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

"Rapid Fire!" Chen Hao's arrows shot out like a machine gun, each arrow accompanied by a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air, accurately hitting the roots or joints of the vines! Sun Xiaoling quickly released a range of "purification aura", and the soft white light swept across, causing the severed vine remains that were still twisting and struggling on the ground to quickly lose their vitality.

The battle ended within minutes. Looking at the withered, broken vines on the ground, Chen Hao whistled smugly, "Not bad teamwork! This is all the 'Withered Vine Serpent' larvae can do!"

"Don't let your guard down," Li Xingyao warned, as he controlled the skeleton warrior to remain on guard.

Sure enough, the journey ahead was full of challenges. They encountered hordes of incredibly fast Diggers that were adept at attacking from underground; they met giant Swampflowers that could spray corrosive venom; and they were even ambushed by a group of Shadowbats that possessed the ability to become invisible for a short time.

Every encounter was fraught with danger, forcing them to go all out and constantly refine their teamwork.

After several hours of arduous trekking and fierce fighting, the four-person team finally reached their designated temporary safe point: a dry cave nestled beneath a rock wall. They had also collected a considerable number of resources.

"Phew... I'm exhausted..." Chen Hao plopped down on the virtual rock, panting heavily without any regard for appearances. "This intermediate difficulty level is no joke! It's way more exciting than the training ground!"

Zhang Meng also sat down against the rock wall, a hint of weariness on his honest face: "I can't fight anymore..."

Sun Xiaoling carefully checked everyone's "status." Although it was just virtual damage, the pain feedback was real. She released gentle healing energy to alleviate her teammates' "injuries" and restore their character stats.

Li Xingyao stood at the cave entrance, controlling two skeleton warriors to keep watch outside. He felt the fatigue of the virtual world, but also a greater sense of peace. This simulated combat was a good training opportunity for his upcoming hunt.

"Shall we take a break and then challenge that mini-boss?" Chen Hao suggested eagerly.

Li Xingyao glanced at the time and shook his head: "It's almost time. We have class tomorrow. Let's call it a day."

Although Chen Hao was somewhat reluctant to leave, he knew Li Xingyao was right: "Alright! Let's come again next time!"

The four exited the virtual instance, their consciousness returning to reality. Removing their helmets and returning to the brightly lit virtual pod, they felt as if they had been transported to another world. Physical fatigue had almost vanished, but the mental exhaustion was undeniable.

Stepping out of the "Career Center," night had fallen, and the city's dazzling lights resembled a galaxy on the ground. A cool evening breeze dispelled the last trace of heat.

The four parted ways and went their separate ways. Li Xingyao walked alone back to his apartment, feeling the icy aura emanating from the Ghost Bone Amulet on his chest and the heavy weight of the leather armor case in his hands. The battle scenes from the virtual instance replayed in his mind, every detail crystal clear. He needed to go back and try a few more times, optimizing his tactics to prepare for the wilderness hunt after his final exams.

The alloy gate of the Tianshui City Vocational Level Certification Center gleamed with a cold, hard luster in the morning light. The building soared into the clouds, and its glass curtain wall reflected a chilling light in the morning light, like a boundary marker separating ordinary people from the extraordinary.

Li Xingyao stood in front of the door, the cool morning breeze brushing against the stray hairs on his forehead. Four months of grueling training, countless nights spent in the training room, days with his training clothes soaked in sweat—he had finally arrived here.

Five hundred points of star energy!

Just last night, when the last wisp of star energy was completely incorporated into the surging energy stream through the "circulation method," and the star energy broke through the 500 mark, an indescribable sense of power instantly filled my limbs and bones. As if breaking free of heavy shackles, every cell cheered and greedily absorbed this magnificent energy leaping from the source of life.

Intermediate professional! Li Xingyao crossed the threshold of this initial stage in just four months.

He clenched his fist slightly, and the world of his past life flashed through his mind like faded old photos: a small family car weighed about 1.5 tons, and the impact force of a top professional boxer's punch was only 0.45 tons... But at this moment, according to the basic warrior attribute formula (1 star energy ≈ 3 strength + 1.5 agility + 0.5 spirit), his strength was equivalent to standing at a terrifying height of 2.25 tons!

This means that if he were a warrior, he could easily overturn cars and smash concrete walls with sheer physical strength! If he were to return to that ordinary world, this power would be enough to make him a superhuman being.

As a necromancer, Li Xingyao's foundation lies in his spirit. With a base spirit value of 3.5, multiplied by 500 points of star energy, he possesses a staggering 1750 points of spirit power! This allows his Death Arrow to easily blast open an armored security door.

