The story revolves around the white snake spirit, Bai (played by Liu Yifei), who falls in love with a mortal man, Xu Xian (played by Huang Xiaoming). The two meet and fall deeply in love, but their happiness is short-lived as Bai's true nature as a snake spirit is revealed, and she is subsequently imprisoned by a powerful sorcerer, Fa Hai (played by Jet Li).