Over 3,900 years ago, on a fateful day, the elder physician of the Yunluo Tribe ventured deep into the mountains in search of medicinal herbs. But a sudden downpour trapped him at the base of a steep cliff, leaving him stranded with no way forward or back.

　　*Boom! Boom!*

　　Thunder rumbled ominously, its deep growls echoing through the mountains. The old physician tilted his head upward, his gaze fixed on the heavens. The clouds above churned violently, roiling and surging like floodwaters breaking loose, their chaos almost palpable. They formed a thick, suffocating layer, sealing off the sky entirely. The scene was so unsettling it sent a chill down his spine.

　　Then, without warning, the gray-white clouds turned blood red, an eerie and unnatural transformation that seemed to stain the sky itself. His breath hitched. Moments later, the crimson hue began to fade, lightening until it softened into a strange, pale pink.

　　The old physician’s heart pounded in his chest. He stood frozen, unable to tear his eyes away from the phenomenon. And then—there it was. Emerging from a crack in the clouds, he saw something sharp and pointed, like the prow of a ship. His jaw dropped.

　　Before he could make sense of what he was seeing, the surrounding clouds scattered as though swept away by an unseen hand. What appeared before him was unmistakable—a ship.

　　It wasn’t just any ship. It was made of iron, its entire body a dull gray, and no larger than the size of a human palm. Yet, there it hovered, suspended in the sky, perfectly still as though it belonged there.

　　The old physician blinked hard, his mind reeling. He had seen ships before—floating on the sea, their movements swayed by the tides. But a ship, made of iron no less, floating effortlessly in the air? The very idea was beyond anything he’d ever imagined. It was impossible. Unreal. And yet, there it was.

　　He stared at the ship, his heart racing, his mind a jumble of disbelief and awe. Time seemed to stretch, each second dragging into eternity as he stood rooted to the spot, unable to look away.

　　And then, just as he thought he’d seen the strangest thing of his life, something even more unthinkable began to unfold.

　　But now, before him, high in the sky, there was no mistaking it—an enormous iron ship, far beyond anything he could have imagined. It hung there, motionless, as if it were drifting on the sea—except it wasn’t on the water at all. It was suspended in the air, perfectly still.

　　The old physician couldn’t tear his eyes away. He was hypnotized, completely absorbed, losing all sense of time. He had no idea how long he had been staring, but what happened next was even more bizarre.

　　The trees around him were utterly motionless. There was no wind, no rustling leaves—everything was eerily silent. And then, in an instant, the gray iron ship was right in front of him. He could tell it was at least thirty feet long, with a flat belly and a strange latch in the center, something like a door.

　　*Whoosh!* Without warning, the latch snapped open, and something that looked vaguely human floated out, moving with astonishing speed. It felt almost like an illusion, as if the figure had simply materialized above his head, silently hovering, watching him.

　　Surprisingly, the old physician didn’t feel fear. Instead, he raised his head slowly, meeting the creature’s gaze with calm curiosity. It was humanoid, but smaller than a human, with an oversized head that looked as if it were encased in glass. Two tails extended from its back, and its body was a pale gray.

　　The creature extended its hand, moving with deliberate slowness, and gently touched the old physician’s forehead.

　　In that moment, words flooded into the physician’s mind, a voice calm and neutral, neither male nor female. "You may call us 'Visitors from Beyond the Sky.' We come from a distant star, and we intend to remain here for a while. Your heart is pure, and we hope we can live together in peace."

　　There was a brief pause before the voice continued. "This is our energy stone. It has incredible power and can heal some of the flaws within your body."

　　The old physician stood frozen, his mind racing as he tried to process the words, the overwhelming flood of unfamiliar information. Yet strangely, despite the strangeness of it all, he didn’t feel fear. Instead, there was only a profound sense of wonder.

　　In the blink of an eye, it was gone, vanishing like a fleeting illusion. The old physician was certain he hadn’t blinked, yet the creature and the massive gray iron ship disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared, leaving no trace behind, as though they had never existed at all.

　　A shiver ran through his palm. He glanced down and found a small stone, no bigger than an egg, nestled in his hand. The stone gleamed with iridescent, rainbow-like colors, its light dancing brightly in his palm. The old physician knew it was the energy stone he’d been given—the source of that dazzling glow. The sky above was still shrouded in thick, gray clouds, with not a single ray of sunlight breaking through.

　　When he returned to the village, the old physician told the others about his bizarre experience. It wasn’t until a few days later that they noticed something even stranger: the upper portion of Mount Wu Tuo, above the village, had been cut cleanly as though by a giant blade—flattened overnight. In the middle of the flattened land, a deep, wide hole had appeared, at least thirty feet across.

