Ye Ling, after agreeing with Barton, no longer held back. He spread Ink Domain across the entire hall, preparing to end the lives of the Bone Serpent and the Evil Spirit King to obtain the Void Scepter.
"Hmm?"
The moment Ye Ling's Ink Domain covered the Bone Serpent, he seemed to discover something and let out a soft exclamation.
"Boy, did you find something?" The World Annihilation Spirit Fire, keenly noticing Ye Ling's change in expression, asked casually.
"The Bone Serpent's physical body in the outside world has not decayed. It is still alive, only its form within this virtual world has changed."
After Ye Ling examined the Bone Serpent's data with Ink Domain, he used his divine soul to pinpoint the Bone Serpent's exact location in the outside world. He discovered that lying in a nutrient pod outside was an incredibly beautiful woman.
Barton, standing beside him, heard Ye Ling's words and his pupils contracted slightly. He asked with surprise, "My lord, you, you mean there's a possibility my mother can return to normal?"
"Mmm..." Ye Ling nodded slightly. "Her main body is fine, her consciousness is merely dormant. It won't be difficult to rescue her."
"Please, my lord, save my mother! I am willing to be your ox or horse, to offer my life!" Barton immediately prostrated himself before Ye Ling. "As long as you are willing to act, I will do anything!"
For Barton, its mother was its only kin in this world. After its mother was suppressed by its father, its life had lost all hope.
Even though it was still alive now, it was like a walking corpse.
Now, Ye Ling's words had given it new hope.
Ye Ling did not immediately move to rescue her. Instead, he looked at Barton and said, "It's not difficult to save your mother, but I have no obligation to do so. Therefore, you must prove your value to me, understand?"
"I understand! I will do my utmost to prove my value to you, my lord!" Barton said without hesitation, its body trembling violently with excitement.
It had never craved anything as much as it did now.
"Mmm... first, go and awaken the Evil Spirit King," Ye Ling nodded slightly and instructed.
"Yes."
This time, Barton did not hesitate. Disregarding the vast level difference between itself and the Evil Spirit King, it enlarged its body and lunged towards the Evil Spirit King on the throne, attempting to bite it.
*Bang!!!*
Before Barton could even get close to the Evil Spirit King, a magic barrier appeared before it, sending Barton reeling.
However, Barton quickly got back on its feet. Ignoring the pain all over its body, it charged at the magic barrier again.
*Bang!*
Barton was once again sent flying, its forehead broken and bleeding profusely.
Barton continued to get up and charge at the magic barrier, appearing like a war machine that felt no pain.
Seeing that Barton's nascent horns were being knocked off, the World Annihilation Spirit Fire felt a pang of sympathy and couldn't help but say to Ye Ling, "Boy, that's enough. I feel rather sorry for that little snake."
Ye Ling shook his head slightly. "I have an idea that needs to be verified. Let's continue watching."
"Alright."
Seeing that Ye Ling was serious, the World Annihilation Spirit Fire no longer persuaded him and quieted down, watching silently as Barton threw itself against the barrier like an egg against a rock.
Given the immense level difference between Barton and the Evil Spirit King, each impact Barton made against the magic barrier only caused faint ripples; there was no sign of it breaking.
The Evil Spirit King on the throne seemed to completely disregard Barton, remaining dormant.
In the vast underground palace, only the sounds of Barton hitting the barrier and falling to the ground could be heard.
Blood splattered across the floor.
*Crack!*
After an unknown amount of time, with another impact from Barton, a faint crack appeared on the magic barrier.
"There's a chance!"
Barton, its eyes obscured by blood and flesh, saw the crack on the magic barrier and its eyes shot out with brilliance. It immediately seized this hard-won opportunity and rammed its head towards the cracked part of the magic barrier!
*Bang!!!*
The magic barrier was finally shattered by Barton. Barton opened its massive maw and lunged towards the Evil Spirit King on the throne.
However, before Barton could bite the Evil Spirit King, the Bone Serpent coiled beneath the throne had its eye sockets light up with bone fire. The Bone Serpent then awakened and, with incredible speed, bit Barton's body, flinging it away!
Massive wounds were torn across Barton's enormous serpentine body, and blood gushed out like a fountain.
"Vile insect, how dare you disturb my slumber..."
At this moment, a cold and sinister voice emanated from within the Evil Spirit King. Its eyes also lit up, and an unusually powerful aura erupted from its body.
The Bone Serpent coiled back before the throne, its gaze chillingly fixed on the wounded Barton.
Barton, enduring the intense pain, turned its head to look at Ye Ling and said with a smile, "My, my lord... I have awakened the Evil Spirit King."
"Next, listen carefully to the incantation I recite, and guide the power within you according to it." Ye Ling quickly said to Barton, then began to chant a cryptic and difficult-to-understand incantation.
Barton had no time to think and could only follow Ye Ling's incantation. The power within its body began to flow autonomously, and its level rapidly increased at a visible rate.
"Boy, you..."
The World Annihilation Spirit Fire's pupils contracted sharply as it saw Barton's power surge. It looked at Ye Ling with disbelief.
Ye Ling was actually teaching a snake cultivation in the game!
Although the incantation Ye Ling was reciting was different from what the World Annihilation Spirit Fire remembered, it could still confirm that this was the introductory cultivation technique of the system Ye Ling had pioneered!
It was just that this technique had been slightly modified by Ye Ling, making it extremely suitable for Barton's current cultivation.
In its near-death state, Barton's potential had been fully unleashed. Now, with Ye Ling's deliberate guidance, Barton's cultivation began to skyrocket. All its power within the game was being converted into cultivation in reality.
The Evil Spirit King also sensed that something was amiss and immediately ordered the Bone Serpent, "Kill that ant!"
"Hiss—!"
The Bone Serpent had no thoughts of its own. Upon receiving the Evil Spirit King's command, it unhesitatingly charged towards Barton, attempting to deliver a fatal blow.
However, before the Bone Serpent could reach Barton, its entire body disintegrated, and its massive bones fell to the ground.
"What's going on?"
Barton, seeing the Bone Serpent it controlled suddenly fall apart, jolted up from the throne. Within its huge eye sockets, the bone fire flickered incessantly, showing immense shock.
Ye Ling ignored the Evil Spirit King. After guiding Barton through the basic incantation, he began to recite the advanced incantation again, causing Barton's cultivation to surge once more!
The World Annihilation Spirit Fire stared at Barton in stunned silence, looking at Ye Ling with disbelief, and stammered, "B-boy... you're not planning to make Barton the 'Emperor Ancestor' of this virtual world, are you?"