Chapter 8: The Forbidden Inner Scripture

Green Serpents are abundant in the deep mountains and dense forests of the Primeval Continent. They are more commonly known as Green Fangs.

Green Fangs themselves are not particularly remarkable, except for one notable trait—their venom. Take a single Green Fang as an example: its poison is potent enough to fell a creature a hundred times its own size.

Creatures, too, evolve.

So it is with Green Fangs.

When they reach a certain stage of growth, they gather in clusters, seek out a hollow, and begin a brutal ritual of mutual slaughter and devouring, until only one remains. This last Green Fang’s venom multiplies, becoming hundreds of times more fierce—a true serpent of deadly poison. Anyone bitten will walk no more than seven steps before succumbing, earning the Green Fang its other name: the Seven-Step Serpent.

When the next phase of evolution approaches, these Seven-Step Serpents send out signals, assemble anew, and repeat the cycle of devouring. Until, at last, only one survives again—and this survivor earns a new title: the Green Serpent.

The venom of a Green Serpent kills instantly; no medicine can counter it, and even the greatest healers can only sigh in helpless resignation and withdraw.

...

In the Butterfly Arena of Eastern Wilds, Green Serpent is also the name of a man.

He embodies a chapter of cold-blooded madness in the annals of time.

...

Within the history of the Butterfly Division’s arena in the Eastern Wilds, there have been dazzling prodigies and infamous villains, names stained for eternity. Among those notorious names, Green Serpent is assured a place in the top three.

Green Serpent was not always thus; he was once a common martial artist, struggling for survival, fighting desperately even for a sip of water. By chance, he stumbled into a cave and encountered a dying warrior whose body was riddled with decay. Amidst the warrior’s eerie, sinister smile, he inherited a secret art.

From the warrior’s fragmented words, Green Serpent gleaned basic information: the art originated from the relics of gods and demons, a broken legacy of the Poison Demon. The technique was powerful and deadly, but to cultivate it, one had to consume poison. The warrior, in the attempt to do so, failed and his body collapsed in ruin.

To practice, or not to practice?

To avoid it means to remain mediocre, forever struggling at the edge of hardship.

To pursue it brings the chance to rise above all, to dominate the world. Of course, it might also mean utter bodily collapse and instant death.

A gamble, with one’s own life as the stake.

Would he wager?

He did.

Deep within Green Serpent’s nature lay a streak of madness. He chose to cultivate the art, eating poisonous creatures. Only then did he understand the sinister smile of the dying warrior.

Every dose of poison was like enduring a thousand blades, a thousand swords piercing his body and heart. The endless agony would drive the weak-willed to collapse, fail in the technique, and suffer a lethal backlash from the venom. But if one could persevere, survive the torment, their strength would soar, their power advancing at a miraculous pace.

Green Serpent tasted the flavor of might and plunged into even more frenzied cultivation, consuming the very Green Serpents whose bite killed instantly. Within less than a year, he achieved breakthrough after breakthrough, attaining the rank of a Sovereign. Even he felt dazed, as if in a dream.

The price: his skin became covered in countless tiny pustules, each harboring deadly venom. This grotesque transformation signified his mastery had reached the threshold of true accomplishment.

The legendary secret art of the Poison Demon was called the Internal Venom Sutra.

...

Green Serpent became his moniker, rising to dominance in the arena.

Since becoming a poison man, Green Serpent’s temperament grew cold, irritable, and prone to rage. In battle, the slightest sound, word, or glance could send him into fits of madness. The pustules covering his body would burst at any moment, killing innumerable foes.

Opponents died, spectators died. Anyone who tried to intervene also perished.

At last, the arena bowed to the overwhelming demands of the people, mobilizing the best fighters of the Combat Alliance to besiege and eliminate this poisonous scourge. It was said that several Sovereigns and Warriors died in that battle. Only after much effort did they shatter all of Green Serpent’s power sources and cast him into a deep abyss.

This event was etched in many memories, having occurred just two years prior.

Who could have guessed that a "dead man" would reappear, openly, in the arena?

Why?

*********

“Hehe, this is an internal secret of the Combat Alliance, and also Butterfly Headquarters’ trump card,” the chief supervisor murmured in the shadows, his face savage. “Green Serpent was indeed crippled back then, but he didn’t die. The siege was real, but the aim was to subdue him. I stumbled upon him in the depths of the abyss, saved him, and hoped to tame him for future use… Unexpectedly, Green Serpent surpassed all expectations, forcibly reopening the power source at his heart. Though he now possesses only one power source, his combat strength rivals a General, and his venom is unmatched… Solitude, this is my final controllable card—let’s see how you respond.”

