The Ching Emperor fears the martial artists from the Shao Lin Monastery, and so he gives orders to burn it down. Most of the inmates who resisted the Manchus are either killed or dispersed. The lucky ones, who escape included Hung Hsi-kuan, in addition to five men, who flee to Central China. They are Tsai Te-chung (Ti Lung), Ma Chao-hsing (Alexander Fu Sheng), Fang Ta-hung (Meng Fei), Li Shih-kai (Chi Kuan-chun), and Hu Te-ti (David Chiang). These five heroes try to join forces with the other anti-Ching elements in Central China. Among the Shao Lin men is Ma Fu-yi, a traitor, who in league with the Manchu henchman, Chen Wen-yao (Chiang Tao), plots to destroy the Shao Lin heroes once and for all. Ma Chao-hsing is captured by the traitor, but he refuses to reveal anything. Meanwhile, Hu Te-ti, with the help of Chieftain Kao, and the chieftain's followers, rush to the rescue of Ma Chao-hsing. A fierce battle ensues, and Ma is freed, but the brave chieftain dies. The anti-Ching patriots begin to realize that in order to lick the Manchu lackeys, led by Chen Wen-yao, Pao Yu-lung, and others, they must improve their kung fu skill, because their opponents are also experts in martial arts. Then the patriots return to the gutted monastery, where they spend more than a year perfecting still more kung fu techniques, such as the 'Crossed Fists', 'Triple-Jointed Stick', 'Rolling Technique', 'Tiger Stork Technique', and 'Pole Technique'. The decisive battle is fought, resulting in the complete routing of the Manchu gangsters. But Fang and Li also die martyrs to liberty. The anti-Ching forces are further reinforced by the arrival of fresh troops from Admiral Cheng Cheng-kung of Taiwan. More bitter struggles against the Manchu tyrants follow...