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

Li Xingyao understood and didn't press the matter further. He lowered his head, quickly accessed his personal terminal projection, and connected to the arena's real-time battle system. Lines of scrolling data cascaded across his vision like a waterfall.

[Tianshui No.3 High School Senior Three Training Ground - Real-time Battle Statistics]

Match duration: 2 hours 17 minutes

Number of matches played: 623

Currently active matches: 40

Wins Leaderboard (Live):

1. Wu Feng (Shadow Dancer - Assassin Class 3) Wins: 20 Win Rate: 85%

2. Lin Wei (Elemental Mage - Elemental Class 1) Wins: 18 Win Rate: 90%

3. Zhang Yaxuan (Elemental Mage - Elemental Class 1) Wins: 17 Win Rate: 85%

4. Zhao Gang (Heavy Armor Warrior - Warrior Class 1) Wins: 16 Win Rate: 70%

5. ...

"Shadow Dancer...20 consecutive wins?" Li Xingyao's gaze lingered for a moment on the eye-catching name and record at the top of the leaderboard. Wu Feng, a name he didn't recognize, but this record was enough to demonstrate the opponent's strength.

The Shadow Dancer, a class that excels in 1v1 combat in the early game, thrives in this arena environment. The class's advantages are enough to make any opponent wary when facing them.

"Tsk, this guy, 20 games already? He must have arrived early, aiming to qualify for the city tournament early on!"

Chen Hao also saw the leaderboard, his tone tinged with a hint of defiance and a hidden fighting spirit, "Just wait, watch me climb up the leaderboard! Once I've won fifty matches and applied for a government-certified open tournament, those points will be truly impressive!"

Just then, Chen Hao's watch vibrated, and a notification sounded: "Student Chen Hao, please proceed to arena number 17 to prepare for the match."

"Here they come!" Chen Hao's eyes lit up, and he patted Li Xingyao's shoulder heavily. "Brother, watch closely! I'll show you the results of my special training in the Gray Rock Hills!" With that, he squeezed through the crowd, nimbly jumped over the low fence around the arena, and stood inside the faintly glowing force field barrier of number 17.

Li Xingyao's gaze followed Chen Hao's figure. The opponent of the number 17 arena had entered the arena. He was a warrior with a similarly strong physique, wielding a training greatsword. He was clearly the type who would take the heavy armor warrior route.

This type of warrior is obviously effective against archer classes in the early game—they are tough and resilient, and once they get close, the archer's fragile defense will have a hard time holding on.

The force field barrier hummed and turned from pale blue to transparent, signaling the start of the battle!

"Roar!" The heavily armored warrior let out a roar without any fancy moves, like a heavy tank starting up, and activated his signature [Charge] skill! His heavy footsteps thudded on the arena, and he was enveloped in a gust of wind as he protected his vitals. With his greatsword trailing behind him, he charged straight at Chen Hao at the other end of the arena!

The tactic is simple and brutal: use the warrior's strong early-game strength attribute and the burst speed brought by the charge to forcefully close the distance!

A murmur rippled through the audience. Many recognized the overwhelming pressure this opening exerted on the archer, and numerous glances were cast at Chen Hao with pity.

However, Chen Hao showed no sign of panic. His experience fighting to the death with real star beasts in the wild had made him well-accustomed to this level of combat. The instant his opponent activated their attack, his body moved as well!

Instead of retreating, he took a step diagonally forward and to the side, while simultaneously reaching behind his back with his right hand to instantly draw the "Gentle Breeze" composite bow into his hand. At the same time, his left hand drew three specially made training arrows from the quiver, with the arrowheads wrapped in thick energy-absorbing cushioning material!

Nock the arrow, draw the bow, and channel stellar energy! The movements are as swift as lightning!

Om-!

The bowstring of "Gentle Breeze" emitted a deep tremor the moment star energy was injected, like a predator awakened. The star patterns on the bow arm glowed faintly.

call out!call out!call out!

The three arrows were not aimed at the warrior himself, but rather in a subtle triangular pattern, precisely targeting his footing points in the front, left, and right directions along his charge route!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!" The training arrows hit the ground, and the energy-absorbing material on the arrowheads exploded. Although no real damage was caused, three highly adhesive energy adhesive areas that shimmered with a faint green light instantly formed on the ground!

This is the training arrow version of the trap that Chen Hao learned from his father's adventure log—the [Binding Trap]!

The charging soldier suddenly felt his feet sink! His left foot and right front foot landed right on the adhesive area, and the strong adhesion instantly disrupted his charging rhythm and balance! Although he didn't fall thanks to his powerful strength, his speed dropped sharply, and his body staggered noticeably!

Li Xingyao couldn't help but secretly admire Chen Hao's response. It was a textbook example of the "kite-flying" tactic! He used terrain and traps to control the situation, rather than engaging in direct combat!

Seizing this precious moment, Chen Hao moved with lightning speed, retreating swiftly to a safe distance of fifteen meters. His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and he drew his bow once more!

This time, it's not about control, but about precise strikes!

Buzz! Star energy once again flowed into the bowstring.

[Powered Precision Shooting]!

