Abbot Fahai and his assistant Neng Ren meet an ice harpy at the top of a mountain. The harpy Neng Ren into an ice statue. Fahai is forced to capture her with a demon trapper, releasing Neng Ren from the transformation. Neng Ren is tasked to confine the ice harpy at Lei Feng Pagoda, in a magic circle along with other trapped demons.
On the other side of the mountain, two female snake demons (Qingqing and Susu) spot a physician, Xu Xian, picking herbs. Qingqing scares him, causing him to fall into the lake. Susu assumes human form and kisses Xu Xian, allowing Vital Essence to flow from her into his body, saving him.
After finding a victim of a bat demon, Fahai and Neng Ren leave the temple to subdue it. Xu Xian comes across them and offers a boat ride to the city. Susu starts thinking about the day she kissed Xu Xian and heads to the city to find him. While Qingqing is exploring the city, she comes across Neng Ren and decides to help him subdue the bat demon by revealing its location. Neng Ren defeats the bat demon's cohorts, but is unable to subdue the bat demon king and is bitten. Though saved by Fahai, Neng Ren starts turning into a bat demon and decides to run away. Meanwhile, Xu Xian recognises Susu. They spend the night together, but he is unaware she is a snake in human form.
Qingqing finds Zheng Ren and the two befriend each other. They realize that Neng Ren, despite becoming a bat demon, still has all his human taste for human food, and most of his human qualities. Meanwhile, Xu Xian and Susu wed. Fahai gives Xu Xian a dagger that can kill demons. Suspecting that Susu is a demon, Fahai confronts and defeats her. He spares her as she had helped save others but warns her to leave Xu Xi threatening to kill her otherwise. When she doesn't, Fahai and his disciples attack her and Xu Xian's cottage. Susu fights the battle in snake form, but is stabbed by Xu Xian, who is unaware of her true identity. Susu escapes but is gravely injured. Xu Xian, after realizing what he has done, decides to get the spirit root to heal her.
Helped by Susu's friend, a mouse, Xu Xian manages to retrieve a root kept inside the Lei Feng Pagoda, but is possessed by demons since the root was the thing that kept the demons in place. Fahai and the other monks capture Xu Xian and prepare to cast spells to banish the demons from his body. When Susu recovers, she goes to find Xu Xian along with Qingqing. They are confronted by Fahai, who tries to explain to them that the spell should not be broken before it is complete. Susu, however, does not believe him and accuses him of trying to separate them. The two sisters battle Fahai and after Fahai breaks their swords, they retaliate by unleashing a tidal wave on Jinshan. Susu releases Xu Xian from the spell, but he has no memory of Susu. Susu blames Fahai and they battle. Despite managing to repel Susu's fierce snakes and incapacitate Qingqing, Fahai is left defeated. He questions whether he was too driven on his demon-hunting and fierce defense of Buddha. When Susu recommences the battle, Fahai, empowered by his faith in Buddha, is able to trap Susu in Lei Feng Pagoda. At this point, Susu repents and asks to see Xu Xian just one last time. Fahai lifts the pagoda, temporarily freeing Susu. After an emotional talk with Xu Xian, Susu kisses him, causing him to remember everything. Susu is then sucked back into the temple, much to Xu Xian's sadness. Qingqing, watching from a distance with Neng Ren, tells him she doesn't want to love anyone as her sister loved Xu Xian, and leaves saying he will never be a true bat demon anyway.
In the epilogue, Xu Xian picks herbs around the pagoda, while Susu, returned to her snake form, is trapped inside the temple. Fahai is walking around the mountainside, when suddenly Neng Ren (now a complete bat demon) appears alongside him. Throwing him an apple, Fahai tells him that he has grown used to his new look, and they journey together again.
Ethan Juan, Peter Ho, Mark Chao and Raymond Lam auditioned for the lead role of Xu Xian[citation needed]. In the end, Lam got the role. Juan and Chao were reportedly dropped as they were deemed to be not well-known enough in China and Ho's image did not suit the male lead.[3]
Jet Li was announced as part of the cast during early pre-production. However, his role was not revealed until September 2010, when the filmmakers announced Jet Li as Fa Hai, Eva Huang as White Snake, Raymond Lam as Xu Xian, Charlene Choi as Green Snake and Wen Zhang, whom Li invited to play his disciple Neng Ren.[9]
Regarding the action scenes, Jet Li said he had never been this exhausted before.[9] Li said,
After fighting the White Snake, fight the Green Snake. After fighting the Green Snake, then fight the Demon. After fighting this Demon, then fight another Demon. After fighting this Demon, then fight the Water Monster. Everyday on set I was letting out a big sigh.[6]
Raymond Lam said he was always being hit by others,
Especially Ah Sa, she even requested for the director to add fight scenes. As a result, added scenes to hit me! Furthermore she fought much more fiercely than before![6]
Filming wrapped on January 16, 2011.[10] Originally titled Madame White Snake in English, the film logo was unveiled during the production wrap press conference with the new official English title, It's Love.[11] However, the English title was changed to The Sorcerer and the White Snake when the distributor was announced.[2] The actual title used was The Emperor and the White Snake, both on DVD and at IMDb.[12]
