In the tenth year of the Dust Tribulation Era, the iron sand disaster swept the world. The deadly sand tide composed of nanoworms could not only corrode metal and devour lives, but also control the victims to turn into "stone figurines" and become hunting tools. Su Lan, an environmental pathologist, and Chen Weijiang, a former disaster response team member, took their children and went deep into the wasteland and ruins of the Qilian base control area in order to track down a chip that marked the coordinates of uncontaminated points. However, they were accidentally involved in a life-and-death game between the intelligence broker "Viper" and the arms lord "Albatross". At the rusty arched earth gate, they encountered strange silent figures and vehicle wreckage that defied common sense of physics, triggering a high-risk "iron sand period." Sand Nightmare - a terrifying humanoid creature parasitized by nanobugs appears, and the endless tide of gray and white sand instantly engulfs the world. Following the iron law of survival of "abandoning gold and iron, walking against the wind, and avoiding crowds", a family of three fled in the opposite direction, aiming directly at the Spirit-Suppressing Tower that can interfere with the perception of nanobugs. However, they discovered that this ancient earthen tower was both a haven and a "torch" that attracted the attack of the swarm. The cruel truth of "barrier = double-edged sword" was hidden inside. After entering the Soul-Suppressing Tower, they witnessed the frozen remains of the former watchman, the human choices in the bloody diary, and the final solution to the "Candle Dragon Lock". In order to activate the directed electromagnetic pulse to end the sand tide, his father Chen Weijiang used himself as bait to lure away the nano-cluster. His mother Su Lan took the risk to access illegal energy and accidentally awakened Dr. Lin Xuan, who was parasitized by the nano-flow. The pulse successfully dispelled the iron sand, but the fortress collapsed due to core meltdown. His father's life and death were uncertain, and Lin Xuan left behind a riddle: "The energy tower is the key." The work takes escape from a desperate situation as the main line, intertwining the rules of survival and human choices. Under the shell of science fiction disaster, it explores human beings' persistence in hope, the fetters of family ties, and the game between technology and human nature in the apocalyptic crisis. It finally leaves the suspense of the energy center of Kunlun Ruins, implying that this war with the man-eating sand has just begun.
