The Young Tiger's Will to Die

"Little one, you are already courting death."

Xu Bai gazed at the young tiger in the distance, which seemed prepared to leap off the cliff and end its miserable life, and spoke in a low, hollow voice.

Upon hearing the voice, the young tiger was startled, jumping in fright. Yet, in the wake of that brief shock, its heart was filled with a surge of intense hope.

Could it be that an elder from my clan couldn't bear to watch and has come to take me back?

Clinging to this hope, the young tiger turned around quickly.

Then, a two-legged cub occupied most of its field of vision.

Who are you? Where is the elder from my clan?

The young tiger was startled once more, letting out a sharp yelp as it instinctively retreated a few steps, sending a cascade of loose gravel tumbling down the cliffside.

"That sentence just now came from me, not your elder. Besides, you know your clan's nature well enough; a cub that has already been cast aside will never be taken back."

Xu Bai wore a kind smile, his voice gentle as he spoke.

Hearing these words, the young tiger felt as if it had been struck by lightning, its small heart once again filled with despair.

The clan... they really have abandoned me...

It let out a mournful whimper, then slowly turned around, preparing to finish the "great task" of ending its life.

During this, it didn't even bother to wonder why it could communicate normally with this two-legged cub.

However, this was clearly not what Xu Bai wanted to see.

Just as the young tiger turned, his voice rang out again: "Little one, are you really content to die like this? If the kin who abandoned you knew you died such a pathetic death, they wouldn't feel sorrow; they might even mock you in their hearts."

The voice seemed to possess a magical quality, forcing the young tiger, already resigned to death, to stop in its tracks. Unconsciously, its mind recalled the cold indifference in the eyes of its kin before it was cast out, and the disdain and mockery in its younger brother's eyes.

I loved it so much. Whenever Mother returned from hunting, I would secretly share my own portion with it.

Yet it still felt it wasn't enough, believing I had stolen what should have been its share...

The young tiger's expression shifted, first to anger, then to helplessness and sorrow.

Even if I am angry, so what? In the end, I am just a piece of trash—a piece of trash with mixed bloodlines that cannot even awaken its racial skills...

Xu Bai did not see this sequence of expressions, but seeing the young tiger pause because of his words was enough.

Xu Bai hurriedly struck while the iron was hot: "Little one, do you crave power? Do you want those who abandoned you, betrayed you, and looked down on you to pay the price? As long as you agree to one condition, I can help you achieve all of this later..."

His voice was like the whisper of a demon, sending a shock through the young tiger's inexperienced mind.

In the young tiger's limited memory, two-legged creatures were the most mysterious beings it knew.

The elders of the clan were always tirelessly telling the cubs that these two-legged creatures were terrifying beings who grew stronger by hunting Soul Beasts.

Once encountered alone, no matter what one was doing, the first priority was to run—the further and faster, the better.

Perhaps these creatures, feared by the elders, really can grant me power...

A look of conflict flashed in the young tiger's eyes, but the mockery and disdain in its brother's eyes before it was abandoned ultimately steeled its resolve.

What is the condition?

The young tiger turned and let out a wary cry.

"The condition is that you sign a contract with me and become my pet beast." This was Xu Bai's reply.

The young tiger was confused, not understanding what a pet beast was.

Pet... beast... it must mean a slave, right... it thought to itself.

But if it meant revenge, what did it matter if it became a slave to a two-legged creature?

The young tiger hardened its heart, hatred gleaming in its eyes, and resolutely agreed.

Seeing this, Xu Bai felt a secret thrill, thinking that cubs were indeed easy to fool; it only took a few words to convince it.

However, he did not show it on his face, instead speaking calmly: "Since you agree, there is no time to lose. Let us begin the contract now."

What do I need to do?

The young tiger looked up and let out a confused yelp.

"All you need to do is ensure that no matter what happens, you do not resist, or the ritual may fail," Xu Bai said with a serious expression.

He paused, feeling that wasn't quite enough, and added a calculated threat: "A Soul Beast can only accept one contract in its lifetime. You should understand that this is your only chance. If the contract fails, no one will be able to help you grow stronger and take your revenge."

Hearing this, the young tiger's expression tightened, and it hurriedly signaled that it would never harbor any feelings of resistance.

Xu Bai nodded in satisfaction and quickly communicated with the Beast Taming Space martial soul within his body, preparing to get the deed done. Even if the little one realized what was happening later, it would be too late.

As a soft white light illuminated the soul mark on the back of his right hand, a contract seal condensed in his palm.

The contract seal shot out, instantly sinking into the young tiger's brow and entering its sea of consciousness.

With Xu Bai's threat still ringing in its ears, the young tiger dared not resist, watching helplessly as the contract seal successfully branded itself within its sea of consciousness.

With that, the contract was established; those who broke their word would suffer the penalty of broken vows.

Hum~

Suddenly, a strange formation rose beneath the young tiger's feet. A flash of light followed, and the young tiger dissolved into specks of fluorescent light, sinking into Xu Bai's soul mark.

Just as the fluorescent light vanished into the Soul Mark, a white soul ring condensed beneath Xu Bai's feet and slowly rose.

This was the unique trait of the Beast Taming Space spirit; a soul ring would manifest the moment a contract was signed with a Soul Beast, and its age would increase in tandem with the contracted beast.

However, this condensed soul ring possessed no soul skills. For now, its only purpose was to bluff others once his beast's level improved in the future.

Xu Bai gazed at the rising soul ring, feeling his mental power and physical strength surge. A genuine smile finally appeared on his face. "It hasn't been easy. Two years since awakening my memories and I've only just become a Spirit Master. I must be among the most pathetic of those who transmigrated to the Douluo Continent."

That's right, Xu Bai was not from this world; he was a transmigrator—or more accurately, a reincarnator.

In his previous life, a cliché plot-driven death had ended his existence.

He was subsequently reincarnated into the Douluo Continent, and it wasn't until he awakened his spirit at age six that he broke through the veil of the womb and regained his past memories.

He soon discovered that life after reincarnation was far from easy.

To put it in a nutshell: his parents were dead, his family's wealth was gone, and his naive self had been left to face the confiscation of his home.

The one who had ransacked his home was his own father's younger brother—his "good" second uncle—a genuine level-sixty War Soul Emperor and a Purple-Robed Bishop of the Spirit Hall.

Had it not been for the desperate resistance of a loyal servant, Xu Bai reckoned he wouldn't have survived that night.

After escaping, the mortally wounded old butler had experienced a final burst of strength, carrying him hundreds of miles away before settling him in a city and passing away.

It left Xu Bai, who had only just regained his memories, to experience what it truly meant to be a lone wolf.

Truth be told, if Xu Bai had been an ordinary six-year-old, even if he had escaped with his life, he might not have survived in this world where strength was everything and a dark, feudal society reigned.

Fortunately, he had already awakened his spirit and regained his past memories, which allowed him to survive with great difficulty, struggle through his cultivation to level ten, and finally become a Spirit Master.

He had also finally, with great difficulty, unlocked the golden finger belonging to him as a transmigrator...

Xu Bai closed his eyes and looked inward at his sea of consciousness, where an ancient, rustic manual floated. On its cover were a few large characters: Manual of the Beast God.

At this moment, the manual—which he had previously been unable to open no matter what he tried—transformed into a virtual screen and unfolded within his sea of consciousness.

Xu Bai: ????

So, this manual wasn't meant to be read? This Beast God certainly had some avant-garde ideas.