Jim Morningstar leads a group of scientists on an expedition to the wasteland of Pueblo Grande, near the entrance to a carefully hidden valley which no white man had ever discovered. The Chinese knew of the valley in the wasteland and the vast treasure it held. They called it Peaceful Valley - they had discovered it after persecution in the American West forced them to take refuge there, and they carefully guarded the entrance.

After a couple of questionable accidents, the murder of the expedition’s cook, and the disappearance of one of the scientists, Jim takes the remaining members of his group back to town and returns to Pueblo Grande to search for the missing scientist.

Morningstar’s search hits a snag when lawyer Slade Salters and some white renegades set out to take the Chinese’s carefully guarded secret - gold - for themselves. They view Jim as an obstacle to their success and kidnap the woman who had promised to help him find his missing scientist. Caught between two determined forces, Morningstar endeavors to rescue both missing people, save the lives of those who accompany him, and bring peace back to Peaceful Valley.