An arrow flew from the bowstring, faster and with a straighter trajectory than before, like a viper flicking its tongue, aimed directly at the area below the warrior's left shoulder blade, exposed due to his loss of balance—the weak point where the armor normally connects the arm guards and the breastplate!

With a sharp "clang," the arrow pierced the gap in the training armor. The immense impact caused the warrior to groan, his left arm movement noticeably faltered, and his arm twisted, leaving an even wider opening!

Chen Hao didn't stop, moving, drawing his bow, and shooting again! His figure constantly changed positions on the arena, using his nimble footwork and trap arrows to continuously restrict the warriors' range of movement.

Each cunning arrow seemed to have eyes, specifically targeting the warrior's joints, gaps in his armor, and even occasionally attempting to strike his lower body, particularly his ankles. Each hit was accompanied by a faint burst of light from the energy-absorbing material and a further distortion of the warrior's defensive posture.

Although the training weapons cannot cause real penetrating wounds, the simulated nerve pain and force impacts are incredibly realistic, constantly draining the soldiers' physical strength and willpower.

The heavily armored warrior roared repeatedly, trying several times to forcefully launch a [Slam] or [Charge] under the rain of arrows, but Chen Hao anticipated his moves, either blocking his path with trap arrows or dodging them by the slightest margin.

The scene turned into a one-sided "kite-flying" performance by Chen Hao. His superb archery skills, precise control of distance, and practical use of traps drew cheers from the audience.

"Excellent! This ranger is quite skilled!"

"That trap arrow is brilliant! Where did you buy it?"

"The warriors are killed; if we can't get close, we're just sitting ducks..."

Li Xingyao watched intently, never expecting that Chen Hao, a guy so determined to become a warrior, would have such great talent, perfectly suited for the Ranger class. The Myriad Soul Banner in his mind emanated a slightly cool aura, making his thoughts exceptionally clear.

He was analyzing every tactical detail of Chen Hao's game and assessing the soldiers' defensive weaknesses. At the same time, his gaze once again habitually swept over the audience.

Just then, his gaze was once again drawn to the fervent boy who had been cheering for Zhang Yaxuan. The boy seemed to be in a state of extreme excitement because Zhang Yaxuan had won.

He waved his arms, spitting as he spoke to several equally excited classmates beside him, the screen of his smartwatch still on. Due to the angle and distance, Li Xingyao could only see a blurry, flickering light and shadow.

However, just as the boy excitedly raised his wrist, seemingly wanting to show something to his companion, Li Xingyao's pupils suddenly contracted!

His mental strength far surpasses that of his peers due to the influence of star energy on his mental attributes and the power of the Myriad Souls Banner, making his perception exceptionally sharp.

On the fleetingly dark interface of the watch screen, he caught a glimpse of something extremely brief: an icon composed of intricate patterns—the silhouette of an owl with outstretched wings and flames burning in its pupils! Below the icon, two ancient seal characters flashed by: [Night Owl]!

Is this a hidden betting app on a social media platform? The moment the icon lit up, he could clearly see the points, bets, and even the participants' information on the screen!

A thought crossed Li Xingyao's mind: this thing could exist in such a heavily monitored network environment because it knew the access levels of network system security protocols and the coverage of social platforms. Therefore, it must cover more than just Tianjing City, and it was definitely not just about gambling.

Its operating methods and the interests behind it suggest the existence of a massive organization, an organization that instinctively makes him feel repulsed and wary.

He looked away, pretending to be nonchalant, and silently memorized the characteristics of the icon.

"Yes! We won!" Chen Hao shouted excitedly from the arena.

Li Xingyao looked up and saw Chen Hao's last charged arrow accurately strike the heavy warrior's right wrist, which had become weak and sore from wielding the sword for so long. The powerful impact caused the warrior to lose his grip on the heavy greatsword, and with a clang, the weapon slipped from his hand!

The system immediately announced: [Athle 17, Winner: Chen Hao (Ranger)]!

The force field barrier turned blue and slowly descended. Chen Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead, a triumphant smile on his face, and waved vigorously in Li Xingyao's direction. Although he had won, his breathing was somewhat rapid; the continuous high-intensity archery and use of star energy had taken a toll.

"Well done!" Li Xingyao smiled, genuinely happy for his friend.

However, before Chen Hao could even step off the stage, the arena erupted with screams and cheers far exceeding all the previous sounds—almost frenzied screams and cheers! The sound waves swept through the entire space like a tsunami!

"Lin Wei! It's Lin Wei!"

"The goddess has entered!"

"My God! It's finally here!"

"Look at her opponent! It's that shadow dancer Wu Feng! It's the battle for the top spot!"

All eyes, as if drawn by an invisible magnet, were drawn to the main arena, number 1, at the very center!

A slender figure in fiery red, like a burning phoenix, stepped confidently onto the arena amidst the gazes of the crowd. It was none other than Lin Wei, the top goddess of Tianshui No. 3 Middle School! Today, she wasn't wearing standard protective gear, but rather a specially made fiery red combat suit that accentuated her exquisite curves.

Her chestnut-brown hair was tied in a high ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead and swan-like neck. Her delicate features shone brightly under the spotlight of the ring, and her eyes sparkled with confidence.