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

however--

This time, nothing happened.

The soul power seemed to have touched some invisible barrier, no longer being absorbed in the slightest, but simply swirling quietly around the soul. The star energy value within the body remained unchanged, steadily hovering at 2709 points. And the tiny soul showed no reaction, still quietly suspended, emitting a stable and soft glow.

"It's broken?" Li Xingyao was stunned, his eagerness suddenly extinguished by ice water.

Undeterred, he tried several more times, carefully adjusting the intensity and angle of his soul power output... but the result remained the same. The soul power could no longer be absorbed by the soul, and the miraculous increase did not occur.

The excitement quickly cooled, followed by deep confusion and a barely perceptible anxiety. Li Xingyao forced himself to calm down, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his knees, his mind racing.

"Are there limitations?... Or is there a daily limit to 'digestion'? Similar to the limit on the number of meditation sessions? Or is there some kind of 'cooling-off period' for the growth of the soul or the resonance with the stellar energy within the body? Or is this the 'first' benefit of establishing the channel for the first time? Or will subsequent processes require 'nurturing' the soul, rather than this kind of brutal infusion?"

Li Xingyao's mind seemed to be in the midst of a brainstorming session. Finally, he pondered, "The 'Advanced Guide' repeatedly emphasizes the difficulty of soul enhancement. It seems that even if I open the door using a shortcut, the subsequent path will still be unable to completely bypass those rules and restrictions."

After repeated unsuccessful attempts, Li Xingyao let out a long sigh of relief, forced to accept the reality for the time being. Although somewhat disappointed, his gains were already astonishing. He had successfully entered the realm of soul technology, and his star energy had surged by over 700 points—an achievement he would struggle to attain even after several months or a year of normal cultivation.

"Don't be too greedy," Li Xingyao whispered to himself, his eyes regaining their clarity. "At least the direction is right, the path has been paved. The rest is just a matter of slowly exploring and accumulating experience. And the key to all of this is still... soul power."

Thinking of this, he looked inward again. The soul power reserve of the Myriad Soul Banner remained at [11675/100000]. Although the consumption this time was huge, the remaining soul power was still acceptable. However, an unprecedented sense of urgency quietly arose, weighing heavily on his heart.

The evolution of the undead requires a large amount of soul power, the repair and cultivation of the soul body requires a large amount of soul power, and now even the most core cultivation requires a large amount of soul power... The places where it is consumed are increasing, and the level of demand is becoming more and more terrifying. The consumption of soul power is like a bottomless pit that can never be filled, driving him to constantly search for and harvest it.

Soul power, in the end, originates from death.

A chilling coldness crept down Li Xingyao's spine. Behind the increase in power lay the loss of life; his understanding of the true nature of this power weighed heavily on him. The path he had chosen was destined to be accompanied by death, with no turning back.

Now that he had grasped the basics of the path of the soul, Li Xingyao turned his attention to related skills.

Soul Imprint: A mark that cannot be removed by conventional means, permanently marking the target. Derivative: Can be applied to special equipment; if the equipment is damaged, it reveals the item owner's last moments, making it a valuable and essential item for nobles of advanced civilizations.

Soul Curse: Releases a curse through the power of the soul, continuously weakening the target's mental strength. Ultimately, it can cause the target's mental breakdown, the specific extent depending on the target's mental fortitude. It cannot be dispelled by any undead/necromancer proficient in soul power. Derivative: Used in conjunction with a necromancer to enchant special equipment; the enchanted equipment must be at least Super Power level 3.

Soul enslavement: Enslaves the target, preventing them from having thoughts or actions that harm their master. Derivative: Can be used with Apocalypse-level equipment to unleash skills; skill energy requires soul power infusion.

Soul Devouring: A necromancer whose soul mastery progress exceeds 10% can devour souls weaker than themselves to strengthen themselves. However, due to the uniqueness of each soul, soul impurities will be generated after absorption, so the efficiency is low. Moreover, due to the purity of their own soul, they cannot devour indefinitely and need to decide based on their own situation.

"The application of souls in this world has many similarities to the Myriad Soul Banner, but I don't need to waste time on these things right now," Li Xingyao remarked after reviewing these derivative skills.

Just then, a slender ray of golden sunlight suddenly pierced the window, casting a bright spot of light onto the dark carpet, which slowly expanded and moved over time.

Li Xingyao subconsciously looked up, only to realize that he had been so engrossed in his cultivation that he had forgotten to turn on the hotel's smart blackout system. Accustomed to the fully automatic environmental control at home, he had overlooked these details in the unfamiliar environment.

