I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 308

I lost one of the neidan.

Still, I shouldn’t dwell on it too much.

After all, it was the Serpent Queen who consumed it.

“Geeeeek.”

“I appreciate the gift, truly... but one should never stick their hand into a lady’s mouth.”

The Serpent Queen is already powerful enough—she might actually evolve soon.

She’s not officially part of the Gae Gak Sect, so the title of “Strongest Blade of the Sect” still belongs to the Red Dragon, but if the Serpent Queen completes her evolution, she might come close... or even surpass her.

Honestly, if we’re comparing the two before they met me, the Serpent Queen did have a slight edge.

“Sssssaaah!”

Shik-Shik jabbed at my side with her now-sharpened snout.

“If something like this happens again... you won’t even have time to think about a counterattack.”

That was a pretty chilling warning.

“Sssssssssaaaah!”

Shik-Shik began nipping at me, still clearly unhappy about something.

Chomp.

She kept trying to bite my lizard hand. Maybe she wanted to experience what the Serpent Queen did earlier?

If it were an adult like the Serpent Queen, sure, but in my eyes, Shik-Shik was still a kid.

I couldn’t let her go through anything like that.

“Ppiyak?”

When I scratched the area around her neck gently instead of putting my hand in her mouth, her face softened and rounded again.

“Gororong...”

Shik-Shik leaned her plump body against me and began to nap peacefully.

Even after evolving, Shik-Shik was still Shik-Shik.

Still... now that you’ve evolved, aren’t you even a little interested in taking on a humanoid form?

I wasn’t about to pressure her—humanization isn’t exactly an easy feat—but Shik-Shik is different.

I’d seen her future through the Divine Mirror of Possibilities.

The little snake purring in my arms had the potential to become a stunning beauty who’d rival the Serpent Queen.

“In fact, this is even better. Now that you’ve become his follower, you’ll grow into something even stronger than the future I once saw. You may even shed your form and surpass me.”

If that’s how it is, then I welcome it, Shik-Shik.

Though... I can’t shake this feeling of unease.

Like a 4-week deadline just got extended to 8, somehow.

I don’t know why, but I keep imagining the mummified corpse of a lizard.

“Of course, thanks to the gift you gave me, the gap between us has widened once again.”

Ufufuf.

The Serpent Queen chuckled as she said that.

Even when we had spiritual medicines or neidan, she would always defer to me or Shik-Shik.

She believed that, as a Basilisk, she couldn’t evolve any further—and so she passed those medicines down.

But the neidan she just consumed? It was potent enough to be effective even for a Serpent Queen who had half-given up on evolving.

I wonder what kind of species she’ll become.

Will she remain snake-like and continue evolving?

Or will she leap straight into a dragon?

Whatever it ends up being, I’m excited.

There’s nothing more enjoyable than seeing a powerful and majestic spiritual beast.

Especially one that’s friendly to me and has scales?

Even without a pouch, this is a full-on “gerorong” moment.

“It will take some time to fully absorb this power... so in the meantime, I should do what needs to be done.”

“Gegek.”

You’re planning to come to my nest and focus on cultivation, right?

I mean, not to brag, but the energy in my nest is ridiculously good.

It’s crawling with spiritual beasts, and it’s been fortified multiple times by the power of the Dragon Gate—no wonder it’s brimming with energy.

Wolves and spiders passing by have literally fired beams from their mouths. That’s how intense the place is.

“If it were up to me, I’d tie my partner up with my tail and carry him straight to your nest, but... there’s something I need to finish first.”

“Gek?”

Something to finish?

“Earlier, I was too distracted to mention it, but I’m currently in an alliance with the Heavenly Demon Cult.”

Right, that tracks.

When Kaichal Goa-Thal was making his final desperate move, Master showed up.

Even though Tase’s power was rampaging out of control, Master handled it like it was nothing. That moment was the beginning of the bond between the Serpent Queen and the Heavenly Demon Cult.

I don’t know the exact terms of their alliance, but it seems deeper than I’d thought.

So deep, in fact, that the cult even used their power to spy on the Serpent Queen’s scale underbelly—and Shik-Shik’s too.

That’s not something you’d usually get in a casual alliance.

“So before I follow my partner, I need to consult with the Heavenly Demon Cult.”

That level of loyalty makes sense. With such a strong alliance, she’d be obligated to inform them.

The cult might be counting on her power in times of crisis, and if her residence changed without notice, it could cause problems.

“Gegek.”

Still, it’s fine.

