"I'm only level one now. If not you, then who else?" Ye Ling said righteously, appearing to be serious.
Barton was on the verge of tears. "My lord... I'm only level fifty, and those five necromancers are all level eighty. Moreover, it's said that all five must be killed simultaneously to open the altar. How could I, a mere nobody, accomplish that?"
"With me helping you, what are you afraid of?"
Ye Ling said impatiently, then picked up Barton and tossed him onto the altar.
The necromancers performing the ritual were suddenly stunned to see a small snake fall onto the altar. Their hollow eyes stared directly at Barton, making his soul tremble.
Barton, trembling, looked at the necromancers surrounding him and forced a smile. "Mis... misunderstanding..."
"Waaah waaah waaah!!!"
Suddenly, all the necromancers cried out, shaking their bone staffs. Eerie green light condensed in the air above the altar.
Seeing the green light, Barton's face turned ashen.
It was over!
"What are you still standing there for? Attack!"
Just then, Ye Ling's voice cut through, jolting Barton back to his senses. Da Feng Novel Network.
Barton recalled the scene when Ye Ling helped Daisy level up, his eyes filled with fierce ferocity. His body rapidly enlarged, his massive serpentine form instantly filling the entire altar!
"You ants, I'll swallow you whole!"
Barton opened his cavernous maw and lunged at one of the necromancers!
*Crack!!!*
The necromancer struck Barton's head with a staff. Barton's colossal body, like a kite with a broken string, flew directly off the altar, smashing several ancient trees.
"My... my lord?"
Barton looked towards Ye Ling in confusion, frothing at the mouth, before passing out.
The five necromancers on the altar did not intend to spare Barton. They shook their bone staffs again, attempting to turn Barton into a bone snake with their green light.
However, just as they were about to unleash their skills, the necromancers suddenly howled in pain, their bodies disintegrating into bones that scattered across the ground.
Ye Ling and the World-Destroying Spirit Fire emerged from the forest.
"Kid... why didn't you help Barton just now?" The World-Destroying Spirit Fire glanced at the unconscious Barton and asked Ye Ling.
"This place is on the border between the White Night Dynasty and the Gloomy White Empire. Barton is an abandoned god of the Violet Empire, and only level fifty. It's highly unusual that it knew about this hidden dungeon and how to enter it."
Ye Ling walked onto the altar and crushed a struggling finger bone in front of him.
"So you suspect Barton has ulterior motives?" the World-Destroying Spirit Fire asked.
"Mm... this is necessary caution. After I confirm the contents of this hidden dungeon, I'll decide Barton's fate."
Ye Ling said calmly, manipulating the Ink Chamber to make all the necromancers on the altar commit suicide.
*Buzz—!*
As all the necromancers vanished, the altar lit up, and a strange rune materialized upon it.
Ye Ling examined the rune on the altar, vaguely feeling it was a variant of the runes he had mastered.
Ye Ling recalled the runes he had learned that were similar to the one on the altar and muttered to himself, "The meaning of this rune... might be 'Death'."
"Death? This is indeed a trap!" the World-Destroying Spirit Fire exclaimed. "That Barton fellow was indeed up to no good. I'll go finish him off right now!"
"No rush," Ye Ling stopped the impulsive World-Destroying Spirit Fire. "The boss of this hidden dungeon is the King of Evil Spirits. Marking the altar with 'Death' is not strange, and this is just my guess. I'm not sure if this rune truly represents 'Death'."
While Ye Ling and the World-Destroying Spirit Fire were conversing, the altar began to descend, revealing a staircase leading underground.
Ye Ling casually drew the unconscious Barton into his hand and tossed it to the World-Destroying Spirit Fire. "Keep an eye on it. Don't let it die."
With that, Ye Ling led the way down into the altar.
The sides of the staircase were lit by eerie white bone fire, and the overall environment was extremely dim and cold, giving an uncomfortable feeling.
The path ahead of the staircase was pitch black. The naked eye could not see the way, as if evil spirits could rush out from the darkness at any moment.
In such a place, one would hardly dare to enter without some skill.
Ye Ling walked expressionlessly, soon reaching the bottom and arriving at a spacious hall.
White bone fire suddenly lit up the surroundings of the hall, instantly illuminating the entire space.
Ye Ling's gaze was drawn to a massive throne in the center of the hall.
The throne was thirty meters high, and seated upon it was a twenty-meter-tall undead monarch, clad in luxurious robes and holding a dark staff.
A small black hole existed at the tip of the massive staff, distorting the surrounding space.
And at the feet of the undead monarch lay a giant bone snake.
After Ye Ling glanced at the undead monarch and the giant bone snake at its feet, he said to the World-Destroying Spirit Fire, "Release Barton. It didn't lie to us."
"Huh? Why?"
The World-Destroying Spirit Fire looked confused but still placed Barton on the ground.
The unconscious Barton slowly awoke and, upon seeing the towering undead monarch before him, his pupils sharply contracted. "King of Evil Spirits? How did I suddenly get here?"
"That bone snake at the King of Evil Spirits' feet, that's your mother, isn't it?" Ye Ling suddenly asked Barton.
Hearing Ye Ling's words, Barton was taken aback for a moment, then his expression dimmed. "Yes... My lord, how did you know?"
"Its size is similar to yours, it's easy to guess," Ye Ling said, looking deeply at Barton. "How did your mother die here?"
Upon hearing Ye Ling's question, a hint of venom and regret appeared in Barton's eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, "Back then, because I accidentally poisoned a brother to death, my father, not wanting my mother to save me, banished her to the Forest of the Dead and imprisoned her in this place!"
The World-Destroying Spirit Fire exclaimed, "Your father is such a scumbag!"
Barton said with a sob, "I know all of this is because of me. The reason I brought you lords here is that I want to see my mother one last time!"
The World-Destroying Spirit Fire sighed heavily, transformed into a small figure, and flew to Barton's front, patting him. "Brother, you've worked hard... I've always believed in you. Ye Ling is just overly suspicious, don't take it to heart."
Ye Ling shot the World-Destroying Spirit Fire a glare, then said to Barton, "Do you need us to give you some time?"
Barton shook his head, putting away his memories. "No need... My lord, please just kill the King of Evil Spirits... My mother's soul has been imprisoned for too long and needs to be freed."
"Alright."