"Little guy, you've got a death wish."
Xu Bai gazed at the young tiger in the distance, who seemed ready to leap off the cliff and end its life, and spoke softly.
At the sound of his voice, the tiger cub jumped in fright. But once the shock passed, its heart filled with intense joy.
"Could one of the elders in my clan have taken pity on me and come to bring me home?"
Fueled by that hope, the tiger cub quickly turned around.
Then, a two-legged beast cub filled most of its view.
Who are you? Where are the elders from my clan?
The tiger cub jumped again and let out a yelp. It instinctively backed away a few steps, sending a few loose stones tumbling.
"I was the one who said that just now, not an elder from your clan. Besides, you know your clan's ways. Once a cub has been abandoned, there's no chance they'll take it back."
Xu Bai spoke gently, a kind smile on his face.
At his words, the tiger cub felt as if it had been struck by lightning. Its young heart filled with despair once more.
"My clan really did abandon me..."
It let out a sorrowful whimper, then slowly turned around, ready to continue its grand undertaking of ending its life.
It didn't even stop to wonder how it could understand this two-legged beast cub.
But that was clearly not what Xu Bai wanted.
The moment the tiger cub turned, his voice rang out again. "Little guy, are you really willing to die like this? Your kin abandoned you. If they knew you'd died so miserably, they wouldn't grieve. They might even laugh at you behind your back."
His voice seemed to hold a strange power. The tiger cub, already set on dying, stopped dead in its tracks. Without meaning to, it recalled the coldness in its clanmates' eyes before they abandoned it, and the disdain and mockery in its younger brother's eyes.
It had loved its little brother so much. Whenever their mother returned from hunting, it would secretly give him part of its own share.
Yet he still thought it wasn't enough, and believed it had stolen what should have been his...
The tiger cub's expression shifted from anger to helplessness and sorrow.
So what if I'm angry? In the end, I'm nothing but a good-for-nothing, a worthless cub with such a mixed bloodline that I can't even awaken my species' innate skill...
Xu Bai couldn't see the series of emotions playing across the tiger cub's face. But seeing that his words had made it stop was enough.
Xu Bai quickly pressed his advantage. "Little guy, do you yearn for power? Do you want to make those who abandoned you, betrayed you, and looked down on you pay? If you agree to one condition, I can help you achieve all that."
His voice was like a devil's whisper, making the inexperienced tiger cub's heart tremble.
In the tiger cub's limited memories, two-legged beasts were the most mysterious creatures it knew.
The elders in its clan had tirelessly warned the cubs that two-legged beasts were terrifying creatures who grew stronger by hunting Soul Beasts.
If you ever came across one alone, whatever you were doing, the first thing you had to do was run. The farther and faster, the better.
Maybe these creatures, who even the elders feared, really could give me power...
Conflict flashed through the tiger cub's eyes. But the scorn and disdain in its younger brother's eyes before it was abandoned finally made up its mind.
What's the condition?
The tiger cub turned around and let out a wary growl.
"The condition is that you sign a contract with me and become my pet beast," Xu Bai replied.
The tiger cub was confused. It didn't understand what a pet beast was.
"Pet beast... That probably means a servant," it thought.
But if it could get revenge, so what if it became a two-legged beast's servant?
Hate filled the tiger cub's heart and shone in its eyes. It agreed without hesitation.
Xu Bai was secretly delighted. Just as he'd thought, cubs were easy to fool. A few words had been all it took to convince this one.
He kept his expression calm, though, and said, "Since you agree, there's no time to lose. We'll start the contract now."
What do I have to do?
The tiger cub looked up and let out a questioning growl.
"All you have to do is avoid resisting, no matter what happens. Otherwise, the ritual may fail," Xu Bai said gravely.
He paused, deciding that wasn't quite enough, then added a solemn threat. "A Soul Beast can only accept one contract in its lifetime. You understand this is your only chance. If the contract fails, no one will be able to help you get stronger and take revenge."
At that, the tiger cub's expression turned serious. It quickly assured him that it wouldn't resist.
Xu Bai nodded with satisfaction and hurriedly reached out to the Beast Taming Space Martial Soul within him. He'd get the deed done first. Even if the little guy realized what was happening later, it would be too late.
A soft white light glowed from the Soul Mark on the back of his right hand, and a Contract Mark coalesced in his palm.
The Contract Mark shot forward and instantly sank into the tiger cub's brow, entering its Sea of Consciousness.
Xu Bai's threat still rang in the tiger cub's ears, so it didn't dare resist. It watched helplessly as the Contract Mark took hold in its Sea of Consciousness.
Thus, the contract was sealed. Whoever broke their word would suffer the consequences.
Hum—
A strange formation suddenly rose beneath the tiger cub's feet. A flash of light followed, and it transformed into specks of glittering light that sank into Xu Bai's Soul Mark.
The moment the last speck disappeared into the Soul Mark, a white Soul Ring coalesced beneath Xu Bai's feet and slowly rose.
That was a feature of the Beast Taming Space Martial Soul: signing a contract with a Soul Beast would form a Soul Ring, and its age would increase as the contracted Soul Beast grew older.
But this Soul Ring had no Soul Skill. For now, its only use seemed to be intimidating people once his Beast Taming level rose in the future.
Xu Bai watched the Soul Ring rise at his feet and felt his mental and physical strength surge. At last, a genuine smile spread across his face. "That was rough. It took me two years after recovering my memories to become a Soul Master. I guess that puts me among the most pathetic transmigrators on the Douluo Continent."
That was right. Xu Bai wasn't from this world. He was a transmigrator—or, more precisely, someone who had been reincarnated.
In his previous life, a clichéd plot twist had ended his life.
Afterward, he was reborn on the Douluo Continent. When he awakened his Martial Soul at six, he broke through the mystery of life in the womb and recovered his memories from his previous life.
Then he discovered that his new life wasn't going well.
To put it in a nutshell: his parents had died, his family was wealthy, and he'd been a naive child when they raided his home.
The one who'd raided it was his father's own younger brother—his dear Second Uncle, a genuine Level Sixty Battle Soul Emperor and a purple-robed bishop of the Spirit Hall.
If a loyal servant hadn't resisted with his life, Xu Bai figured he wouldn't have survived that night.
After they escaped, the gravely wounded old butler rallied for one last burst of strength and carried him hundreds of miles. Once he'd settled Xu Bai in a city, he, too, breathed his last.
Thus, Xu Bai, who had only recently recovered his memories, got to experience what it meant to be utterly alone.
Honestly, if Xu Bai had been an ordinary six-year-old, even escaping with his life wouldn't have guaranteed he'd survive in this world—a dark, feudal society where strength ruled all.
Fortunately, he'd already awakened his Martial Soul and recovered his memories from his previous life. That was how he managed to survive, train to Level Ten, and become a Soul Master—all with great difficulty.
And, at long last, he'd finally unlocked the cheat befitting a transmigrator...
Xu Bai closed his eyes and looked within his Sea of Consciousness. An ancient Manual floated there, bearing several large characters: Manual of the Beast God.
The Manual, which he'd previously been unable to open no matter what he tried, had transformed into a virtual screen and unfolded within his Sea of Consciousness.
Xu Bai: ???
So the Manual wasn't meant to be opened by hand? This Beast God sure had a forward-thinking approach.