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

According to data Li Xingyao had previously gathered, the global rate of awakened professionals is approximately 22%. However, this number should be further reduced, as low-level professionals generally have shorter lifespans and extremely high injury and death rates. Many never return from wilderness missions.

It is precisely because of the special nature and high risk of the work of professionals that their life trajectories are becoming increasingly distant from those of ordinary people, forming almost two different worlds.

Li Xingyao sighed softly, banishing these chaotic thoughts, and walked through the security checkpoint into the station.

The station's interior was simply decorated, with information screens embedded in the walls displaying train schedules and platform information. There weren't many passengers, and strangers maintained a certain distance from each other, rarely talking; the entire hall was quiet and orderly.

Li Xingyao's gaze swept across the train schedule, finding the K267 train he needed to take. It would depart in half an hour, with a total travel time of 12 hours, passing through three major metropolitan areas, and covering a total distance of approximately 3078 kilometers.

Li Xingyao applied for and received the train ticket and private room key through his personal terminal. He chose the basic single room. Although his current cultivation expenses involved millions of credit points, his long-standing frugal habits from his upbringing made him feel there was no need to choose a more luxurious suite.

After all, Li Xingyao planned to spend most of these three days cultivating and researching, rather than enjoying the comforts of the journey. The basic private room was more than enough to meet his basic needs.

"Ticket checking for train K267 to Shanshan City has begun. Passengers, please proceed to platform 3 to board..." A soft female voice announced over the loudspeaker.

Li Xingyao followed the sparse crowd through another security gate to the underground platform.

The platform is located about 150 meters underground, and the cold, bright lights illuminate the entire space as if it were daytime. A track with shimmering blue guide lights extends into the dark depths of the tunnel, like a secret path leading to an unknown world.

A sleek, silver-gray train stood quietly beside the platform, its body bearing the words and logo of "China Rail Transit." Compared to the high-speed rail of its predecessor, this underground train appeared more robust and sturdy, with smaller, noticeably reinforced windows and a sharper front design, giving it an overall impression of solidity and speed.

Following the prompts on his personal terminal, Li Xingyao located his carriage and compartment. Pushing open the sliding door, he found the interior space to be more spacious than he had expected.

This is a rectangular room of about ten square meters, simply furnished yet fully functional: a fixed single bed, a single sofa with a foldable table, a built-in wardrobe, and a compact separate bathroom. The walls are covered with beige wallpaper containing sound-absorbing material, the lighting is soft and adjustable, and the air circulation system makes an almost inaudible sound.

"This is much better than the military train we took to Grizzly Hills." Li Xingyao put down his backpack, quickly checked the facilities, and nodded in satisfaction. The military train he took on that mission to the border outpost completely sacrificed comfort, designed entirely for defense and carrying capacity.

The train gave a slight jolt, then smoothly started moving, slowly pulling out of the platform and accelerating into the main tunnel. Through the small windows, all one could see was complete darkness, with only the occasional flash of light from indicator lights streaking across the sky.

Sitting down on the sofa, Li Xingyao opened his personal terminal and set up today's food delivery plan. Simple, high-energy, nutritious meals, delivered twice to minimize interruptions. He planned to use this trip to comprehensively assess his condition and prepare for the upcoming exploration of the ruins and the direction of his subsequent cultivation.

This review mainly focuses on four aspects: first, the advanced research on the Myriad Soul Banner; second, the study of the advanced guide for advanced necromancers; and third, the simulation practice of the newly acquired power armor and staff.

Finally, if he has time, he would like to study how to find and contract a lich summon, as the lich is a crucial and essential element in any necromancer's system.

After settling into his daily routine, Li Xingyao took a deep breath and sat down in the center of the sofa. Since the train was moving, he needed a safe and stable spot to avoid any potential violent jolts.

Close your eyes and let your consciousness sink into the depths of your mind. The ancient banner of ten thousand souls floats silently in the spiritual world. The dark patterns on the banner seem to have a life of their own, flowing slowly. The soul tassels adorning the edges move without wind, emitting a spiritual fluctuation that makes one's heart tremble.

"It's time," Li Xingyao murmured to himself, focusing his mind on the Myriad Soul Banner. Over the past few weeks, by continuously absorbing soul fragments from the industrial zone and skeleton warriors from the world of death, he had accumulated over 10000 points of soul power for the Myriad Soul Banner, meeting the requirements for advancement.

