The Path of Serpents is an abyss dungeon located inside a floating structure that can be reached from Bowsprit Cape, in the southeastern corner of the Hernand landmass. The entrance sits on the north side of a cliff just south of the Bay of Abundance. Completing the dungeon rewards an Abyss Artifact (which grants a skill point), a fast travel point, and a chest containing Bismuth Ore.
Before you can enter the Path of Serpents itself, you need to solve a multi-step outdoor puzzle at Bowsprit Cape involving scattered power cells and an ancient cube. Once the cube is activated, it ascends into the Abyss and delivers you to Snakehead Valley, where the main floor puzzle awaits.
Reaching Bowsprit Cape
Bowsprit Cape lies on the southeastern coast of Hernand. If you have already unlocked a nearby fast travel point, warp there and head south along the coastline. Otherwise, ride southeast from the center of Hernand until you reach the rocky cliffs overlooking the sea. The landmark you are looking for is a large metallic structure, sometimes called an Abyss Cube, that has clearly crashed into the terrain. It sits on the north face of the cliff, partially embedded in the rock.
These Abyss Cubes are fragments of the celestial realm that occasionally fall from the sky. The one at Bowsprit Cape serves as a kind of ferry back up into the Abyss once you repair it. When you approach the crash site you will notice that its internal power cells, the batteries, were scattered or dislodged by the impact.
Gathering the Power Cells
Around the crashed structure you will find three standard cylindrical batteries and one specialized square battery. The cylindrical batteries are sitting on the ground near the cube, but the square battery is floating high above it, well out of normal reach.
Retrieving the Square Battery
Stand on the higher ground next to the cube, then jump and use Force Palm (R3) in the air, sometimes called Aerial Force Palm, to gain extra height. You may need to chain up to three mid-air Force Palms to reach the altitude where the square battery hovers. Once you are high enough, activate Axiom Force (L3) to grab hold of the battery. Immediately begin lowering it toward the cube by guiding it downward with the analog stick, then push it through the opening in the structure to slot it into place.
Installing the Cylindrical Batteries
Each cylindrical battery can be picked up with Axiom Force or manually pushed into the cube. Use the Force Current ability while connected to a battery to guide it precisely into its slot. Once all three cylindrical batteries and the square battery are seated, you are ready to activate the structure.
Activating the Abyss Cube
Hop inside the cube through the opening. Each battery has a socket that needs to be locked into place. Stand on top of a battery and use Force Palm to slam it fully into its slot. Repeat for all four batteries. Once the final cell clicks in, the anti-gravity mechanism engages and the entire structure lifts off the ground.
The ascent is not passive. As the cube rises, it will tilt and flip, exposing open holes in its walls. Stay toward the center and be ready to grab ledges if you start sliding. About halfway through the climb, one of the batteries will shake loose and break out of its socket. Quickly grab it with Axiom Force, drag it back into position, and palm it in again. After the mid-flight repair the cube completes its ascent, depositing you in Snakehead Valley at the entrance to the Path of Serpents.
Path of Serpents: Floor Grid Puzzle
A fast travel point activates as soon as you arrive in Snakehead Valley. Just ahead is the main challenge: a floor grid of rotatable platforms connected by glowing blue energy lines. Your goal is to rotate the platforms so that the blue power surges travel outward through the wires and reach the battery pillars on both the left wall and the right wall. Activating both pillars opens the central chamber.
Use Axiom Force (L3) on each platform to grab it, then rotate it clockwise or counter-clockwise with the analog stick (or D-pad) until the blue energy line extends in the direction you need.
Step-by-Step Solution
Starting platform (Column 3, Row 1): Rotate clockwise until the blue light connects to the pathway heading right.
Column 4, Row 4: Where the blue light from the first platform ends, rotate this platform counter-clockwise to redirect the energy toward the left.
Column 1, Row 3: Rotate clockwise until the energy line connects to the tower on the left wall. This powers up the left battery pillar.
Column 3, Row 5: Rotate clockwise until it lights up two platforms on the right and routes the remaining energy to the platforms on the left.
Column 5, Row 3: Rotate counter-clockwise until the energy reaches the battery on the right wall. This powers up the right battery pillar.
Once both wall batteries are fully charged, the central gate unlocks and you can proceed.
Laser Corridor and Cog Chamber
Beyond the grid room is a corridor lined with energy lasers. These beams deal damage on contact, so time your movements carefully. Walk or sprint through the gaps between pulses. If your health is high you can also roll through them, though this is riskier.
At the end of the corridor you will find a large rotating cog mounted on the wall. Climb onto the cog and use Force Palm while hanging on it to lock it into place. This opens the passage above. Climb up from the cog to reach the chamber where the Abyss Artifact rests.
Collecting the Abyss Artifact
Interact with the glowing Abyss Artifact to claim it. Each Abyss Artifact grants one skill point, which you can spend in Kliff's skill tree. The artifact also permanently unlocks the Snakehead Valley fast travel point on your sky map, making it easy to return later.
Bonus Chest: Triangle Force Gate
After collecting the Abyss Artifact, do not leave immediately. Head east through a triangle-shaped force gate. On the other side you will find a device that can be manipulated with Axiom Force. Grab it and use the D-pad to rotate it until it locks into the correct position, which extends a bridge.
Cross the bridge and look for a tree at the far edge. Descend at the tree to find a chest containing Bismuth Ore. Bismuth is a valuable crafting material used in high-tier equipment upgrades, so this chest is well worth the extra effort.
Tips
If you struggle with the Aerial Force Palm chain at Bowsprit Cape, try jumping from the highest nearby rock first. A running start gives you a little extra initial height.
During the cube's ascent, stay in the center and keep the camera pointed downward so you can see batteries shaking loose before they fully detach.
In the floor grid puzzle, work from the center outward. Focus on lighting up one wall battery at a time rather than trying to solve both paths simultaneously.
The lasers in the corridor follow a steady rhythm. Watch for two full cycles before moving so you can gauge the timing.
If you die inside the Path of Serpents, you respawn at the Snakehead Valley fast travel point. You do not have to redo the Bowsprit Cape ascent.