A set of bizarre desert photographs prompts Henry Foster to venture deep into the wasteland in search of an unusual ancient tomb. The companions sent to investigate mysteriously disappear, and by chance, a terrifying and strange pattern is carved onto the back of the young Eric Bennett. After finding Eric Bennett, Henry Foster insists on inviting him to join the expedition to the mysterious heart of the desert shown in the photos—Gutongjing, a place the locals call the Forest of Death.

Accompanying the exploration team, Henry Foster, Samuel Cooper, and Eric Bennett are unexpectedly led by the legendary moving lake to a vast, white desert. Here, the ruins of a secret engineering project are hidden, and astonishingly, this modern project was constructed according to ancient blueprints from 3,000 years ago.

Why surround the lake with trucks? What kind of project is buried beneath the desert? What sudden event caused countless people to die under the trucks? What exactly is lurking beneath the white sand? Can the suddenly appearing Jack Brooks save Henry Foster from a desperate situation? What message did Brian Carter give to Eric Bennett? Can the clues left by Luke Foster rescue them? Faced with all this, will Eric Bennett give up or take responsibility—can he fulfill his mission?