Yesterday, when Li Xingyao was promoted to advanced professional, his Soul Banner also advanced. However, due to time constraints, he didn't explore the Soul Banner's new state and power. He simply suppressed its state and set it aside before completing his professional certification.

"Advance!" Li Xingyao silently chanted in his heart.

As if responding to his call, the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls trembled violently, and the dark patterns on its surface suddenly lit up. Countless complex and ancient runes flashed in succession, and the entire banner was enveloped in a layer of pure and intense white light. The light was neither dazzling nor warm, but rather gave people a cold and profound feeling, as if it could devour all light and sound.

The light lingered for a moment, then gradually subsided and merged into the banner itself. The upgraded Myriad Souls Banner didn't show significant changes in appearance, but it felt more transparent and solid, as if it had been completely refurbished and strengthened. Within Li Xingyao's mental space, the Myriad Souls Banner trembled slightly, as if it wanted to tell him something.

Li Xingyao cautiously probed the Myriad Souls Banner with a sense of trepidation and unease, preparing to receive the information it would provide.

As expected, just like during his last advancement, the moment Li Xingyao's mind touched the Myriad Soul Banner, the banner seemed to embrace him. A massive and chaotic flow of information instantly flooded his mind! Countless fragmented images, discontinuous sounds, and scattered pieces of memory assaulted his consciousness like a burst dam.

"Damn! Unlike last time, it actually came over on its own!" Li Xingyao only had time for this thought to flash through his mind before his thoughts were thrown into chaos by the flood of memories.

—On an endless, blood-red wasteland, the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls flutters in the wind, beneath which lie tens of thousands of blurry figures prostrate on the ground...

—In an earth-shattering battle, as the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls was waved, countless vengeful spirits howled and surged forth, tearing the bodies of powerful enemies to shreds and dragging their souls into their own...

—Inside a dark cave, a withered old man was performing some kind of ritual on the Ten Thousand Souls Banner. Around him were piles of bones, strange magical artifacts, and objects that appeared to be materials...

In a gloomy palace, a group of people lay prostrate on the ground. They listened to a figure suspended high above, uttering strange, incomprehensible words. As the sound spread, specks of light gradually emerged from the crowd and disappeared into the figure above...

—Fragments of a destroyed world float in the void, the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls silently planted atop the ruins, absorbing the soul energy of the dead within the fragmented world...

These images were chaotic and fragmented, interspersed with many incomprehensible fragments of memory and knowledge. The onslaught of information caused Li Xingyao's head to throb, his temples to throb, and fine beads of sweat to appear on his forehead.

Li Xingyao gripped the sofa armrests tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force. His body trembled slightly as he silently gritted his teeth, enduring the pain of this memory infusion. The only sounds in the room were his suppressed breathing and the occasional, uncontrollable soft groans; he seemed to be undergoing torture.

Time passed slowly, as if a long time had passed, yet it also seemed like only a moment.

As the last bit of information entered Li Xingyao's consciousness, the tearing pain and swelling in his brain finally subsided. Li Xingyao let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes. Strange afterimages seemed to still flicker in his pupils, and he felt disoriented, unable to anchor himself in his own space. It took him a while to return to normal.

Li Xingyao slowly sat up straight and rubbed his temples. This time, the information flow was more extensive than during his last advancement, and it seemed to be related to some of the information fragments he had previously obtained.

Based on what we just watched, it can be roughly divided into several aspects: fragments about the origin of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, some battle scenes in which the Ten Thousand Souls Banner participated, the fragmented memories of those powerful souls who were once enslaved by the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, and some profound knowledge about the research and manipulation of souls.

However, this information is too fragmented and chaotic, like a piece of paper that has been torn up and mixed together, making it difficult to piece together a complete and coherent content.

Li Xingyao did not immediately attempt to decipher this information. Based on his previous two experiences, he knew that doing so would be inefficient and of limited use. As the Myriad Soul Banner continued to recover, the information would eventually become complete and clear. Wasting time now forcibly interpreting fragmented information would not only be extremely difficult but also likely lead to incorrect conclusions.

Moreover, the fundamental rules of this world are very different from the "cultivation world" he knew in his previous life. Although the power of the Myriad Soul Banner can be used here and can be activated by star energy and spiritual power, the fundamental difference in the cultivation system means that many concepts and methods may not be applicable or even dangerous.

Li Xingyao is now more concerned about what useful new abilities the advancement of the Myriad Souls Banner has brought, and what aspects of the Myriad Souls Banner have been enhanced.