The vanished Beast Taming Space, Su Yuntao's arrival

"It's been almost three years since I regained my memories. Why can't I still sense my Beast Taming Space?"

"My soul is clearly strong enough already!"

Duan Qingya ended another meditation session, flopped onto his bed in frustration, and sighed.

In his previous life, he had relied on the strength of his transmigrator's soul to awaken his Beast Taming Space and Beast Taming Talent ahead of time.

Then he had swept forward like a blade splitting bamboo, his strength quickly surpassing the younger generation of Beast Tamers.

Finally, at twenty-seven, he had surpassed a group of top Beast Tamers decades older than him, raised a Divine Beast, and earned the qualifications to attempt becoming a Divine Beast Tamer.

Unfortunately, he had no idea whether that world refused to permit it or whether his luck had simply been terrible.

Just as he was about to break through, his Beast Taming Space had inexplicably shattered, leaving him dead and his path extinguished.

Perhaps I've been unable to sense my Beast Taming Space because I haven't awakened my Martial Soul yet?

Just like Tang San being unable to break through after perfecting the first level of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, maybe my inability to sense my Beast Taming Space has the same cause!

The more Duan Qingya thought about it, the more sense it made. Eventually, he sat straight up.

Grandpa Niu said someone from Spirit Hall would come to awaken our Martial Souls in the next couple of days. Perfect—I'll try again after awakening mine!

As soon as Duan Qingya sat up, he spotted Grandpa Niu outside the courtyard through his window. Before he could speak, he heard Grandpa Niu calling him:

"Qingya, the Lord Soul Master you've been talking about every day is here!"

"He'll be conducting your Martial Soul Awakening shortly. Get ready and go wait at the awakening venue."

Duan Qingya put on his shoes and rushed out of his room, asking Grandpa Niu, who was waiting for him outside the courtyard gate:

"Grandpa Niu, what's that Soul Master's name?"

"You really are such a curious boy!"

"That Lord Soul Master is called Su Yuntao. Be polite when you meet him."

Once Duan Qingya reached him, Grandpa Niu reached out and ruffled his hair, teasing him with a smile.

Duan Qingya could only feel helpless at Grandpa Niu's teasing!

He had heard there was a village called Holy Soul Village near theirs. To establish where he was in the timeline, he naturally had to find out the name of the Soul Master Spirit Hall had sent.

Before long, Duan Qingya followed Grandpa Niu to the place where the Martial Soul Awakening would take place.

Along the way, Duan Qingya also confirmed that the Soul Master who had come to awaken his Martial Soul was the legendary Soul Master of the Douluo Continent—Blind Douluo Su Yuntao!

Supposedly, any transmigrator who received Blind Douluo's "blessing" would, at the very least, become a First-Level God capable of thrashing a God King.

He just wondered whether he would receive Blind Douluo's "blessing" and hear him say, "This is a useless Martial Soul."

Following Grandpa Niu, who hurried along without stopping, Duan Qingya soon reached the awakening venue and saw Su Yuntao standing at the entrance.

The moment he saw Su Yuntao, Grandpa Niu put on a slightly ingratiating smile and offered his compliments:

"Grandmaster Su Yuntao, it's been a while! I heard you'll be promoted soon. Congratulations!"

Although Su Yuntao had already heard such flattery countless times from others, Grandpa Niu's compliments still brought a brilliant smile to his face.

"Hahaha, you certainly are well informed, Village Chief Niu. Deacon Wang said he'd move me up once I finish this round of Martial Soul Awakenings!"

Whenever he thought about earning a promotion after completing the assignment he had received from Deacon Wang, Su Yuntao simply could not hide his delight.

Once everyone had arrived, Su Yuntao stopped chatting with Grandpa Niu and went into the room to take out the things needed for the Martial Soul Awakening.

Grandpa Niu stood at the entrance, looking at the children about to awaken their Martial Souls, and offered a long string of encouraging words.

Both Duan Qingya and Su Yuntao had grown rather tired of hearing them, however. Every year at this time, Grandpa Niu gave the same speech to a different group of children.

