-fetched. I’m more inclined to believe that this might be a weapon!”

"Weapon? Are you kidding me? Didn't you see it? It's clearly a living creature!" Fang Zhanbo was displeased. He couldn't believe someone would dare to challenge his science fiction.

"It is indeed a biological entity," Xu Zhengyang analyzed, "but the possibility that it could also be a weapon cannot be ruled out."

“When I was involved in some special security activities, I went to a nuclear power plant in the north where a nuclear leak occurred, which contaminated the living environment of local creatures and later some mutated giant monsters appeared.”

Xu Zhengyang gestured, "Like a giant turtle, as big as a tank, with spikes on it."

"Although it appears to be a random mutation, it cannot be ruled out that some terrorists might use this opportunity to create weapons of mass destruction. If this giant turtle were equipped with a small rocket launcher, it could become a miniature tank, or even a self-propelled artillery piece."

It turns out that in this era before computers were so advanced, many overseas weapons experts were researching how to use the primitive consciousness of animals as a vehicle for motion recognition and computation.

Then, genetic mutations can be used to enhance their athletic ability.

Finally, artificial technology is used to supplement its attack capabilities.

"In other words, the Mantis Man may be a mutated giant mantis that has been domesticated and bred, and then modified into a powerful weapon!"

"Ah, it can't be like training a big bear, can it?" Little Jew thought of the performance he had seen in the circus. "Actually, many animals, after being trained, can walk on two legs for part of the time. If they are dressed in clothes that are similar to those of humans, they can look like human bodies."

...... . ...

"It seems like that's true." Fang Zhanbo had to admit that he had also seen some animal performances in the circus, not to mention gorillas and monkeys, who could even learn difficult balance moves like riding a bicycle.

"But it seems that our country doesn't have any nuclear power plants, does it?" Lieutenant Li asked doubtfully. "The idea of ​​nuclear contamination mutation is quite logical, but there are obviously no nuclear power plants near the Kunlun Mountains."

“Nuclear contamination doesn’t only occur when there’s a nuclear power plant leak.” Xu Zhengyang’s face darkened. “If a nuclear explosion happens in a desert area and there are organisms underground, the nuclear debris could be absorbed by these organisms, and there is a possibility of mutation.”

"So, the nuclear explosion in Xia Kingdom did occur in the Western Frontier region, although not directly in the Kunlun Mountains. If these mutated creatures keep migrating to higher ground, it's quite possible they could eventually hide in the Kunlun Mountains and grow stronger." Lieutenant Li felt the discussion with everyone was very fruitful. "Reason becomes clearer through debate. After discussing this with everyone, I feel my thinking is becoming clearer. I'll put together a report tonight and send it to the leadership tomorrow, asking them to grant us higher authority to conduct a more in-depth investigation."

“Alright, I’m willing to fully support you in this matter.” Xu Zhengyang nodded and said, “The mission of escorting the golden Buddha was not completed. I hope you can make amends by investigating the Mantis Man incident thoroughly and giving the country an explanation.”

"Of course, it would be best if we could recover the golden Buddha and complete the mission." In Xu Zhengyang's bodyguard career, he didn't want to encounter a single failure.

Otherwise, that would be the second regret of a top bodyguard's life.

Chapter 81: The Migration and Mutation of the Desert Mantis

"Actually, as far as I know, although our country does not yet have nuclear power plants, we have done a lot of preliminary work." Aimeishen seemed to recall something. "I saw some information at the northern base. In fact, much of it is public information, but it was from a long time ago, so people don't pay much attention to it now."

At that time, there were no electronic archives. Old documents were kept in archives and libraries, but no one looked them up, so they were forgotten.

"As early as the 60s, the power shortage in the East China Sea and East China region aroused the desire to build the country's first nuclear power plant."

"On the eve of the Spring Festival in February 1970, the top leaders instructed: In the long run, East China is short of coal and oil. To solve the electricity problem in East China, it is necessary to develop nuclear power. The development of a nuclear power plant in Donghai City was approved."

"After years of preparation, research institutes from all over the country volunteered to study nuclear power generation. In March 1974, the top leaders pointed out: 'We must adhere to the principle of not polluting the land and not harming the people.' According to the opinion from above, for this project, the purpose of mastering nuclear power technology was greater than power generation, so many research results were unknown to the public."

"The frequent macro-level signals released by the top leadership attracted the attention of professionals. In fact, as early as the beginning of 1967, Mr. Liao, a scientist who had returned from studying abroad, heard rumors that a nuclear power plant might be built in the East China Sea. He and his colleagues in the research lab seized this historical opportunity and volunteered to participate in the front-line construction of the nuclear power plant."

"In February 1970, in response to the instructions from high-level leaders to build a nuclear power plant in the East China Sea, the Donghai City Qierba Engineering Office was established, officially becoming a research team of 728 people."

"After the initial enthusiasm for starting a business, problems soon followed. However, Mr. Liao solved them one by one. Later, a scientist named Mr. Xia joined in, learning technical information from the microfilm of the Institute of Science and Technology Information, and conducting a large number of civil engineering structure experiments with relevant research institutes and manufacturing plants."

"During a prestressed containment test, due to the lack of large machinery such as winches on site, Mr. Xia and his colleagues and workers who participated in the test pulled the tens of meters long steel strands in and out of the ducts by hand, and finally completed all the tests."