From Under One Person: Sincere Journey Through the Heavens

My mother said that only those who have reached the pinnacle of spiritual cultivation have a fragrant aroma emanating from their bodies, which is called the "Taoist charm."

Spending a long time with such people, even without understanding the path of cultivation, can increase one's lifespan year after year, keeping one strong and healthy; even on the day of one's death, one's vital energy and blood will be abundant.

"Daoist charm? I can't smell it." Duanmu Ying also leaned closer to Jiang Liu, sniffed, and looked puzzled, but Jiang Liu pushed her away.

"Because you smell too bad."

The mermaid girl covered her nose, her eyes filled with disgust as she looked at Duanmu Ying.

Duanmu Ying's eye twitched uncontrollably, suspecting that the mermaid had a serious problem with her sense of smell...

# Chapter 752 The Stars Shine Brightly

"Miss Mermaid, are you speaking... the Eastern language of China?"

The robin, who also understood Chinese, found it strange that the mermaids of Atlantis spoke Chinese and couldn't help but ask them.

"Shenzhou language?"

The mermaid girl tilted her head and kept her distance from the robin, simply because he "smelled too badly."

This made the robin's face turn black.

The girl explained, "I'm not speaking Chinese, I'm speaking Mandarin."

Robin: "???"

Not only him, but Lu Jin and Duanmu Ying were also completely bewildered.

Shenzhou language, isn't it just Chinese?

What is the difference between the two?

"It's also called Yun Hanyu or Xiao Hanyu," the girl added.

Duanmu Ying asked, bewildered, "What do you mean?"

"It seems the Duan family doesn't pay much attention to classical Chinese literature," Jiang Liu remarked.

"Don't insult me! I just don't like reciting those tongue twisters from Zhihu with those old scholars we hired at home." Duanmu Ying blushed, denying Jiang Liu's statement, and then added, "And besides, it's the Duanmu family!"

"Han, also known as the Han River, is now called the Hanjiang River, but in ancient times, Han also referred to the Milky Way."

Lu Jin explained, "However, before the Tang Dynasty, during the Qin and Han Dynasties, and perhaps even earlier, the Milky Way was collectively referred to by names such as Yunhan and Xiaohan."

"In ancient times, Han was written as 漢, and the character 漢 is still in use today."

Jiang Liu added, "Our ancestors generally created characters in a concise and refined manner."

For example, the characters "江河" (river) usually refer to the Yangtze River and the Yellow River unless there is a special context.

In addition, there are Luo, Ba, Xiao, Xiang, Wen, Ru, Hui, Si, Bian, Zhang, Gu, Li, Xun, Zi, Lu, Tuo, Fu, Fei, etc., each of which individually refers to a river as we understand it today.

Duanmu Ying was puzzled and asked, "But why does the character 'Han' refer to the Milky Way? Isn't the Milky Way in the sky a river?"

"The character '漢' is composed of the water radical (氵) and the character '堇' (jīn), which refers to grass. However, in its original form, it was composed of the water radical (氵) and the character '难' (nán).

Jiang Liu guessed, "That is, it refers to birds."

I once obtained a large number of ancient Taoist scriptures in Ping Mountain and learned that the ancient Chu people wrote "Han" as "tan" (滩), which means beach. Therefore, I speculated that it was a variant character, interchangeable with "Han".

The Han River is famous throughout history for its treacherous shoals. When Wang Yaozu and I traveled, we visited the Han River and saw the river after a rainstorm. At that time, the river was half clear and half muddy, like thousands of stars scattered across it. Its beauty is still unforgettable to this day.

Therefore, "Han" refers to the numerous rivers scattered like sand dunes, namely the Han River, while the night sky dotted with thousands of stars is the embodiment of these scattered rivers.

The saying "The stars are brilliant, and songs are sung to express one's aspirations" is probably the root of the "Han" in the Han Dynasty.

The ancient Chu people revered birds like the phoenix, and their writing of "Han" as "tan" (滩, meaning beach) likely reflects their cultural worship.

“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying, but my mother says that our Zhou Tian Chinese is the most beautiful language in the world, and we are people of the Milky Way, whose future journey will be to the stars and the sea!”

The mermaid girl smiled.

hiss--

Everyone present who could understand Chinese gasped in shock and questioned their existence.

The most developed countries in the world today cannot even explore the moon, nor have they even traveled all over the earth. How could the ancient people of Atlantis have already focused on exploring the stars and the sea?

What level did the ancient alchemists reach?

Incredible!

"Dear mermaid, may I ask if you can act as our guide?" The robin calmed down, realizing that she had indeed come to the right place. While excited, she was also even more eager for Atlantis' ancient alchemical technology and the Trident of Poseidon.

If we obtain the Trident of Poseidon and master the alchemy technology of Atlantis, ruling the world might not be a dream!

"No, that won't work."

The mermaid girl smiled slightly, then clapped her hands twice. A dozen warriors, clad in close-fitting fish-scale chainmail and wielding trident spears, appeared in the air in ripples resembling water waves—an extremely sophisticated optical cloaking technique.