I’m the disciple of the cult leader—don’t you think I can get away with a little overreach?

...Okay, maybe I’d lose a few scales if I acted unilaterally, but for the Serpent Queen, I could handle that.

“There’s no need. I was planning to stop by the Heavenly Demon Cult anyway.”

“Gekgek.”

So... she means she wants to meet Master directly?

“There’s also something I ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) can’t keep putting off.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The Serpent Queen stretched out her arms and picked up both me and Shik-Shik.

She petted the sleeping Shik-Shik and gently stroked my geroronging side.

“Do you remember what I once told you?”

Something she said before?

She’s said a lot, honestly, so I wasn’t sure.

“Back when I was still a young snake.”

Ah, that.

I remembered that.

Fasir was once a small snake like Shik-Shik, and Kaichal Goa-Thal, too, was just another snake back then.

“There was someone I considered a savior and teacher—someone who taught me everything.”

A woman with black hair and red eyes.

I’d seen her briefly in a vision when I was struck by Kaichal Goa-Thal’s power.

Even the normally unshakable Serpent Queen had seemed confused when faced with the illusions of the Rakshasa Division, so it was clear how much that woman meant to her.

“I’ve thought about it a lot on my own... and I can only come to one conclusion.”

Why is she bringing this up now?

“Your Master... the leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult.”

Why is Master suddenly being brought up?

“I believe... she might be that woman’s daughter.”

...What?

“Geeeeek?!”

You’re saying Master is her daughter?

Serpent Queen, I think you’re mistaken.

There are a lot of reasons that doesn’t make sense.

Sure, maybe their faces look a little similar, but...

...

Wait.

Now that I think about it... they do look a lot alike.

*

First Elder of the Heavenly Demon Cult, Jo Jin-gang.

Though the numbers before the elders’ titles weren’t supposed to indicate rank, everyone acknowledged that he was the strongest among them.

He had once defeated the head of the Peng Clan—someone who had reached the peak of Hwagyeong, and was known as the Dao King.

It was a result no one in the Central Plains had anticipated, and also the reason he’d been branded a public enemy of the martial world.

They claimed he’d dared to use dark sorcery, but Jo Jin-gang could only scoff at that.

All he’d done was turn the Peng Clan’s own trap against them—yet they called it sorcery.

But that’s just how the martial world works.

They simply couldn’t accept that their clan leader lost to a wandering vagabond, so they used every scheme they could to label him an enemy of the martial world.

Someone of Jo Jin-gang’s skill was bound to attract powerful factions eager to recruit him, but the Peng Clan issued countless warnings and threats.

Any group that dared to take him in was to prepare for war with Hebei.

So naturally, he became a public enemy.

But that was their mistake.

He didn’t die. He survived—and eventually reached the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, where he ended up joining the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Thus, an elder was born—one who bore a deep hatred for the martial world’s twisted and ridiculous structure.

Jo Jin-gang called himself the Dao Emperor.

He reasoned that since he’d defeated the Dao King, he should be the Dao Emperor now.

And when he heard that the Dao King supposedly collapsed clutching his neck in anger upon hearing the news, he went around grinning for months.

It was the perfect checkmate.

Some might dismiss it as just a nickname, and say that promoting the Dao King’s title could resolve the matter.

But how could a mere human of the Central Plains bear a title greater than emperor?

There were those who fumed at Jo Jin-gang, but the rules of the martial world didn’t apply to members of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

And so, the Peng Clan’s leader was forever fated to remain beneath Jo Jin-gang.

Jo even sent a letter explaining that “emperor” didn’t refer to imperial rule, but simply the color of his dao energy—yellow.

But would he really bother explaining himself now?

Of course not.

He only sent the letter to mock the Dao King.

Saying, “That’s not how you write ‘dao,’ you fool.”

“You lost to me and still call yourself a king?”

“I humbly call myself Yellow Dao, and you—‘king of dao’? You think that’s okay?”

“And now you’re actually thinking of changing your title over it? Please. What kind of man would do something so petty?”

It was a refined explanation—but the true intent behind it was plain.

He sent dozens of such letters, and eventually the Dao King fell ill with rage.

With that kind of history, Jo Jin-gang was easily considered the second-in-command of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Not just for his unmatched power, but for his cold-hearted nature and the way he never forgot a grudge.

“First Elder, I’m sorry, but... why are you acting so serious right now?”

At the impertinent voice, the elder’s eyes sharpened.

The woman before him, with soft violet hair and elegant features, was the Cult’s walking brain.

