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

The entire combat training hall of Tianshui No. 3 Middle School fell into an eerie silence.

The deafening clamor, boos, gasps, and shouts from just a moment ago... all the sounds seemed to be instantly extinguished by an invisible giant hand. All eyes were fixed on ring number 9, as if frozen in place.

The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the faint hum of the force field barrier in operation and Wei Hai's heavy, humiliating breathing on the arena.

Time seemed to have been stretched out countless times.

In the audience, faces were frozen in disbelief and astonishment. The students who had been shouting "Wei Hai killed him in an instant" and "skeletal trash" just seconds before now had mouths agape, their eyes wide with disbelief.

They looked at the heavily armored warrior who was pinned to the ground in an almost humiliating manner by three dilapidated skeletons, and then at the thin figure who hadn't moved an inch from beginning to end and was still standing calmly in the same spot—Li Xingyao.

"What...what happened?"

"Am I seeing things? Wei Hai...lost?"

"That's too fast!"

"Four against one? Wait a minute! How did those skeletons coordinate?!"

"A gang fight? Leg locks? Tripping and slamming? Are these tactics even humanly conceived?!"

"Instant cast! Li Xingyao's skill casting speed! This speed..."

A buzzing murmur filled the room, like countless flies swarming around it. Shock, disbelief, and disbelief spread silently.

Chen Hao pinched his thigh hard, wincing in pain to confirm he wasn't dreaming. He stared at the four silent yet chillingly oppressive skeleton warriors on the arena, especially their empty eye sockets that seemed to hold only indifference to life. His heart pounded uncontrollably: "Holy crap... Xingyao... your necromancer... your fighting style is completely different from what's written in textbooks!"

In the VIP stands, Director Zhao Zhenguo, who had initially appeared relaxed, leaned forward slightly, his sharp, hawk-like eyes gleaming with intense light as he fixed his gaze on Li Xingyao. His fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrest, his face revealing little emotion, but those who knew him well understood that this was a habitual gesture when his inner turmoil was profound.

"Precise timing...unconventional summoning speed...and the tactical execution of those skeletons...this kid...is a bit cunning."

On the other side, Lin Wei, who had just finished receiving cheers from her classmates and was being surrounded by several close friends as she prepared to leave ring number 1, also stopped in her tracks. Her cool gaze pierced through the crowd and landed on ring number 9.

When she saw Wei Hai being instantly taken down by three skeletons with near-perfect tactical coordination, her beautiful brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Li Xingyao's calm, almost indifferent profile, and the four skeleton warriors whose movements subtly revealed "coordination," stirred in her eyes, for the first time, a trace of "curiosity" in this renowned necromancer.

Inside the arena.

"Ugh—!! Let me go!!" Wei Hai's face was pressed tightly against the cold floor. Humiliation and anger made his eyes bloodshot. He struggled desperately, his muscles bulging, trying to use brute force to overturn the restrainer. But the skeleton warrior's frame that was locking his legs was exceptionally sturdy, and the cold touch of the rusty sword against the back of his neck and the simulated stinging sensation made him dare not move.

With each exertion, he felt as if his joints were locked by steel, his bones groaning. His pride and joy seemed utterly powerless before this seemingly fragile skeleton!

"You lost." His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through Wei Hai's heavy breathing and the oppressive silence in the arena, as calm as stating a given fact.

"You...you cheated! Have some guts..." Wei Hai roared unwillingly, trying to save face with words.

Li Xingyao didn't even listen to the end; he simply recalled the skeleton warrior, turned around, and left the arena.

[Athle 9, Winner: Li Xingyao (Necromancer)!]

A synthesized electronic voice sounded at the opportune moment, coldly announcing the verdict. The force field barrier slowly changed from transparent to blue, releasing the blockade.

Li Xingyao didn't even glance at Wei Hai, who was somewhat dazed from the shock of the huge psychological gap, before turning around and calmly walking off the stage under the watchful eyes of several complex and indescribable gazes around him.

"They won... The necromancer... They actually won..."

"That tactic...that summoning speed...it's outrageous!"

"A-level potential... as expected, none of them are simple..."

Chen Hao rushed up excitedly and punched Li Xingyao on the shoulder: "Awesome! So awesome, bro! Hahaha, did you see Wei Hai's stupid face? His face turned green! Two skeletons locked his legs and tripped him! That last fatal blow was a stroke of genius! A killer move! So cool!" He was so excited that he was incoherent, even happier than if he had won himself.

Li Xingyao gave a slight smirk in response. He raised his wrist and brought up the points interface.

[Number of wins: 1. Points earned: 20. Current total points: 20.]

[Item already saved for redemption: [Ghost Bone Amulet], Required Points: 850. Status: Locked.]