"Before that, we need to confirm your identities."

“If you are descendants of those who went out to explore the world from the land of Zhou Tian, ​​we will naturally not harm you; but if you are descendants of sinners, then you must pass a test before you can return to the land of Zhou Tian.”

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed. But before they could react, the mermaid girl pointed at Jiang Liu and said, "My mother once said that those who can cultivate to the point where their bodies possess a unique fragrance and Daoist aura can all aspire to the Saint Realm. Commanding wind and rain and overturning rivers and seas are nothing to them. Their hearts are all sincere, and it is not difficult for them to make their words come true and create things out of thin air. They should be treated with courtesy and invited with sincerity."

After that, another group of people walked up to the high platform, carrying a large sedan chair, which was entirely blue and had faint ripples on its surface, like an open seashell.

It is:

The exterior is adorned with pearls, and the interior is lined with silk for a soft bed.

If I could sit for a quarter of an hour, my body would be free of fatigue and my mind would soar.

Jiang Liu didn't stand on ceremony. He stepped into the sedan chair and sat on the soft cushion. He immediately felt that this was the best cushion he had ever sat on in his life. It was just the right amount of softness, not uncomfortable on his buttocks, nor too deep, and it fit his buttocks perfectly.

The cushion behind him was the same, perfectly conforming to his back and releasing a very special vibration that regulated the energy circulation within every cell of his body and the energy interaction between cells, making the entire human body a harmonious and unified life system.

A glimpse of the whole picture through a tube—

The weapon-forging techniques of Atlantis, or rather, the Zhou Tian Land, are extremely sophisticated.

"By the way, can I skip the test?" Jiang Liu asked the mermaid girl outside the sedan chair.

"certainly--"

The girl drawled out her soft voice, winked mischievously, and smiled slyly, "No."

We still need to determine if you are a descendant of sinners.

If so, then one still needs to undergo the corresponding trials; only by passing them can one return to the Zhou Tian realm.

What is a sinner?

Seeing that the girl was clever but also naive, Jiang Liu decided to ask her for clarification.

“They are descendants of Gonggong.”

The mermaid girl revealed a fact that surprised Lu Jin and Duanmu Ying.

Gonggong—

Are they sinners in this world?

The land of Zhou Tian...

Buzhou Mountain...

Could it be that the story of Gonggong angrily striking Buzhou Mountain in the Classic of Mountains and Seas actually happened, and even took place in Atlantis?

【really!

In this world, Nuwa mending the sky is not a legend, but a true historical fact!

This Atlantis...

The Zhou Tian region was very likely the key to the cyclical nature of Earth's weather patterns in ancient times!

Jiang Liu pondered to himself, but asked aloud again, "Why are Gonggong and his descendants sinners? What heinous things did they do that angered both heaven and man?"

"Once you pass the test, you will naturally have the opportunity to learn about the past; if you don't pass, it doesn't matter whether you know it or not." The mermaid girl did not answer directly.

"What will happen to us if it doesn't pass?" Jax asked tentatively. "Will they expel us?"

The girl said, "No, you cannot pass. You will return to the embrace of the heavens."

Jagata asked, "Are you imprisoned here as a slave?"

The girl replied with a grin, "It means to strip away your lives and offer them as a sacrifice to the heavens and the earth."

# Chapter 753 Wu Ming...Little Lord?

Stripping away life?

death!

In an instant, the wealthy men, including Robin, and the armed men who had come in with them all turned pale.

However, being on someone else's territory, the armed personnel dared not open fire rashly. If the conflict escalated, they would have no chance to explore Atlantis and would only be able to resort to violent suppression.

However, with the current firepower of these armed personnel, suppressing the entire Atlantis is nothing short of a pipe dream. The gate alone can unleash lightning that can turn a person into charred remains. Who knows how many alchemical weapons this ancient civilization, which has existed for tens of thousands of years, still possesses that far surpass the scientific and technological capabilities of today?

"Clap!"

The mermaid girl clapped her hands again, and the exhibitors took out golden rings one by one. With a wave of her hand, the golden rings were accurately placed on the wrists and ankles of everyone except Jiang Liu.

Then, the warriors carrying the sedan chair leaped off the high platform. The fish-scale chainmail on their bodies produced ripples like waves, and their lower bodies transformed into fish tails. As they moved, clouds swirled around them, and they actually carried the sedan chair into the air, flying towards the center of the Zhou Tian land.

Afterwards, runes and symbols resembling ocean waves emerged from the golden rings on Lu Jin's wrists and ankles, making their bodies increasingly light until they reached a point where their feet left the ground and they slowly took flight.

But Jiang Liu understood the secret of this "flying feat".

Leveraging the power of the aura!

Those golden rings, worn on a person's limbs, can spontaneously connect with the energy of this place, forming an invisible energy that lifts the person into the air and vibrates at a specific frequency, thus enabling the person to move and fly in this space.

The reason why those mermaids can fly is because their cultivation method imitates the flow of Qi, allowing them to incorporate Qi into themselves.

Just like the Scorpion King of Amshe Oasis.