In the mountains of the Himalayas, a ruthless European antiquities hunter named Hendrix moves with his armed team, pressing locals for a lead on the Chinese secret of immortality. A legendary figure, Zhang Qiling [Jing Boran] intervenes and defeats Hendrix, earning the trust of the local elder who then tasks him with a mission of utmost consequence: avert a catastrophe that could threaten all of humanity.
Cut to the present, where a writer arrives at a weathered warehouse to interview the enigmatic Wu Xie [Lu Han], an antiques dealer who unfolds a sprawling, never-before-told saga. The tale begins with Wu Xie’s bloodline, steeped in grave-robbing history, and traces a boyhood moment when he slips into a temple to lift a relic but is halted by a figure behind a bronze mask. That encounter seeds a lifetime of dreams and mysteries that follow him into adulthood.
As Wu grows into a young man, he ventures into a tomb from the Warring States period and crosses paths with his uncle Wu Sansheng [Wang Jingchun]. Together they stumble upon a hidden chamber whose inscriptions recount the legend of Iron Mask, a craftsman forced to design the tomb of the Snake Empress, the ancient ruler of Tamutuo in what is now the Gobi Desert. Wu discovers an artifact before a swarm of moths compels them to retreat. Hendrix’s forces monitor the aftermath through video footage, confirming a link between the artifact and Tamutuo, while Zhang Qiling, who has not aged since his fateful meeting with Hendrix, watches the footage as well.
The siblings’ teamwork deepens into a shared obsession: the artifact is revealed to be the key to the Snake Empress’s tomb. Zhang joins the expedition, and a startling confession follows: he is a divine being plagued by episodes of amnesia. Wu, in turn, confesses that his dreams keep revisiting that temple moment from his youth, adding another layer of doubt and memory to the quest.
Trouble intensifies when Ning, a ruthless rival leading Hendrix’s faction, blasts an entrance into the tomb complex. Ning’s team, aided by drones that relay data back to Hendrix, closes in as Sanxing’s project faces relentless pressure. The expedition is harried by booby traps and flesh-eating beetles, and a cave-in explodes the bond between Wu and Zhang, scattering them.
Within a dormant chamber, Ning’s crew discovers warriors that look human but are actually composed of plant cells. A single awakened warrior attacks, forcing a retreat as they regroup. Wu stumbles into the same chamber and reunites with Zhang; together they kill the awakening figure, only to have Ning appear and seize the precious key. The two men chase Ning, who demands that Hendrix disclose the mission’s true aim.
Hendrix finally explains the monstrous plan: the Snake Empress swallowed the essence of a magical tree to sleep for two thousand years and to birth an army of worms capable of eradicating humanity when she wakes. The trio—Wu, Ning, and Sanxing’s team—press on toward the Empress’s lair, guided by the key. When they reach her sanctum, the Empress emerges and releases the destructive worms into the wider world. Zhang engages the Empress but cannot break through her magnetic defense.
Yang—Wu Xie [Lu Han] urges Hendrix to abandon his lifelong dream of immortality and instead listen to the plan for defeating the Empress. A coordinated strike follows: Ning’s team uses explosives to shatter the magnetic barriers, enabling Zhang to strike the decisive blow and kill the Empress, which also destroys her worms. As the lair collapses, Wu, Ning, Sanxing, and the remaining members of their squads flee, but Zhang remains trapped, unable to escape the destruction.
In a sequence of flashbacks, Wu recollects the memories of his time with Zhang, and the film draws a haunting parallel between the two men’s fates. The final moment revisits their first meeting, but this time the vision is split: Zhang sees Iron Mask, while Wu sees the bronze-masked figure, a mirrored end that invites reflection on memory, identity, and the cost of immortality.
This expansive tale, told through Wu Xie’s voice and recovered memories, blends ancient myth and modern peril, where relics are more than objects—they are keys to power, memory, and the fragile balance between humanity and legend.