Outside the window, the sky over Shanshan City had fully brightened, and the morning sun's rays gilded the distant building outlines with a dazzling golden edge. This sudden sunlight dispelled the last trace of darkness in the room and temporarily dispelled the gloom in his heart caused by the nature of power.

"It's dawn," Li Xingyao murmured, his voice a little hoarse.

Watching the sunlight gradually expand, Li Xingyao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing all his confusion, his desire for power, his urgency for soul power, and his plans for the future. Now was not the time to indulge in cultivation.

Li Xingyao stood up, stretching his limbs, which were slightly stiff from sitting cross-legged for so long; his joints cracked softly. He walked to the window and opened it manually. Fresh air instantly rushed into the room, filling every corner.

"I should tidy myself up," he thought. After more than a year apart, he didn't want his sister, Li Xingyue, to see him looking disheveled, tired, and unkempt. He wanted to see her in his most energetic and presentable state, to let her know that even without her constant reminders, he could take good care of himself.

Stepping into the bathroom, the warm water washed away the fatigue from a night of cultivation.

Li Xingyao splashed cold water on his face, looked at the face in the mirror that was gradually losing its childishness, tried to adjust his expression in front of the mirror, and squeezed out a relaxed and sunny smile.

After washing up and drying my hair, my personal terminal vibrated rapidly.

It's information about my older sister, Li Xingyue.

[Xiao Yao! I saw your email! Why did you suddenly come over? You didn't even tell me beforehand! You scared me! I just asked my advisor for leave, and he wouldn't have approved it if I didn't rarely get time off! Just stay in the hotel and wait for me to come find you! I'll be there in about half an hour!]

The text is filled with a familiar tone, and the words carry concern and a little bit of reproach, as if you can see the panic in your sister's mind at that time.

As Li Xingyao read the message, a genuine, relaxed smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. He could picture his sister's reaction upon seeing the email that morning, from surprise to frantically applying for leave.

He replied quickly: 【Okay, sis, no rush, take your time. I just got up, I'm getting ready. I'll wait for you at the restaurant.】

After replying, Li Xingyao activated the room's smart butler: "Reserve two seats at the rooftop restaurant with a view, and two deluxe breakfast sets. Dinner will be in one hour."

Knowing his sister as he did, he knew she must have rushed over and probably hadn't had breakfast.

After doing all this, Li Xingyao changed into a clean set of casual clothes and carefully tidied his collar and hair in front of the mirror. Great, he looked refreshed and energetic.

He decided to put all matters concerning cultivation aside for the time being. The daytime belonged to his sister. His "vacation" was only just beginning.

Over the next few days, time seemed to be imbued with a warm glow, becoming light and cozy.

Li Xingyao spent almost all his daytime time with his older sister, Li Xingyue, only continuing his cultivation at night. The two seemed to have returned to their childhood, only their roles had been subtly reversed.

Now it's Li Xingyao's turn to take his sister to taste the famous local delicacies of Shanshan City, to visit interesting little shops and attractions that she usually has no time to go to, to take a walk in the city park, to sit on a bench and stare blankly at the waterfowl on the lake, and to chat casually about their lives and share the bits and pieces of the past year.

Li Xingyue was shocked and delighted by the changes in her younger brother over the past six months. She learned that Li Xingyao had earned far more credits than she had imagined through hunting and special bonuses, and that their life was no longer difficult. She was even more shocked by Li Xingyao's unbelievable speed of advancement, as he had already reached a level that she had been striving for for a long time but had not yet achieved.

"You...aren't you a little too much of a genius?" Li Xingyue couldn't help but joke, but her eyes were full of pride and disbelief.

Li Xingyao simply smiled, offering no further explanation of his secret, only saying that he possessed considerable talent and good fortune. He sincerely offered to use his resources to help his sister quickly enhance her star energy, but Li Xingyue gently declined without hesitation.

"I'm different from you, Xiao Yao." Li Xingyue shook her head, her tone gentle yet unusually firm. "My focus right now is on the research project at the institute. I just need to steadily improve my star energy cultivation; there's no need to pursue speed."

Keep your money and resources for yourself. I can see that you need them more than I do for your future path.

She paused, gently patted her brother's arm, a hint of worry and heartache in her eyes, "Your brother and I... can't help you much, but at least we can't hold you back or become a burden. We'll be happiest if you're doing well."

Over the past few days, through frequent video calls, Li Xingyang, the older brother, has learned about Li Xingyao's situation in detail. Beyond the shock, he felt immense pride and encouragement as an older brother. Like his sister, he firmly refused any financial assistance from Li Xingyao, repeatedly urging him to prioritize his own safety and long-term goals.

The understanding and support of his family, and their consideration for not wanting to trouble him, warmed Li Xingyao's heart.