Another World: When a Necromancer Possesses the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls

The wisp of dark red gas was eventually drawn into the Myriad Souls Banner and merged into it. However, Li Xingyao clearly sensed that there seemed to be an extremely faint wisp of dark red soul within the Myriad Souls Banner, though it was very weak.

At the same time, a faint fluctuation, along with the invisible spiritual connection, was transmitted to the four skeleton spear throwers in the training room!

Their skeletons seemed to be covered by a barely perceptible layer of dark red light, as if swept by the afterglow of the setting sun! The depths of the ghostly blue soul fire in their eye sockets also seemed to be stained with an extremely subtle, but undeniably present, blood color!

A faint but real and strange connection was briefly established between the spear thrower, the Soul Banner, and the skeletal giant ape soul fire represented by that wisp of dark red gas!

Although the connection was as weak as a candle in the wind, which could be extinguished at any moment, Li Xingyao's heart began to pound uncontrollably!

What does this mean?!

The Banner of Ten Thousand Souls seems to be more than just a container for storing soul power! It can actually… absorb, fuse with, and even repair the souls of higher-level undead?! And it can even subtly feed this quality back to the undead summons it controls?!

A crazy and audacious idea ignited in his mind like wildfire, and could never be extinguished!

"If... if I could obtain more and stronger fragments of undead souls... could the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls restore their souls? Perhaps these souls could allow my summoned creatures to inherit the powerful characteristics of certain special undead?"

For example… that soul-burning blood flame power?! This thought made his blood boil. If the bone spears thrown by the spearmen could be imbued with even a trace of that soul-burning blood flame… how terrifying would their power be?

Li Xingyao's gaze became incredibly intense as he looked again at the four skeleton spear throwers in the training room. "Ammunition problem..." He suppressed his excitement and decided to address the most pressing issue first.

He picked up his personal terminal, quickly accessed the school's database, and searched for information about battery life in the detailed encyclopedia of the Skeleton Spear Thrower.

Although he had previously learned some information about undead creatures, there were too many types of undead, and some were even branched or mutated. Moreover, the world of the dead was incredibly vast, and he couldn't determine his location within it or what kind of undead were in his area. Therefore, he gave up on memorizing the information.

Soon, a line of clear text came into view: [Skeleton Spear Thrower Basic Ability: Bone Spear Regeneration. Consuming a small amount of star energy (approximately 1 point) as a medium, and channeling one's own death power, a basic bone spear can be reconstituted. Condensation time: 5 seconds.]

"Using Star Energy Condensation? Only 1 point of Star Energy?!" Li Xingyao's eyes shone with surprise. "This cost-effectiveness... is simply unbelievable!" The ammunition problem that had been troubling him was solved so easily!

One point of star power for a powerful spear attack—this is such a good deal! "If we can summon ten skeleton spearmen and reserve some star power for ammunition... how terrifying would the firepower be?"

No wonder those veteran necromancers focused on developing their summoning abilities; that's the core advantage of the profession! He finally understood the value of this path.

He put away his personal terminal and with a thought, the four spear throwers in the training room transformed into four streaks of gray-white light, instantly returning to the undead space to await orders.

Li Xingyao's gaze shifted to the mess in the training room, where he saw the remains of an alloy target and scattered metal fragments. The 1200 credits repair bill flashed through his mind again.

"Perhaps it's time to consider exploring the outskirts of the 'Gray Rock Hills' ahead of time," Li Xingyao muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation. The wilderness not only meant a source of soul power, but also the most direct way to resolve his current financial straits!

Although his sister and brother had prepared some credits for him in case of emergency, they themselves were also in a period of growth and needed resources. Li Xingyao urgently needed to open up a source of income of his own.

He picked up his personal terminal again, skillfully pulled up the exploration log document shared by Chen Hao, and flipped to the detailed record section about the "safe zone" on the outskirts of the "Dark Forest". On the simple map hand-drawn by Chen Hao's father, key information such as "common activity area of ​​rock-skinned wild boar", "dens of sharp-toothed wolves", and "relatively safe water sources" were marked.

The potential star cores within those rock-skinned boars, and the valuable, sharp canines and fur of the sharp-toothed wolves, were all incredibly alluring at that moment.

Pulling my thoughts back, a clear tactical combination quickly took shape in my mind:

1. Core Defense Line: Composed of elite skeleton warriors who are swift in movement and have relatively strong defense, this melee tank defense line is responsible for withstanding the impact and protecting the back row.

2. Long-range firepower: The core long-range strike team consists of skeleton spearmen, providing physical damage output, fire coverage, or precise sniping.

3. Self-positioning: Utilize the "Bone Shield" to ensure absolute safety, and use "Death Arrow" at mid-to-long range to precisely eliminate high-value targets or finish off low-health enemies. At the same time, provide precise command and tactical adjustments to summoned creatures, and consume soul power to urgently repair damaged units when necessary.

