Rejecting Tsinghua and Peking Universities: I Will Lead Harbin Institute of Technology to World Lead

Deep within the Tongtian Well, at the darkest end, a chilling crimson light could be faintly seen surging below—the terrifying energy and heat radiated from the liquid metal flow outside the Earth's core. The Xirang Engineering Ship sat silently on the wellhead track, its dark golden hull reflecting the cold industrial lights, resembling a colossal metal beast poised to pounce on purgatory.

Inside the command center, all eyes were fixed on Lin Feng, awaiting his final order to send the Xirang ship into the well and begin humanity's first exploration of the Earth's core. A palpable sense of excitement, tension, and anticipation filled the air.

However, Lin Feng slowly shook his head.

"No, it's not the right time yet."

His voice was unusually calm, piercing through the slight commotion in the room. His gaze swept across the bottomless well on the screen, and the waiting Breath of Earth ship beside it.

"Below lies the true unknown, a world where geology, physics, and even biology may be completely overturned." Lin Feng's tone was calm and unwavering. "We've only made a pinhole cut; our understanding of the environment at the edge of the Earth's core is limited to the finite data transmitted back by sensors. Magma, metal flows, extreme pressure, energy turbulence... any variable that exceeds our model's prediction could cause irreversible consequences."

He turned to the exploration team waiting at the control console: "To explore the unknown, we must first see. Before personnel enter, we must ascertain the entire environment below as possible. Execute Plan A: All Xirang-class unmanned exploration units, according to the predetermined sequence, will be deployed first!"

"Understood! Execute Plan A!" the on-site supervisor responded immediately.

The so-called "Breath-like" unmanned exploration units are highly intelligent swarms of robots specifically designed for the Earth's core environment. They vary in size and shape: there are explorers that resemble steel spiders and are adept at climbing and sampling complex terrains; there are streamlined submersibles equipped with powerful thrusters and designed specifically for liquid or semi-fluid environments; and there are spherical sentinels with all-around perception and emergency communication relay capabilities.

The command was given, and the heavy-duty robotic arm at the wellhead began its precise operation. One by one, the exploration robots were gently and steadily hoisted and sent into the ten-meter-diameter, deep tunnel. The indicator lights flashing on their shells, like stars falling into an abyss, were quickly swallowed by the darkness.

"All detection units have exited the cabin and have begun their autonomous descent."

"Signal connection is stable, data flow is normal."

"Depth continues to increase, environmental parameter collection in progress..."

On the large screen in the command center, dozens of images and data streams transmitted by different exploration robots were displayed. Initially, it showed the cold, hard alloy well walls; as the depth increased, the image was gradually filled with the hot, distorted air and the dark red light reflected from the well walls; sensor readings showed that the temperature and pressure were rising exponentially.

The exploration robots descended steadily, guided by pre-set tracks on the well wall and their own propulsion system. Their various sensors worked at full capacity: a spectral analyzer scanned the composition of the surrounding material; sonar and laser radar mapped the outline of the unknown space beyond the well wall; and an energy field detector captured every unusual fluctuation.

The descent lasted for three days and three nights.

Finally, the lead submersible, Submarine-7, transmitted crucial images: the narrow shaft below was no longer open; a boundless, slowly churning, almost white sea of ​​molten lava appeared on the screen! It was not simply surface magma, but a mixture of iron-nickel fluid from the Earth's outer core and high-temperature silicate material, with a temperature of four to five thousand degrees Celsius, extremely high density, and dazzling light.

"We have reached the outer core boundary region!" the monitor announced loudly.

"All detection units, proceed with the first phase of environmental scanning according to the pre-determined plan," Lin Feng commanded.

The Prospector robot attaches itself to the last solid rock wall at the edge of the wellhead, extending its long sampling arm; the Submarines adjust their posture and carefully dive into the edge of the scorching fluid like fish, testing the effectiveness of their thrusters and the durability of their outer shell; the Sentinels hover in a relatively stable area, establishing a preliminary communication and positioning network.

