The woodcutter Chunsheng, in a deep forest sealed by heavy snow, rescues a giant silver-scaled spiritual serpent trapped in a hunter's net. The spiritual serpent, harboring gratitude in its heart, heals Chunsheng's long-ailing mother with its own spiritual scales, and delivers the woman Yunwan, who collapsed during her flight from refuge, to his home. The greedy Landlord Wang covets the spiritual serpent's miraculous scales, and after his heavy-money enticement is refused, colludes with Daozhang Qingxu to set up an altar for magical combat, even kidnapping Yunwan to use as leverage. Amidst the clash between righteousness and evil, the spiritual serpent subdues the wicked with divine powers, the Daoist priest suddenly awakens and turns around to assist, and Landlord Wang is ultimately defeated. Chunsheng and Yunwan joyfully tie the knot, yet a centenary severe drought suddenly descends, crops failing completely and water sources drying up, plunging the entire village into an unprecedented survival crisis.