Unwilling to listen any longer, Su Yuntao reached out and patted Grandpa Niu on the shoulder, interrupting his impassioned "speech."

"All right, Village Chief Niu. You should be burning incense in gratitude if your village produces even one child with innate Soul Power like Niu Erdan every five years. There's no need to whip them into a frenzy every year."

"Besides, you know that smaller expectations mean smaller disappointments."

Having been interrupted, Grandpa Niu could hardly say anything to that. He could only retreat to one side with an apologetic smile and silently watch Duan Qingya and the others enter the awakening venue.

The moment Duan Qingya entered, he saw the six jet-black stones Su Yuntao had arranged on the floor.

Su Yuntao moved ahead of them to stand on the opposite side, quietly watching their curious expressions.

"All right, children, let me introduce myself. My name is Su Yuntao. I'm a two-ring Soul Grandmaster from Spirit Hall, and I'll be conducting your Martial Soul Awakening ceremony."

"When I conduct the Martial Soul Awakening, come forward as soon as you hear me call your name. Understood?"

Only after seeing all the children nod earnestly did Su Yuntao summon his Martial Soul before them in satisfaction.

"Lone Wolf, possess!"

Immediately, two Soul Rings—one white and one yellow—appeared beneath Su Yuntao's feet. His body rapidly transformed as gray fur sprouted all over him.

As though he had been injected with beast-strengthening drugs, Su Yuntao's muscles instantly swelled by far more than a single size. His green eyes swept over Duan Qingya and the others as though surveying prey.

At that moment, Duan Qingya, who had been watching Su Yuntao closely, discovered something interesting.

He could actually sense that the aura of Su Yuntao's beast Martial Soul resembled the aura of the Tamed Beasts used by Beast Tamers in his previous life.

Since Beast Tamers contract their Tamed Beasts through their Beast Taming Spaces, those beasts are inevitably bound to their souls. Meanwhile, the Martial Souls of Douluo are rooted in Soul Masters' souls.

If a Beast Tamer's Tamed Beast can be equated with a Soul Master's beast Martial Soul, doesn't that mean the principles of Beast Evolution from my previous life could be applied to this world's beast Martial Souls?

As soon as the thought emerged, Duan Qingya's instincts as a Beast Tamer left him itching to try, and he began working out possible evolution paths for Su Yuntao's Lone Wolf Martial Soul.

However, since he had yet to verify his hypothesis, the evolution paths Duan Qingya devised were all relatively safe.

Of course, evolving along such paths would offer less potential than taking a riskier route.

He became so engrossed in his thoughts that he completely failed to notice what the children around him were doing.

He remained standing where he was, even looking at Su Yuntao with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Su Yuntao had just completed his Martial Soul Possession and was about to call someone forward for their Martial Soul Awakening when he discovered that most of the children had already huddled together in a corner, trembling.

A quick glance revealed that only Duan Qingya remained where he had been, even studying him with some curiosity.

"You're the child from Village Chief Niu's family, aren't you? Don't be afraid. Step into the center of this Awakening Formation, and I'll awaken your Martial Soul!"

Seeing that someone was still unafraid of him, Su Yuntao let out a long breath.

With someone willing to go first, everything afterward would be much easier. Otherwise, as in the previous villages, he would have to waste considerable time and effort comforting them.

Once Duan Qingya stood in the center of the Awakening Formation, Su Yuntao raised his hand and swept it through the air, channeling his Soul Power into the six stones.

As the Soul Power flowed into them, the six previously dull stones erupted with golden light, enveloping Duan Qingya.

"Close your eyes and feel the call coming from your soul!"

Watching the growing number of motes of light around Duan Qingya, Su Yuntao hurriedly reminded him from the side.

Based on his many years of experience, Su Yuntao dared to say with certainty that Duan Qingya's Martial Soul would be of excellent quality.

As long as Duan Qingya possessed innate Soul Power, even if it was only level one, Su Yuntao believed he could have a promising future—and Su Yuntao himself could earn a handsome reward!