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

In his sea of ​​consciousness, the Myriad Souls Banner automatically activated. Sensing the mental fluctuations that hindered Li Xingyao's summoning, the dark patterns on the banner suddenly lit up!

Soul Power Infusion! Forced Conscription!

[Soul Power: 22925 → 21425] 1500 points were consumed instantly!

A pure and powerful primordial soul force, like an invisible garment, forcibly enveloped the lich's body!

The lich that was desperately resisting had its powerful mental resistance crumble instantly when faced with this soul power, like frost encountering the blazing sun!

A surge of extreme astonishment and disbelief erupted from its dark blue soul flame. The next moment, its figure blurred and distorted as if erased by an eraser, and then completely disappeared into the world of death!

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye. From the moment Li Xingyao initiated the summoning to the moment the lich disappeared, it probably took less than a second!

"Buzz—!" The other liches froze in mid-air, seemingly puzzled as to why the forced summoning was happening so quickly. They had also sensed the soul power fluctuations from before, which filled them with both curiosity and longing.

However, these questions could not be answered. They could only aimlessly send out their spiritual energy to scan their surroundings, hoping to find some clues.

Li Xingyao, however, was both cautious and decisive. The instant he successfully captured his target, he didn't even look at the result. His spiritual body, like a startled fish, instantly severed its deep connection with the world of death, and his consciousness retreated like lightning!

In the real world, inside a train cabin.

Li Xingyao, who was sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes. He gently exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling the star energy that had been suddenly drawn from his body and was now gradually recovering, as well as the soul power consumed by the Myriad Soul Banner. He couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth upward.

It worked!

Consciousness immediately entered the realm of the dead.

Sure enough! A figure appeared in the previously somewhat empty space.

The lich, who had just been forcibly abducted, stood there quietly. It seemed not to have fully recovered from the instantaneous spatial shift and the forced contract. It lowered its head slightly, looking at its two withered, bony hands wreathed in icy mist. The dark blue soul fire flickered steadily but slowly, revealing a sense of contemplation and... tranquility?

Its tattered robes fluttered without wind, emanating a death aura far stronger than any other undead creature in the space, mixed with a chilling coldness.

Li Xingyao's spiritual energy made contact with it, carrying a hint of scrutiny and curiosity. This was a lich that had reached the late-stage advanced level. It was the first time he had summoned and contracted such a high-level undead creature.

The lich seemed to sense Li Xingyao's gaze, slowly raising its head. Its dark blue soul fire "looked" into the void. It could not directly perceive Li Xingyao, whose true form was outside the undead space, but it could sense the existence of the contract.

Immediately afterwards, a peaceful, calm, and slightly hoarse spiritual message, carrying a sense of the passage of time, flowed like a gentle stream, clearly transmitting into Li Xingyao's consciousness through the connection of the summoning contract:

"Greetings to you, my new master. Thank you for freeing me from that eternal exile and wandering, and for bestowing upon me such... incredible, pure soul power. Arakss, meaning 'one who peers into the mysteries of the elements,' is honored to serve you."

Li Xingyao was stunned.

This reaction... was completely unexpected!

There was none of the usual dazedness and confusion one would expect from a summoned spirit. Instead, it was as if an elderly scholar had been moved from one room to another, simply a change of scenery, his tone filled with respect, humility, and even a hint of…gratitude?

"Y-you...hello." Li Xingyao tried to respond using his mental power. He found himself a little nervous, as if facing a strange elder. "Alex? You have your own name? You...don't seem to resist my summons?"

"A name is the anchor of existence, Master." The lich Alex's mental fluctuations remained calm. "Even after transforming into a lich, my past understanding and some memories of being 'human' are still one of the cornerstones of my personality. Retaining my name is a common choice. As for resistance..."

Its soulfire flickered faintly, as if organizing its thoughts, "Your summoning method... is domineering yet not brutal. More importantly, the power you used to complete the contract... is so pure, so close to the very essence of the soul. For any undead, this is an unimaginable reward and temptation. To serve a necromancer who wields such power is my honor, how could I possibly resist you?"

Li Xingyao understood immediately; it was soul power that had played the key role. For the spirits of the dead in the world of death, this soul power was like a traveler in the desert finding a spring of water—utterly irresistible.

"Very good, Alex." Li Xingyao relaxed, his heart filled with surprise. "Tell me, what are your abilities? How much do you know about the world of the dead? What...did you experience in your previous life?"

The questions came out like a machine gun. Li Xingyao desperately wanted to understand the world of death and desperately needed a true high-level mage as his guide and teacher. His previous cultivation had been like the blind men and the elephant; he needed to feel his way across the river by feeling for the stones.

