The story opens in the mountains along the Mongolian border, a region known for bizarre discoveries, including massive fossils of unidentified creatures and ancient bodies with their flesh still preserved. The scene shifts to 1979, where Professor Yang Cialin is assembling a special team to investigate the Kunlun mountains in hopes of uncovering more about these mysterious findings.

Among the team is Hu-Bayi, a soldier who endures the grueling conditions of the excavation. The arduous nature of their work is highlighted by the team's frequent collapses from extreme exhaustion, underscoring the challenges they face in their quest for knowledge.