“Chief Supervisor, if things go wrong and the spectators are harmed, won’t…” The steward sweated profusely, anxious about being implicated. Green Serpent’s reputation and temperament were notorious, easily inciting public outrage.

“You know nothing,” the supervisor replied smugly. “You think I can’t control the situation? Relax, I’m confident. Let me tell you a secret: though he’s regained a General’s strength and recovers swiftly, he’ll never surpass that rank in his lifetime. To survive, to retain one power source, is already his great fortune. If he acts up, I’ll send the Divine Bow to kill him…”

Hiss—

At the mention of the Divine Bow, the steward shuddered, recalling the person it represented, and thought to himself, “How ruthless this chief is… No wonder I’m just a steward while he lords over me… Hmph, a final card, but now there’s the Divine Bow too…”

...

At the entrance to the arena, sudden screams rang out, then quickly faded. The crowd, packed tightly, recoiled like they’d encountered a plague god, silently ebbing away, leaving a solitary figure.

He stood nearly two meters tall, blending into the masses, nothing remarkable. His frame was gaunt, skin stretched over bone, the epitome of emaciation. A long, coarse robe covered him, exposing only his head.

His face was mottled with blue patches.

His lifeless eyes exuded the aura of terminal illness.

Tap—

He moved, his steps mechanical and numb, walking towards the central platform.

Whoosh—

A stray gust of wind stirred his robe, releasing a pungent, acrid stench.

In a hidden corner, an old man squinted, then suddenly opened his eyes in shock. With a single motion, he reached into the void, seeming to catch something, brought it to his nose, and sniffed. “Poison… such powerful venom… If things go wrong, I’ll have to intervene. It’s rare to find such talent—I cannot let it slip away…”

“Why are you pulling us?” the child protested, but the wolf forcibly dragged him back, face clouded and muscles twisting like centipedes. “Don’t waste time—lives are at stake. Come with me, let’s find the arena supervisor or the Tiger King…”

...

To the audience, it seemed as though an entire year had passed before Green Serpent finally ascended the platform. He tilted his head, breathing the air softly, his expression reminiscent and nostalgic. “It’s been too long, arena. I, Green Serpent, have returned today.”

...

His gaze slowly shifted from dullness to animation, revealing a glimmer of vitality. Looking at Solitude Farewell, he muttered, “To commemorate my return, as the first to accompany me to the grave, I will let you die slowly.”

Whoosh—

Solitude Farewell exhaled deeply, his state nearly restored to its peak. All this time, he had been circulating the Tenfold Body Refining Technique, absorbing the strength and essence gained from wild beasts. His internal and external wounds were nearly healed.

To his surprise, just now, he’d gained something new.

That mysterious will, upon his recovery, swiftly withdrew, returning to the glove. Since he’d used the Nether Meditation Technique with his left hand, the will had absorbed its essence, rapidly processing, calculating, deducing, and perfecting it.

Just as Green Serpent stepped onto the stage, it was finally perfected.

The Nether Meditation Technique had evolved to a higher, more profound level.

He judged that, once activated, its power would be at least ten times greater than before.

A joyous surprise, an immense delight!

Previously, he believed the Nether Meditation Technique was invincible, his proudest skill. Yet in his struggle with the beast, he learned that in this world, the technique was not unbeatable. If someone’s power was strong enough, they could threaten him, force him to abandon it.

Because the technique could no longer annihilate enemies in a single move.

Now, his confidence was restored.

Tenfold Nether Meditation was once again his trump card. Against warriors of the same rank, he could confidently defeat them with a single strike. Even Generals could not withstand two or three attacks.

Once their power was exhausted, only death awaited. When the Nether Meditation was unleashed, who could stand against him?

Boom!

Green Serpent’s strength surged, shooting out from every pore. His coarse robe shattered, fluttering down like butterfly wings dancing in a flower field.

Only a patch of snakeskin remained intact, covering his lower body. Everywhere else, his skin was exposed, densely covered with fingertip-sized pustules, exuding a heavy, acrid stench. Each pustule pulsed like a heart, slow and steady, ready to burst at any moment and spray deadly poison.

“Let’s begin,” Green Serpent murmured, like an invincible king, utterly indifferent to his opponent. With a thought, many pustules exploded, releasing black blood mixed with nameless toxins, which billowed into a cloud and enveloped him.

Sizz—

The venom corroded the air, emitting sizzling sounds as wisps of blue smoke rose.

No living being dare approach!

...