Preliminary scan data was quickly transmitted back: the fluid composition was complex, the energy fluctuations were violent but had certain regularity, and there were multiple relatively stable energy vortices and material stratification regions, which are consistent with the characteristics of the planetary generator energy collection point in Lin Feng's theory.

"An abnormal energy barrier reaction has been detected!" the engineer in charge of analyzing the energy data suddenly exclaimed.

On the large screen, the energy distribution map showed a huge, spherical energy anomaly zone deep within the lava sea, about 120 kilometers from the Tongtianjing exit. The energy readings at the boundary of this region were extremely high, resembling an invisible barrier, while the internal energy field was unusually peaceful and stable, even… displaying energy metabolism characteristics similar to those of the biosphere?

"Dispatch Submariners-3, 5, and 9 to form a triangular reconnaissance formation and cautiously approach the anomaly zone for detailed reconnaissance," Lin Feng ordered, his brow furrowed slightly.

Three state-of-the-art underwater robots adjusted their course, like probes in the deep sea, heading towards the mysterious energy anomaly zone. They traversed turbulent energy currents, avoiding the occasional eruptions of scorching fluid columns, gradually approaching their target.

The command center was completely silent; everyone held their breath and stared intently at the main images transmitted back by the three robots.

Initially, the scene consisted only of a blinding white expanse and distorted energy ripples. As the distance closed, the outline of that energy barrier became increasingly clear—it wasn't a physical entity, yet it could cause the scorching lava flow to automatically divert and bypass it, as if encountering a dam!

When Submarine-5 was the first to penetrate that invisible barrier, the footage it transmitted plunged the entire command center into a deathly silence, followed by incredulous gasps!

Behind the barrier lies not the hellish inferno of the Earth's core that one might imagine.

That was a...continent!

Yes, a vast and stable landmass suspended, or rather embedded, in the hot fluids of the Earth's core! Judging by its size, its diameter may exceed a thousand kilometers!

As the camera zooms in, an even more astonishing scene unfolds: undulating mountains rise from the continent, their surfaces a dark red or obsidian-like hue; meandering rivers flow through the landscape; plains are covered with strange, deep purple vegetation that appears to be a combination of crystals and moss; and even, among that vegetation, one can vaguely make out enormous, bizarre creatures that seem to be covered in rocky armor or flowing with lava-like patterns, moving slowly!

The sky was a flowing, swirling energy vortex of crimson and gold, providing a lighting-like effect. The entire space was permeated with an ancient, wild, yet surging aura of life energy.

"My God... how is this possible?!"

"The Earth's core...there's a complete world inside the Earth's core?!"

"Are those plants? And animals?! They're surviving in temperatures of thousands of degrees?!"

"An energy barrier! It was that energy barrier that isolated us from the external high temperature and pressure, creating this independent ecological space!"

Exclamations, doubts, and excited discussions filled the air. The scene before them completely overturned everyone's understanding! Deep within the core of Earth, a self-contained oasis of life, entirely different from the surface, was hidden! This was no longer just a geological wonder or an energy treasure; it was an unprecedented alien world that might hold another path to the origin of life!

Lin Feng stood in front of the screen, his pupils slightly contracting.

The discovery of the Earth's core has undoubtedly elevated the significance of the Post-Earth Project to unimaginable heights. It not only holds inexhaustible energy but may also contain crucial keys to understanding planetary evolution and life forms.

"Order all detection units to establish forward observation posts, using the outer safe zone of this continent as a base. No unit is permitted to enter the continental interior without authorization or disturb native life." Lin Feng's voice regained its absolute calm. "The departure plan for the Xirang ship is temporarily shelved. We need to reassess. The priority has changed to: establishing permanent observation and research outposts, and conducting the most cautious and comprehensive non-contact research on this subterranean continent."

"Furthermore," he paused, his gaze sharp, "all data and images concerning the inner Earth should be encrypted to the highest level. Until its nature, origin, and potential risks are fully understood, information must be kept absolutely secret."

Beneath the abyss lies a hidden paradise.

An exploration of energy unexpectedly opened a door to the deepest and most mysterious world of life on the planet.

At this moment, the boundaries of human cognition were greatly and thoroughly expanded.