"If I could go back to my past life, this ability would be enough for me to go to America and do zero-dollar shopping at the bank. Florida would be perfect." This absurd thought flashed through his mind, and Li Xingyao chuckled with amusement. His past life was long gone; his stage in this life was in this world, behind the gate to another dimension, on the endless path of transcendence.

Although he is a necromancer, the power itself is neither good nor evil; the key lies in the person who wields the power and what they intend to do with it.

Li Xingyao smiled, forcibly suppressing his turbulent emotions. After a brief moment of excitement, came a calmer anticipation and a barely perceptible sense of urgency. He looked up at the towering, sharply defined certification center building before him. This would be his first step towards a wider world, to gain higher authority and resources.

Take a step, step in.

The hall was exceptionally spacious, with a very high dome, and soft yet bright lighting illuminated every detail. The flow of people was not dense, but every figure walking around had a steady gait, sharp eyes, and varying degrees of stellar energy fluctuations around them, indicating their professional status.

Following the virtual guidance on his personal terminal, Li Xingyao walked through the lobby and headed towards the intermediate professional certification area in the east wing. The atmosphere here was quieter than in the lobby, and the metallic walls and floors were so smooth they reflected his image.

Unlike many highly automated facilities, the certification area still has several semi-open service counters, behind which several staff members dressed in dark blue business suits are seated.

This is one manifestation of the government's post-disaster employment protection policies. Many jobs that require "human" judgment, communication, and even reassurance have not been completely replaced by cold machines.

Li Xingyao walked straight to an empty counter. The staff member behind the counter was a woman in her thirties with delicate features but a slightly serious expression. She wore a nameplate that read "Intermediate Certification Specialist" on her chest.

"Hello, I'm here to apply for intermediate professional certification." Li Xingyao's voice was calm as he turned his personal terminal screen towards the other party, clearly displaying his certification application information and entry-level professional profile.

Wang Li's gaze swept quickly across the terminal screen. When she saw "Age: 18 years and 8 months," her hand holding the scanner paused almost imperceptibly. A clear hint of surprise finally flashed in her businesslike eyes, and she couldn't help but look up and carefully examine the overly young yet composed face in front of the counter.

An 18-year-old intermediate professional!

Her professionalism allowed her to quickly suppress her emotions, and a formulaic smile returned to her face: "Mr. Li Xingyao, please follow me." She stood up, swiped open the sensor door on the side of the counter, and guided Li Xingyao into an internal passage.

The passageway wasn't long, with walls on both sides resembling silver metal. As Wang Li walked, she explained the process in a steady tone: "Intermediate certification mainly involves accurately determining whether your total star energy has reached or exceeded the threshold of 500 points, and verifying your professional information."

"The process is very simple and will not cause you any burden or harm." Her tone was slightly gentler than before, with a hint of subconscious concern for the boy.

Soon, they arrived at an alloy door marked "Energy Testing Room-3". Wang Li swiped her access card, and the heavy door slid open silently.

The room was small, simple yet technologically advanced. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all covered with a matte energy-absorbing coating. In the center of the room, on a metal base about half a person's height, floated a basketball-sized, crystal-clear testing device, with liquid starlight seemingly flowing slowly inside.

"Please place your palms on the energy sensing area of ​​the device base, relax, and fully guide the stellar energy within your body into it." Wang Li pointed to a slightly concave silver-white metal ring below the crystal. "Once the test begins, please do not interrupt the energy output until the reading stabilizes."

Li Xingyao nodded and stepped forward as instructed. A cool, metallic touch came from his palm. With a mere thought, the stellar energy accumulated within him surged into his palm!

hum-

The "star liquid" that had been flowing slowly inside the testing equipment suddenly accelerated! The soft white light instantly brightened, but not blindingly. It was as if countless tiny stars had been thrown into the crystal, bursting forth with dazzling points of light. These points of light rapidly converged and recombine, ultimately projecting a line of constantly jumping numbers composed of pure light clearly onto the inner side of the transparent crystal wall:

100… 150… 220… 300… 380… 450… 490… 501… 502!

The number finally settled at: 502!

The whole process took only a few seconds.

"Authentication successful!" Behind the console, Wang Li's voice carried a hint of relief and heartfelt praise after confirming the information. "Congratulations, Mr. Li Xingyao! You have officially been promoted to Intermediate Necromancer!"

The relevant permissions have been updated immediately, and your personal terminal will receive all notification information within 1 minute.

With a genuine smile, she extended her hand: "Congratulations again!"

Li Xingyao withdrew his hand, and the light from the testing equipment quickly dimmed, returning to calm. He gently shook hands with Wang Li, saying, "Thank you." His response was still concise, but his eyes were bright.