In this world, snakes and insects mostly thrived in the tropics, especially in hot, humid rainforests. Those found in cold and temperate regions generally had weaker venom.
The Zu Mountain World, however, was different. Its deadliest venomous dragons lived in the Northern Sea's bitterly cold depths.
Divine Dragon Island lay at the end of the mountains' and seas' dragon veins, where the baleful energies of the Northeastern Twin Seas vented. Countless snakes and insects had naturally bred there, with an especially great variety of venomous snakes, earning it the name Snake Island.
The original Cult Master Hong had relied on spells learned from Shi Longgu, particularly the art of Flying Needles, which specifically countered all manner of snakes and insects.
He had also learned various unorthodox methods of refining and concocting poisons, raising snakes, and tempering souls. Combining the two, he developed his own school of cultivation, founded the Divine Dragon Cult, and chose Snake Island as its headquarters.
After enduring a thousand hardships, he had found five Serpent Monsters over three thousand years old, designated them the Serpent Gods of the five directions, and led his followers in offering them incense and worship.
Later, Bai Guanhong arrived and became the island's true master. He subdued the five Serpent Gods and nurtured and refined them using gu-refining methods. He also used spells to move five mountain peaks here, built a new Snake God Temple on each, and arranged them into a formation according to the terrain.
Immortal Granny Dongxuan captured Bai Guanhong, seized Divine Dragon Island, and rearranged the formation.
Bai Guanhong's spells had mainly come from the Green-Robed Ancestor and Shi Feiyang. The Green-Robed Ancestor had considerable ties to Immortal Granny Dongxuan, while the spells Shi Feiyang had taught Bai Guanhong were orthodox Mystic Sect arts. They were by