Zhao Min, [Janice Man Wing-San], lures Zhang Wuji, [Raymond Lam Fung], to the domain of her father, the Prince of Ruyang, where the kung fu masters of the Six Major Sects are trapped in the Wanan Pagoda. She explains to her father that this will be an opportunity for them to take the Dragon Saber from Zhang Wuji. She tells Zhang Wuji that she would release the sect leaders if he would convince them to serve the Imperial Yuan government, which he refuses to do.
Abbess Miejue, leader of the Emei Sect, forces Zhou Zhiruo, [Sabrina Qiu], to swear a blood oath that she will not fall in love with Zhang Wuji. She then passes leadership of the Emei Sect to Zhou Zhiruo and teaches her the secret of the Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Saber. When Fan Yao helps the sect leaders escape the pagoda, it is set on fire, trapping them on the higher floors. Their levitation skills require assistance from Zhang Wuji's Grand Diversion skill to land gently on the ground below, but Abbess Miejue is fatally injured from a cold touch attack from a member of the Xuanming Duo and refuses assistance from Wuji.
Zhao Min's father blames her for failing to stop Zhang Wuji, so she accepts Zhang Wuji's offer to travel with him to Fire Ice Island to study the Dragon Saber. Ding Minjun swears revenge on Zhang Wuji for the death of her master and forces Zhou Zhiruo into a battle for leadership of the cult, but Zhao Min drugs Zhou Zhiruo and forces her to accompany Zhang Wuji, Zhao Min and Xiaozhao to Ice Fire Island. Xiaozhao, [Sun Jiaolong], joins them as the quest deepens toward the island’s treacherous loyalties and secrets.
On Ice Fire Island, Zhang Wuji is attacked by the Ming Guardians. Zhao Min learns extra details about the Grand Diversion skill from characters burned into a rock from the Ming Guardians' weapons and reads them aloud to Zhang Wuji, who learns the skill and fights off the Ming Guardians. As leader of the Persian Ming Cult, Xiaozhao's mother “Purple Dress Dragon King” must be burned alive for losing her virginity, so Xiaozhao is compelled to take leadership of the cult, meaning that she will never see Zhang Wuji again.
Zhao Min drugs the others, steals the Dragon Saber and sails off during the night, taking Zhou Zhiruo with her. Zhou Zhiruo pretends to be asleep but jumps off the boat and floats back to the island, where she tells Zhang Wuji what happened and that she feels that they will end up together. Zhang Wuji and Zhou Zhiruo return without Xiaozhao to Bright Peak. Song Qingshu attacks and kills Ding Minjun, but is then killed by Zhou Zhiruo.
On the day of the wedding of Zhang Wuji and Zhou Zhiruo, Zhao Min forbids their marriage and shows Zhang Wuji a piece of hair from his godfather Xie Xun. Zhou Zhiruo attacks Zhao Min, but Zhang Wuji protects her. Zhang Wuji leaves with Zhao Min, and Zhou Zhiruo declares that her relationship with Zhang Wuji is ended forever. Zhao Min explains to Zhang Wuji that Zhou Zhiruo used Song Qingshu as a scapegoat in order to rise to become leader of the Emei Cult and that Zhou Zhiruo was the one who drugged him and took the two swords, which she interlocked to obtain the Nine Yin Manual, before locking Xie Xun in a dungeon.
Zhou Zhiruo holds an event for the execution of Xie Xun for the crime of killing sect members for which he was framed, and Zhang Wuji attends. Zhou Zhiruo states that only the one who defeats her in a duel can take Xie Xun. She fights against Bat King, [Raymond Ho-Yin Wong], and Zhang Wuji, but the duel is interrupted when Cheng Kun breaks into the back hall and kills some disciples to steal the two swords. He resists Zhou Zhiruo's Indestructible Vajra skill that he withheld from her. Zhang Wuji overcomes him using the weapons and skills learned from the Ming Guardians, but Zhou Zhiruo is mortally wounded. She makes Zhang Wuji promise to never fail Zhao Min, then she dies.
