Lord Tsoi of the Manchus (Hwang Jang Lee) has used his Buddhist Fist expertise to destroy a great many Ming patriots. While visiting a temple, he is ambushed by a group of Ming freedom fighters, but is recued by a naïve kung fu fanatic, Shao Hai (Meng Hoi). In gratitude, Lord Tsoi makes Shao Hai his personal guard and educates him in the Buddhist Fist. Shao Hai, however, is also the student of his grandfather, a Ming monk (Chien Yuet San) and disciple of the Buddhist Palm technique. When Shao Hai finds that he has killed a member of his own family on behalf of Tsoi, he realigns himself with the Ming cause. The grandfather, knowing that Shao Hai is no match for Tsoi, teaches him the Five Elements Buddhist Palm so that he canmatch Tsoi blow-for-blow. After defeating the best of Tsoi's men, the young avenger must face the might of the Buddhist Fist in an epic showdown from which only one will emerge.