American journalist and China expert Nicholas Orton (Thomas Gibson) has just three days to locate an ancient manuscript and thus save the planet from annihilation. Helping Orton is the Goddess of Mercy (Bai Ling) and the derisive Monkey King (Russell Wong), who possesses formidable martial arts abilities. This made-for-television saga is loosely based on Cheng-En Wu's enduring 16th-century tome, Journey to the West.