Alex's soulfire burned steadily as he patiently replied, "As you can see, Master, I possess knowledge of both frost and death magic. Specifically, I am proficient in about fifty spells, ranging from basic spells like 'Frostbolt' and 'Death Coil' to more complex ones like 'Frost Nova' and 'Wither Power,' and even some combination spells and ritual magic."

"As for the world of the dead..." it paused, as if recalling, "as you can see, it is boundless, and deathly silence is its eternal theme. It seems to be the place where all the dead settle, layer upon layer, burying the remains and souls of countless eras and countless worlds."

The ruins I roamed here, according to ancient legend, were once the capital of a civilization that attempted to glimpse the mysteries of death. Ultimately, they seemed to have offended some untouchable being, leading to utter destruction, and the entire city was dragged into the world of the dead. I wandered here… for a very, very long time, so long that time itself lost its meaning.

"And in my lifetime," Alex's voice held a hint of barely perceptible emotion, "I was a mage, a super-rank mage dedicated to exploring the essence of the elements, especially the laws of frost."

Unfortunately, the constraints of talent and time prevented me from ever reaching the realm of legend. As my life drew to a close, unwilling to simply turn to dust, I chose to follow a powerful necromancer and voluntarily underwent his transformation ritual, becoming a lich to continue my research and existence in another form.

I served him for nearly two hundred years, until he perished in a battle with an enemy. My casket, along with a fragment of his soul, was swept into the realm of death, and I have been wandering in that world ever since, until… your call.

The amount of information was enormous! Li Xingyao was deeply moved.

A lich transformed from a super-ranked mage! Mastering fifty spells! Possessing knowledge of necromancy! This is practically finding an invaluable treasure!

Li Xingyao couldn't wait to have a more in-depth conversation with Alex, asking about the distribution of undead in the world of the dead, the possible existence of powerful undead, the wandering paths of undead creatures, and knowledge of necromancy... Alex answered all his questions without reservation.

Although its knowledge has limitations and applicability, it still opened a completely new door for Li Xingyao, verifying or answering many of his previous confusions and speculations. The value of this exchange far exceeded all his previous self-exploration.

At the end of their exchange, the lich Alexstrasza asked, "Master, please forgive my intrusion... could you... bestow upon me again that pure soul power you used when you completed the summoning? I can sense that it has unimaginable benefits for enhancing my soul core, and even... propelling me to continue evolving."

Li Xingyao calmed down from his initial excitement about the knowledge. Soul power… soul power again. He pondered for a moment. Alex's value was immense, and the investment was worthwhile. However, there were too many areas where soul power was being consumed, and he needed to plan ahead. Moreover, for the initial summoning, he also needed to observe the lich's combat strength.

"I understand. I have soul power, but the amount is limited," Li Xingyao replied cautiously. "I need to allocate it according to the situation. I've noted your request, and I'll consider it when I need you to evolve."

"Thank you for your generosity, my master." Alex bowed slightly with elegance, said no more, and stood quietly in the corner of the undead space, as if blending into the darkness of the background. Only the two dark blue soul flames in his eye sockets burned quietly like eternal stars.

Li Xingyao exited the Netherworld with satisfaction. His consciousness returned to reality, and he immediately checked the status of the Myriad Soul Banner.

[Soul Power Reserves: 21425 → 22418]

Excellent! During the time he was communicating with the lich, the automatic absorption function of the Myriad Soul Banner continued to work. As the train traveled through the underground tunnel, fragments of souls along the way were continuously absorbed, and in just a short while, nearly 1000 points of soul power were restored. The consumption of summoning the lich was being rapidly replenished.

"This automatic absorption... it's getting more and more practical." Li Xingyao was in a great mood. He calmed his mind and began his daily soul technology cultivation.

Consciousness sank into the sea of ​​consciousness, guiding the Myriad Soul Banner to extend a thin stream of soul power, connecting to that small, blurry manifestation of the soul.

魂力-10… -10… -10…星能+10...+10...+10...

The process continued as usual, with soul power being consumed steadily. Once the soul had absorbed enough soul power, there was no further reaction, and the growth of star energy also stopped. The upper limit of today's "digestion" had clearly been reached.

Li Xingyao carefully recorded the data: "About 30 points of soul power were consumed, and star energy increased by about 30 points. This is consistent with yesterday's situation. It seems that the daily limit for directly increasing star energy through soul power is about 28-30 points, which corresponds to approximately a 1:1 ratio. After that, the soul enters a 'saturated' state and needs time to 'digest' and 'adapt'."

This situation left him with both regret and immense excitement. He was regretful because he couldn't improve indefinitely, but excited because this path was indeed feasible, and incredibly efficient!