Li Xingyao's gaze finally landed on the enlarged map of the outer edge of the dark forest on the screen. The underground train route representing the direction of Tianjing City was clearly visible, with one station specially marked—"Gray Rock Hills Station".

This is the closest official site to the "safe zone" in the Dark Forest.

His finger gently tapped the cursor on the site that represented the starting point and the unknown.

"This is where I begin." The wind from the wilderness, seemingly carrying the scent of blood and opportunity, blew into the training room.

The air in the combat training hall of the Third Advanced Training Camp in Tianshui City was so thick it felt like you could wring out a mixture of sweat and star energy. Beneath the huge hemispherical silver-gray dome, forty circular arenas, separated by transparent force field barriers, were scattered like stars.

The crackling of exploding electric arcs, the crisp sound of ice crystals condensing, the clanging of metal clashing, and the frenzied shouts from the audience that seemed to lift the dome all combined to create a breathtaking scene.

A month before the final exams, the shackles that had bound all the newly awakened senior high school students for three whole months of combat training were finally lifted by the government. The long-suppressed energy, like a floodgate opened, instantly overwhelmed all restraint.

This is no longer a training ground for gradual progress, but a rehearsal of actual combat.

"Hurry! This way!" Chen Hao, like a slippery fish, struggled through the bustling crowd, not forgetting to turn back and grab Li Xingyao's arm. His face was filled with barely suppressed excitement. His newly changed tactical vest accentuated his sharp lines, and his treasured "Light Breeze" composite bow was slung across his back, its body gleaming with the unique cold, hard luster of star-patterned carbon fiber.

"Finally, the ban is lifted! I've been so bored! Xingyao, look at this!!"

Li Xingyao was pulled along by him, staggering slightly as they squeezed through the crowd that reeked of sweat and excitement. His gaze swept over the bustling crowd before him, and even though he was mentally prepared, he was still slightly shaken by the lively scene on the first day of the lifting of restrictions.

The air was filled with the distinctive smell of the air circulation device, as well as faint cries of pain that could still be heard even after being blocked by the force field barrier. These were the nerve pain feedbacks accompanying simulated injuries from training weapons, so realistic that they made it seem like a real experience.

Upon reaching his seat, his gaze pierced through the throng of people and landed on the nearest arena. A heavily armored warrior, nearly two meters tall and resembling a human fortress, roared as he swung his training tower shield, each strike causing the ground to tremble violently.

His opponent, a lean assassin clad in close-fitting armor, moved like a ghost around the edge of the shield, his two blunt black training daggers leaving afterimages and faint energy marks on the warrior's armor.

Each powerful strike from the warrior was narrowly dodged by the assassin, eliciting cheers and sighs of regret from the audience.

"See arena number 3? Zhang Yaxuan! Holy crap! It really is her!" Chen Hao nudged Li Xingyao and pointed diagonally forward.

Li Xingyao looked in the direction of the sound. Arena number 3 was shrouded in a light blue icy mist, like a small, independent ice and snow world. In the center of the arena, a girl in a well-tailored training uniform stood quietly; it was Zhang Yaxuan, one of the school's recognized goddesses.

Her face was cold and aloof, her eyes focused, and a faint blue light danced on her fingertips. Her opponent, an elemental warrior wielding a flaming longsword, was struggling to steady himself on the ice. Each swing of his sword was blocked or weakened by precisely aimed ice spikes or suddenly rising ice walls.

The energy absorption devices on their training suits flickered slightly, ready to defend against energy attacks from the enemy at any time, so as to prevent the trainees from being harmed.

Beside the seat, a boy in a school uniform was excitedly red-faced, his hands clenched into fists, shouting hoarsely, "Ya Xuan! Block him! Right side! There's an opening on the right! Beautiful! Well done!" His eyes were fixed on the ring, his body swaying violently with each successful defense or counterattack by Zhang Ya Xuan, as if he himself were in the midst of it.

"Tsk, see that? That kid," Chen Hao whispered to Li Xingyao, his voice low and teasing, "I bet he bet Zhang Yaxuan's points on social media! He's more excited to see her win than he is to win himself."

"Bet?" Li Xingyao frowned slightly upon catching this unfamiliar word. He wasn't particularly interested in the match itself, but rather in the fact that there was a platform where he could place bets.

"Shh—keep your voice down!" Chen Hao glanced nervously around, his eyes filled with a kind of excitement at sharing something forbidden. "A... well, a very secretive system. You can't get in without connections. It has all sorts of betting options—points, credits, even rare cultivation resources—the odds are incredibly exciting!"

"That kid's so excited, he probably bet on Goddess Xuan to win, and now it looks like he has a good chance of winning." He gestured towards the enthusiastic boy with his lip. "But don't ask too many questions. This stuff is complicated. Let's just watch the show. I only heard about it from my dad and the others when they were chatting."