Any lizard who heard that might perk up and exclaim, “A what pouch?” but unfortunately, nothing about her outward appearance resembled a pouch.

Still, that lizard’s tail would definitely start wagging.

Her “wisdom pouch” was sealed under pressure wraps that transcended logic.

She possessed wisdom rivaling even that of a divine priestess—her name was Song-a.

She was the Cult’s Mind Demon.

The First Elder trusted the Mind Demon deeply.

She was the one who’d helped the former vagabond pen those bizarre letters mocking the Peng Clan.

“Mind Demon, what happened with that favor I asked you about?”

“You ask for so many things... hmm, which one?”

“What else could it be? The disciple the cult leader recently took in. I asked for information on him.”

Song-a scrunched her face slightly, rummaged under the desk for a while, and pulled out a thick stack of papers.

“Ah, here it is. Want me to read it for you, old man?”

“Ahem, I’d appreciate that.”

As a former drifter, he wasn’t very good at reading.

Which is why he couldn’t help but cherish the Mind Demon, who always looked out for him.

“Well, to start with, there are a few complaints about how suddenly he was made a disciple... among the followers—oh, this is interesting. Not in a good way, though.”

“Just as I thought!”

The First Elder clapped gleefully.

This was exactly why he’d commissioned an investigation into Hee.

Of course, he had no intention of becoming Hee’s enemy.

He was the cult leader’s personal disciple—there was nothing Jo could do to him.

Besides, in a time like this, with war on the horizon, it would be idiotic to discard someone who could defeat a Transcendence Realm-grade spirit beast solo.

Jo himself had been tossed aside by the martial world, so he wouldn’t make the same mistake.

But this was still the Heavenly Demon Cult.

For the sake of his own position—and to keep this new disciple in check—he felt it necessary to at least have one piece of leverage.

After all, as the most senior elder, he believed only he could keep the cult leader’s disciple in line.

“Well, go on then. What else?”

“Apparently, many female followers have been losing sleep over him. Literally staying up all night.”

“What?! How could such a thing happen?!”

“And some male followers were caught badmouthing him.”

“Hmph! He’s lost the people's favor.”

“Also, a few of the followers have taken to drawing portraits of him and keeping them.”

“Portraits...?”

What a bizarre revelation.

“They say some of the female followers are even pasting his face onto body pillows.”

“...A curse! This must be a curse!”

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The followers’ jealousy had reached such a level that they were placing curses on him.

Carefully painting his likeness, pasting it onto dolls, and sleeping with them every night?

There had to be some kind of magical intent behind that.

“I knew it! But... this is worse than I expected. I hoped to find something useful, but this... hmm. Maybe I should say something to him...”

The First Elder had misjudged the situation—he thought there would only be a handful of dissenters.

This was becoming a problem.

He needed a way to keep Hee in check, but he couldn’t allow the entire cult to turn on him.

That would be tantamount to defying the cult leader herself.

“Anything else? What’s that weird drawing at the bottom?”

“Oh, this? It’s unrelated—but apparently a lizard like this has been showing up.”

“A lizard?”

“Yes. They say it keeps lurking near the bathhouses, staring intently with suspicious eyes before scurrying off.”

A lizard?

Why was this even on the Mind Demon’s desk?

“I was under the impression your duties didn’t extend to matters like that.”

“Well... the priestess herself was apparently affected.”

“As the Mind Demon, it’s your job to be concerned even with the minor grievances of our followers.”

Jo Jin-gang pushed the lizard nonsense out of his mind.

He had more important things to focus on.

His thoughts raced.

The cult leader’s direct disciple—Hee.

The male followers hated him. The female followers didn’t stop there—they’d gone as far as to cast curses.

Attaching his portrait to dolls and strangling them each night.

And according to follow-up reports, his portraits were being sold for high prices.

People were actually paying money just to curse him.

Public opinion was worse than expected.

He’d hoped to find a simple weakness—but if this continued, it could start to undermine the cult leader’s authority.

Then, a flash of inspiration.

Hee was surrounded by enemies.

In such a situation, who would he rely on?

The cult leader? She was busy preparing for war.

That wouldn’t be enough.

But what if he—Jo Jin-gang—became that person?

What if he arranged a gathering with the female followers who hated Hee?

And he stepped in to mediate between them?

Then Hee, who’d been suffering under their hostility, would feel grateful—and the cult leader’s authority would remain intact.

“Heheheh...”

The Dao Emperor laughed.

He realized that turning the cult leader’s only disciple into his ally was far more advantageous than merely keeping him in check.