Unorthodox methods, cultivating immortality relies on rich women

Chapter 179 The Great Discovery

"So this is the 'Ant Hole Star Chart'?"

A piece of what looked like sheepskin was covered in a glass case.

Shen Qingzhou observed carefully and found that the patterns on the picture were not drawn with ink, but with a blood-red pigment. Even after thousands of years, the color was still as good as new.

If you don't know its origin, it's hard for others to believe that it's an ancient artifact from thousands of years ago.

"According to our research, this is a mineral pigment, which is why it has not weathered or faded over thousands of years."

As Bai Yukui spoke, she opened the glass cover and gestured for Shen Qingzhou to pick it up and take a look.

Professor Gu, who had followed, stared in astonishment at the sight.

Given his status, even Miss Bai wouldn't let him handle it personally, but now she's letting someone else take it so casually?

Shen Qingzhou didn't stand on ceremony and directly reached out and took it in his hand.

He gently ran his fingers over the skin and was certain that it was not sheepskin. The dark brown animal hide was smooth and warm to the touch. Even after thousands of years, it was not stiff, neither rotten nor brittle. Although the edges were slightly worn, the whole thing was still intact.

Look at the picture more closely; the lines crisscross, meandering like rivers and spiraling like dragons and snakes.

At first glance, it appears chaotic and disorderly, but upon closer inspection, it subtly aligns with the order of heaven and earth, faintly revealing the mysteries of ancient celestial phenomena.

The most bizarre and iconic part of the entire picture is the dense array of holes of varying sizes.

The holes are distributed irregularly, some as large as a bean, some as small as a needle tip, varying in depth and with smooth edges, as if they were gnawed by countless tiny insects or ants, or as naturally formed cavities.

Perhaps that's why this diagram has the name "Ant Hole Star-Fixing Diagram".

Shen Qingzhou lifted it up, letting the light pass through the holes, and then he discovered that when the light passed through these holes, it seemed to be woven into a net.

He was too familiar with the internet, too sensitive to it, and upon seeing this, he couldn't help but frown and ponder.

"Did you notice anything?" Bai Yukui asked expectantly.

"no."

Shen Qingzhou gently touched the edge of the animal hide with his fingertips, and a rune silently appeared.

Bai Yukui was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this, "I thought you could figure something out."

"Then you're mistaken. I'm not a professional; Professor Gu is the professional. Professor Gu, have you noticed anything?" Shen Qingzhou casually handed over the Ant Hole Star Chart.

Professor Gu was slightly taken aback, then turned to look at Bai Yukui. Seeing her nod slightly, he excitedly reached out and took it.

The moment Professor Gu's fingertips touched the animal hide, he instinctively held his breath, making extremely light movements, as if he were touching a rare treasure that would break at the slightest touch.

He first laid the drawing flat on the table next to him, then took out a small magnifying glass from his pocket and examined it inch by inch.

As he watched, he muttered something to himself, his expression so focused that everything around him seemed to disappear.

That cautious, wary demeanor was a world apart from how Shen Qingzhou had casually picked it up and caressed it earlier.

Bai Yukui and Shen Qingzhou didn't disturb them and walked straight to the side.

Then she opened a hidden compartment in a cabinet and took out the "Gold-Inlaid Galaxy Mirror".

"I haven't shown him this mirror yet."

Bai Yukui gestured with her eyes to Professor Gu, who was focused entirely on the [Ant Hole Star Chart].

Shen Qingzhou was somewhat puzzled. Professor Gu was a Chinese linguist, and the entire text of the Longevity Technique was contained in the "Inlaid Gold Galaxy Mirror." With Professor Gu's knowledge, he would surely be able to interpret it completely.

"After I asked Professor Gu to decipher Chen Changsheng's diary, he told me the whereabouts of the Ant Hole Star Chart, and he also helped me contact the collector," Bai Yukui said.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingzhou suddenly realized, "So you suspect that Professor Gu is connected to a force that is also searching for ancient gods?"

Bai Yukui nodded.

"They seek ancient gods simply to achieve immortality and enjoy power and wealth forever. If the immortality technique in this bronze mirror falls into their hands, with their power, many ordinary people will surely suffer," Bai Yukui said.

Shen Qingzhou could understand this very well. After all, the power behind them was not comparable to that of the local tycoons in Dingjia Village. They were all international conglomerates. Let alone a few hundred people, even thousands or tens of thousands of people's worth of supplies would be a piece of cake for them. After all, there is a shortage of everything in this world, except for people.

They could easily establish a fertility island overseas, just like Lolita Island, and then collect beauties from all over the world for artificial insemination, mass-produced elixirs, and industrialized production. Thinking about it this way, if this longevity technique is real, it's quite possible that they could actually master it.

"wrong----"

Just then, Professor Gu's voice interrupted their conversation.

The two exchanged a glance and walked over.

Sensing the dim light and their arrival, Professor Gu, without looking up, pointed to two seemingly unrelated lines on the diagram.

"These are not the usual star chart lines. The star tracks of ancient star charts are continuous. Even the zodiacal charts have a fixed logic of star officials corresponding to each other. But these lines—are all broken."

He adjusted his glasses, which had slipped down to the tip of his nose, his eyes shining with an astonishing light, as if he had discovered some incredible clue, his fingertips tracing the beginning and end of the lines.

"Look, the starting and ending points of each line fall precisely on the edge of the ant holes. Not a single stroke is superfluous or random. This isn't a mistake; these ant holes are positioning points!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Yukui was taken aback and immediately leaned forward, even softening her breathing.

Only Shen Qingzhou remained standing still, but in his eyes, which were fixed on the star map on the table, there seemed to be runes flowing.

Professor Gu's hands trembled slightly. He first held the map up to the light above his head, then carefully lifted it up and located the two ant holes on the diagonal that were exactly the same size. He then held his breath and carefully folded the animal hide along the line connecting the two holes.

He moved extremely slowly, afraid that even a little too much force would damage the antique. He only stopped when the two ant holes overlapped.

And just as the folding was completed, a miracle occurred.

The several red lines that were originally scattered at both ends of the picture and seemed to have no connection were perfectly pieced together after being folded, and finally merged into a complete character with an ancient structure and symmetrical strokes.

The script was neither the oracle bone script nor the bronze script of later generations, nor the seal script or clerical script. The strokes were extremely simple. It was a script form that was far older than the oracle bone script of the Shang Dynasty.

"This—this is—"

Professor Gu leaned forward, almost touching the animal hide, his brows furrowed, standing there motionless.

Shen Qingzhou and Bai Yukui stood aside, not daring to say anything to disturb them, and waited quietly.

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