He was still 830 points away from his goal. But the effect of his first battle far exceeded expectations. He overturned everyone's perception of necromancers in the most direct and simple way, and brought the Ghost Bone Amulet one step closer to him.

"Let's see who the next opponent is." Li Xingyao's voice remained calm, but deep in his eyes, the flame of ambition had quietly ignited. This was just the beginning. He took a step forward and rejoined the crowd. His figure, amidst countless complex gazes, appeared increasingly composed and unpredictable.

Chen Hao chased after him for a few steps and just saw the screen on Li Xingyao's wrist flash by—he had signed up again.

"Damn it!" Chen Hao couldn't help but curse under his breath, squeezing past Li Xingyao in a few steps. His tone was half envious and half helpless. "Your star energy reserves... how much star energy do you have now? After a battle, you didn't even break a sweat, right? How much star energy did you use? 20%? Or 30%?"

He couldn't help but glance towards the direction of arena number nine behind him. Wei Hai was being helped up by several close classmates, his face pale, head hanging low, as if he had suffered a blow. In that crushing victory just now, Li Xingyao himself hadn't even moved an inch, directing his few cold skeleton soldiers to accomplish everything.

A frontal charge? Close-quarters combat? Exhaustion? These are the very qualities that warriors are so proud of, but they seem to have lost their meaning in this battle.

"Star Energy?" Li Xingyao didn't stop walking. His gaze calmly swept over the opponent's information that had just been refreshed on his wristwatch. "180." His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble thrown into Chen Hao's heart.

"180?!" Chen Hao stopped abruptly, his eyes widening in shock. He gasped, "Only a few months? How many did we have when we first awakened? Your speed... it's simply too fast! You're going to fly!"

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside him. There was joy at his friend's rapid growth in strength, but also a sense of defeat at being left behind. "At this rate, you'll definitely reach the advanced level before you're twenty-five! You'll even catch up to my dad's level now!" His father, Chen Weiguo, was a seasoned advanced ranger with extensive experience and years of hard work in the wilderness, and he was Chen Hao's target.

Li Xingyao turned his head, looking at his friend's undisguised shock and slight disappointment, and gently patted his shoulder. "Don't overthink it, levels are just numbers."

His gaze swept across the bustling training ground, the figures fighting fiercely, and the arenas shimmering with elemental light. "Talent is the key, but what truly determines how far you can go is resources and...opportunity. Look," he gestured with his chin toward a warrior on an arena being suppressed by frost magic, "if you, a student with an initial star energy of fifty, can obtain a high-quality star core with the full support of your family, it wouldn't be surprising if you surpassed me in level within a year."

"Before reaching the Super level, you can improve through Star Cores; there's still a long way to go." He paused, his voice carrying a steady strength, "Your father's experience, your hard work, plus potential future opportunities—who says you can't surpass them?"

The invisible pressure in Chen Hao's heart eased slightly. Yes, his father often said that cultivation depends on talent, effort, and opportunity. Just as he was about to say something, the smartwatch on Li Xingyao's wrist vibrated briefly again. The pale blue screen opened, displaying new battle information:

[Around Arena #9, Next Round. Opponent: Wang Yan (Elemental Mage - Elemental Class 1). Preparation Time: 1 minute 30 seconds.]

Wang Yan.

A name instantly formed a clear outline in Li Xingyao's mind. A student in Class 1 of the Elemental Department, awakened as a fire mage, with an initial star energy of 62 and a potential rating of B+.

While not on par with the dazzling top students like Lin Wei and Zhang Yaxuan, Wang Yan was already considered among the most talented by ordinary students. What made Li Xingyao's heart tremble most was that Wang Yan was part of Lin Wei's inner circle, and he often saw them discussing spell models together. What did this mean? It meant that he might have received training from Lin Wei.

Fireball? The dazzling scene of Lin Wei on Arena 1 flashed through Li Xingyao's mind instantly. The powerful and sweeping magical attack style was still fresh in his memory.

"Wang Yan? A fire mage!" Chen Hao saw the message too, his brows furrowing immediately, his tone filled with worry. "This guy plays with fire! Xingyao, can your summoned creatures... withstand his fire?" He subconsciously looked at Li Xingyao, because of Lin Wei's previous battle, many people were now a bit unsure about fire elemental mages. "Maybe... we should play it safe?"

Li Xingyao's gaze was calm and unwavering, his eyes slightly narrowed as if sensing the temperature of the air. "We'll see once we try." He said no more, turned and parted the crowd, walking once more toward the pale blue force field barrier of arena number 9.

This time, he clearly felt countless gazes, like tangible probing, firmly fixed on him.

Curiosity, curiosity, schadenfreude, and even a hint of envy... a necromancer who had just overwhelmingly defeated a heavily armored warrior was facing off against a fire mage skilled in destruction—this was undoubtedly a highly anticipated clash. Many students even secretly took out their recording devices.