Chapter 104: The Vanished Continent

Beneath the deep blue sea, six figures dispersed within a spherical water curtain created by the Water-Repelling Talisman.

“Testing communication link,” Lin Chong inquired through the communicator.

“Communication link is stable,” Hua Feng responded after a thorough check.

“Maintain communication at all times. Activate the deep-sea camera and record the entire operation,” Lin Chong instructed according to the mission protocol.

Moments later, Hua Feng found a flat plaza-like area, and the team began a slow descent.

“Hua Feng, do you know anything about the ancient Atlantis continent?” Lin Chong’s voice came through the communicator.

“Not much, only that it was a lost civilization. Most details are hearsay,” Hua Feng replied.

“Yes, our mission briefing was rather basic as well,” Wang Yue added.

“Hold your positions for now. Establish an underwater base camp centered around the Jiaolong submersible. While you’re busy, I’ll brief you on the official records regarding Atlantis.”

“Understood, task force.”

The team promptly began their work with urgency as Lin Chong’s voice continued over the communicator:

“In the summer of 1898, a ship laying cables between Brest and Cape Cod suddenly encountered a break in the undersea cable. The crew immediately began repairs. The break occurred approximately 900 kilometers west of the Azores, at a depth of 3,100 meters.

“Researchers discovered that the seabed bore characteristics of terrestrial mountain ranges; apart from the valley floors, there was no silt, and the rock peaks were sharp and pointed. The crew retrieved a piece of rock—‘obsidian glass’—which has since been preserved at the Mining Academy.

“This obsidian glass intrigued French geologist Pierre Termier greatly. The basalt rock remained soft underwater but hardened upon exposure to air. Termier concluded that this rock had once been subjected to atmospheric pressure, indicating that the seabed had previously been above water. Evidently, a cataclysmic crustal shift caused the area to subside 3,000 meters. There was once a landmass between Europe and America that vanished amid intense geological upheaval.

“In the early 20th century, the ancient Library of Alexandria in Constantinople, Turkey, revealed an ancient world map clearly depicting the outlines and positions of the Americas and Antarctica, accompanied by a note: ‘Copied from an ancient map, drawn in the 14th century.’

“It was not until Columbus discovered the New World in 1492 that the Americas became known to Europeans. Yet this 14th-century map, copied from ancient originals, portrayed the continents and oceans in their entirety, despite the absence of precise compass technology for navigation and the lack of knowledge that the Earth was spherical.

“Undoubtedly, the original map was drawn by prehistoric humans and rediscovered in the 14th century to create the medieval world map.

“Scholars noted significant discrepancies between the map’s depiction of Antarctica and the known continental outline today, while the Americas matched almost perfectly. This mystery was finally resolved with the advent of satellite remote sensing, which revealed the continent beneath the Antarctic ice.

“Comparing the ancient map’s Antarctica with satellite images of the continent beneath the ice showed a stunning match! This means prehistoric humans depicted Antarctica as it existed without ice cover—a warm land.

“Millions of years ago, Antarctica was a warm and humid continent, rich in coal deposits. Fossils of ancient terrestrial flora and fauna found along its edges indicate dense forests and abundant wildlife.

“If prehistoric Antarctica was a thriving world, it must have been inhabited by humans capable of accurately charting maritime maps. Some scholars boldly proposed: could Antarctica be the legendary Atlantis?

“This theory was largely dismissed, as Antarctica lies on the opposite side of the Atlantic from the mythic Atlantis, and the reasons for the continent’s sudden cooling were unknown. Thus, any advanced ‘Antarctic civilization’ was believed to have vanished without a trace.”

After Lin Chong’s briefing, the team’s horizons widened considerably. With their concerted efforts, the underwater base camp was one-third complete when Li Long suddenly spoke up:

“I’m aware of a hypothesis inspired by these maps. Based on Antarctica’s prehistoric climate, we might consider another possibility—that the Earth’s axis in prehistoric times was not aligned as it is now. It is conceivable that the Earth’s rotational axis was unstable or had not settled into a steady orbit, so prehistoric climate patterns cannot be fully explained by current theories.

“If this holds true, the poles then were not necessarily at their present positions, and the equator may have been elsewhere. Assuming Antarctica lay at a relatively lower latitude, its temperate or even tropical climate would not be surprising, making the existence of a highly advanced civilization there plausible.

“In the early 19th century, in the permafrost regions near the Arctic Circle in Siberia and the New Siberian Islands, large numbers of frozen, intact remains of mammals—such as mammoths, rhinoceroses, and hippopotamuses—were discovered. These were temperate species, yet they congregated near the Arctic, seemingly marching toward their doom. Analysis of their stomach contents revealed undigested temperate herbaceous plants.

“These animals underwent rapid freezing, a ‘quick-freeze preservation’ process, providing irrefutable evidence of a global climatic catastrophe—a sudden shift from temperate to polar climate approximately 11,000 years ago.

“The Earth’s atmosphere maintains a relative thermal equilibrium; such drastic local climate changes are impossible without a global event. The once warm and humid Antarctic continent confirms this conclusion.”

Wang Yue then shared her knowledge:

“Since 1968, massive stone structures have been discovered submerged near Bimini Island—streets, docks, city walls, gateways—bearing striking resemblance to the prehistoric Stonehenge and the megalithic walls of Tillyint in southern England.

“Fossilized mangrove roots growing on these structures date them to at least 12,000 years ago. The underwater architecture is intricate and majestic, with broad, flat stone-paved streets laid out in rectangular or polygonal patterns.

“In 1967, the American submersible Alvin discovered an ‘underwater highway’ along the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and the South Carolina islands. Equipped with special wheels, Alvin could traverse the smooth underwater road as if driving on land. In 1974, the Soviet research vessel Warrior took eight underwater photographs off the coast of the Strait of Gibraltar, clearly depicting underwater mountain ranges, ancient castle walls, and stone staircases. These images confirm that the area was once land inhabited by humans.”

Frost Ling took up the narrative:

“Meanwhile, American and French scientists discovered a massive underwater pyramid in the western Bermuda Triangle. Measuring 300 meters at the base and 200 meters in height, with its apex just 100 meters below the surface, research indicates it predates the Egyptian pyramids.

“All this evidence points to the existence of an ancient continent and civilization buried beneath the ocean floor. Various signs suggest these stone ruins are very likely remnants of Atlantis.

“If true, the Atlantean civilization was highly advanced. Biologists, anthropologists, geologists, archaeologists, and ethnologists have demonstrated that from the Azores to the Bermuda Islands, vast underwater ruins once emerged above water and were inhabited.”

“Looks like everyone did their homework before coming,” Lin Chong praised. “No surprise for members of the Flying Dragon Unit!”

“All done!” Hua Feng announced, having just finished reinforcing the last anchor with Yun Meng and Bai Feng.

Thus, with the Jiaolong submersible as the supply hub, coordinates and surveillance devices established in all directions, the simple underwater base camp was finally complete. The team returned to the Jiaolong to await further orders.