Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre is a 2019 Chinese wuxia television series adapted from the novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber by Jin Yong. Originally published in newspapers from 1961 to 1963, the story has been revised twice; once in 1979 and the second in 2005. This remake is primarily based on the third edition of the novel. The series is the first adaptation to be released as a web series and was first broadcast on Tencent in China on February 27, 2019.
Plot
In the late-Yuan dynasty of China, martial art sects and warriors fight for the lost Dragon Sabre which, according to legend, grants its possessor rulership of the world. Yu Daiyan retrieves the sword but Yin Yewang's sister, Yin Susu, poisons him. Susu arranges to transport the third brother home to be treated but an unknown mercenary cripples him.
Zhang Cuishan watches the Heavenly Eagle Sect demonstrate the dragon sabre but Xie Xun snatches it away and takes Cuishan and Susu to a remote island but their ship sinks. Cuishan and Susu arrive at an island that they like to call Fire Ice Island and fall in love, and married each other there. Xie Xun arrives there the next day and the three of them decide to become a family disregarding their differences due to the birth of Cuishan and Susu's child, Zhang Wuji. The child is named Wuji in memory of Xie Xun's son Xie Wuji and names the Golden-Hair Lion King as her son's godfather.
Ten years later, Cuishan, Susu, and young Wuji leave the island without Xie Xun, who chooses to stay on the island. Cuishan, Susu, and Wuji return to the mainland and travel to Wudang. During the journey, Wuji is kidnapped by one of the Xuan Ming Elders. At Wudang, Daiyan recognizes Susu's voice. Cuishan takes responsibility for the many murders Susu committed in the past and suicides in front of multiple sects to protect his new family. Sanfeng and Susu rescue Wuji then Susu kills herself to join Cuishan, leaving Wuji orphaned. Wuji is poisoned by the toxic chill of the Xuan Ming Divine Palm and collapses.
Miejue and her Emei disciples attack Yang Xiao, who kidnaps Xiaofu. Yang Xiao asks Xiaofu to take care of an orphan girl named Yan'er who has endured abuse for one month. After one month, Xiaofu wants to return to Emei; Yang Xiao tells her Miejue will consider that she and he have something between them and must be killed. Xiaofu tells Yang Xiao the Heavenly Reliant Sword means a lot to her master Miejue and she tricks Yang Xiao into promising never to see her again. Yang Xiao steals the Heavenly Reliant Sword from its Mongolian owner and returns it to Emei. Xiaofu leaves Emei and gives birth to a girl named Yang Buhui in honour of her love for Yang Xiao.
Wuji leaves a note to Sanfeng stating the god of mercy admires him and will cure him, and then he runs away. Wuji prepares to die but a girl named Zhou Zhiruo saves his life. Zhiruo's father looks for Yuchun. The next day, Zhiruo's father is ambushed, captured, and taken to a market where Wuji and Zhiruo were selling oranges. The soldiers force Zhirou's father to tell them the whereabouts of Chang Yuchun but he tells them he does not know. Sanfeng arrives but Zhiruo's father dies. Sanfeng returns to Wudang with Zhiruo to take care of her for Wuji while Yuchun takes Wuji to see Divine Physician Hu Qingniu at the Butterfly valley, who does not want to treat Wuji's cold poison. He feels Wuji's pulse and changes his mind. Wuji studies Qingniu's books and acquires some medical skills.
Sanfeng brings Zhiruo back to Wudang but recommends she would join the Emei sect as Miejue took her in as an Emei disciple.
Miejue finds Xiaofu in the Butterfly Valley and defeats Golden Flower Granny who is trying to take Wuji and Xiaofu to Divine Snake island. Later, Miejue kills Xiaofu in grief with her palm strike for choosing Yang Xiao over Emei and this is witnessed by Wuji and Buhui. Before Xiaofu died, she asked Wuji to send Buhui to her father Yang Xiao, and then returns to Wudang. On the way home, Wuji rescues a monkey from some dogs and is injured. The Zhu family tricks him to reveal Xie Xun's location. Wuji jumps off a cliff and Mr Zhu saves him but they are trapped on a small ledge. Wuji crawls through a narrow tunnel and finds the Nine Yang Divine manual from a white ape and masters it. The Nine Yang Divine Skill allows Wuji to cure his cold poison.
Mr Zhu kicks Wuji off the ledge. Wuji lands in a house and breaks both legs. Zhu'er helps him and attacks Jiuzhen with her spider poison as a result of killing the victim. Emei's disciples are guests at Jiuzhen's home. Emei disciples capture Zhu'er and Wuji.