　　The hole’s entrance was unnervingly perfect. It was so perfectly round that no one could fathom how or who could have shaped the mountain with such precision, or what kind of tool could have created such a massive hole.

　　Curious villagers ventured out to see it for themselves. Standing at the edge, they peered into the dark abyss, but the hole seemed to stretch on infinitely. The walls were smooth and featureless, without a single plant clinging to them. The surface was a dull, grayish color, so obscured by mist that it was impossible to tell what material it was made of, or what color it truly was.

　　*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

　　A faint, almost imperceptible sound seemed to rise from the depths of the hole, as if the wind was coming up from the bottom, carrying with it strange, haunting whispers. The eerie silence around the hole made the villagers feel disoriented, and some couldn’t help but feel a strange compulsion, as though the hole were drawing them in, tempting them to jump into its unknown depths.

　　Some of the more daring villagers tried to measure the depth by lowering a long rope into the hole, but it never reached the bottom. They were certain it was a bottomless pit.

　　Terrified but intrigued, they kept their distance from the mysterious hole that had appeared overnight, too afraid to venture closer. It wasn’t until one fateful day that the old physician saw the gray iron ship reappear, disappearing into the hole’s entrance, that the connection hit him. This, he realized, was the place the "Visitors from Beyond the Sky" had spoken of as their home.

　　Before long, the Visitors from Beyond the Sky made their way into the village, astonishing everyone by initiating communication. Their method was nothing like what humans were used to—they simply touched a person’s forehead with a single finger, and a dialogue would unfold seamlessly. Despite their large, otherworldly heads, their mouths never moved, staying tightly shut throughout the exchange.

　　As the villagers gradually grew accustomed to the visitors, the old physician, known for his mastery of medicine, made an incredible observation: these beings didn’t age, and they were immune to illness. Fascinated, he decided to conduct an experiment. He buried the energy stone in a plot of land where he grew medicinal herbs. What followed defied explanation—the herbs’ potency skyrocketed, becoming more than ten times as effective. With great care, he nurtured and cultivated a singular herb that turned out to be nothing short of miraculous, capable of curing the most stubborn and mysterious ailments.

　　He named this extraordinary plant *Bai Yuntong*, or “Gift from the Clouds,” as a tribute to the generosity of the celestial visitors who had forever changed their lives.

　　As he delved deeper into his research, the old physician unearthed an even greater truth about the energy stone and *Bai Yuntong*. When brewed into a medicinal tonic, the herb’s juice worked wonders—it purified the bloodstream, infusing it with vibrant energy. Over time, regular consumption of the tonic granted the blood unique medicinal properties, transforming it into a vital element in healing severe illnesses. It became an indispensable companion to any major treatment, the key to restoring life and vitality.

　　Driven by curiosity, the old physician began drinking the *Bai Yuntong* tonic himself. After days of observation and finding no harmful effects, he decided to give the tonic to his young granddaughter. To his amazement, her body responded even better than his, absorbing the herb’s energy with remarkable efficiency.

　　Through painstaking trials and experiments, the old physician discovered an astonishing remedy. By adding just a few drops of his granddaughter’s blood to the Bai Yuntong tonic, he successfully treated tribe members suffering from severe illnesses. Not only did these individuals recover fully, but something even more extraordinary began to happen: their lives seemed to stretch longer, as if time itself had slowed down for them.

　　The old physician, deeply aware of the power he’d uncovered, gathered his family and entrusted them with a solemn duty. “Guard this secret with your lives,” he told them. “Let this gift be used only to heal our people, to ease their suffering and grant them longer, healthier lives.”

　　Years passed, and one day, the Visitors from Beyond the Sky announced they would be leaving. The Yunluo people watched as their benefactors departed, never to return. Yet in their hearts, they believed these beings hadn’t simply disappeared—they had ascended, becoming celestial deities who returned to their rightful place in the heavens. To honor them, the tribe began an annual tradition. On July 29th each year, they gathered at the edge of the sacred cave where the visitors had once dwelled, offering prayers and rituals as though the Visitors were no different from their own revered ancestors.

　　But the Yunluo people’s simple, trusting nature would later become their greatest weakness. Unbeknownst to them, the secret of their longevity would eventually draw the attention of outsiders. What began as whispers of a miracle became a tempest of greed, betrayal, and violence, shattering the peace of their isolated world.

　　Generations later, a descendant of the tribal chief—bearing the bloodline that carried the secret—would embark on a perilous journey. Together with a prince, they would seek the miraculous medicine, setting in motion a tale of breathtaking danger, heart-wrenching betrayal, and unimaginable courage.