Jinx

Coming from the Tang Sect, Tang San was always harboring a sense of vigilance.

The voice that suddenly appeared in his mind made him even more on edge, and he raised his broom to scan the entire academy grounds.

Yet, strangely enough, he was the only person within a radius of several hundred meters.

"Strange, was I hallucinating?"

"You did not mishear. It is I; I am in your hands!"

"Hm?"

Tang San's eyes widened, and he stared at the broom he had been carrying for a month in disbelief.

"You... you... what kind of thing are you?"

As the words left his mouth, Tang San hurriedly released his grip, as if he had touched something filthy.

"Clatter."

The broom, having fallen to the ground, lit up with a silver glow and began to tremble irregularly.

"Young man, pick it up. Are you certain you do not want this hard-won opportunity?"

"If you do not want it, return me to my original place, and I shall wait for the next fated person."

Hearing this, Tang San's expression shifted constantly.

After a long while, his curiosity gained the upper hand.

He warily picked up the broom again and asked in a low voice:

"Who exactly are you? Why are you hiding inside a broom?"

"Heh, the Great War of the God Realm, the Twilight of the Gods—I can no longer remember how much time has passed."

"The... God Realm?"

Tang San's eyes were filled with shock, as if he had heard something incredible; was that even something a mere soul master like him should be hearing?

"Are you... a god?"

"I am, and yet I am not."

"You may call me a fallen god, and the broom in your hand represents a divine throne."

"Hiss..."

Feeling that the broom in his hand was suddenly burning hot, Tang San felt a sense of awe, yet for some reason, he could not bear to let go.

However, it was impossible for someone as naturally suspicious as him to simply believe he had been chosen by a divine throne.

"My soul power has been constantly disappearing; is that because of you?"

"Correct. This wisp of a remnant soul carries the hope of a divine inheritance, and your soul power is the key to awakening it."

"Will you accept my inheritance? If not, as I said before, return me to my original place."

Without coercion or temptation, the broom's straightforward words highlighted the dignity it once held as a god.

This caused the sliver of vigilance in Tang San's heart to slowly relax.

"Senior, could you tell me about your origins?"

"I have already told you. The Great War of the God Realm caused many gods to fall, and I am one of them."

"Seeking an inheritor is the mission of every god, and I am no exception."

"As for your question, you want to know what kind of god I am, whether my power is great, and whether I am worth inheriting, is that not so?"

"Uh..."

Having his thoughts pierced through, Tang San appeared somewhat embarrassed.

But the broom in his hand did not seem to mind, continuing to speak leisurely:

"Jinx, that is my name."

"Jinx... Jinx?"

Tang San opened his mouth wide again, nearly unable to stop himself from throwing the broom away.

As a former member of the Bashu Tang Sect, he knew all too well what a Jinx represented.

"Se... Senior, I think we are not meant to be. I had better return you to your original place."

He, the pure and noble Tang San, would never inherit a divine throne despised by all, no matter how powerful the Jinx might be.

Since he had figured out the reason for his disappearing soul power, he could now cultivate and grow stronger on his own.

There was no need to rush into seeking external support.

As for the soul power he had lost, he would consider it a good deed done.

Hurriedly returning the broom to its original spot, Tang San immediately ran to the bathhouse to wash away the bad luck.

The broom did not make another sound, which allowed Tang San to breathe a sigh of relief.

"A god with backbone, indeed; it didn't show the slightest intention of clinging to me."

"You must know that I am the third person in this world to possess Twin Martial Souls."

On the other side, in the senior dormitory, the corners of Lu Xian's mouth curled up slightly.

"I'll be waiting for you, Tang San!"

He did not believe that with a godhood right in front of him, Tang San would truly remain unmoved.

His speculation soon became reality; although Tang San had directly refused to inherit the Jinx godhood, he was still very concerned about the appearance of such a divine entity.

Early the next morning, Tang San began to zone out during Yu Xiaogang's private tutoring session.

This made Yu Xiaogang, who was continuously instilling knowledge about spirit beasts into him, feel somewhat dissatisfied.

"Little San, what is going on?"

"You've been distracted all morning."

Startled by the reprimand, Tang San stood up and bowed with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, Teacher, it's just that..."

"What exactly is the matter? Tell me about it."

Under Yu Xiaogang's concerned gaze, Tang San slowly lowered his guard.

He intended to ask about his teacher's understanding of gods to see if he could provide some clarity.

"Teacher, do you think gods really exist in this world?"

"Hmm?"

Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San in surprise and asked with some confusion:

"How do you know about gods?"

Seeing Yu Xiaogang's expression, Tang San felt certain in his heart: gods truly existed.

"Teacher, does that mean there really are gods?"

"That's right. Behind the Martial Soul Hall, the strongest force on the continent today, stands the Angel God."

"It is also the spiritual totem of the entire Martial Soul Hall."

"To put it bluntly, gods are spirit masters who have surpassed level 100, possessing near-infinite life."

"But I don't know when it started, yet no spirit master above level 100 has appeared on the continent since."

"Even someone as powerful as the former Pope of Martial Soul Hall, Qian Daoliu, was stuck at level 99 his entire life, unable to advance an inch."

As Yu Xiaogang spoke, Tang San became increasingly alarmed.

He had not expected godhood to be such a rare thing; had his refusal of the Jinx been somewhat imprudent?

Seeing Tang San dazed, Yu Xiaogang gently patted his shoulder.

"Little San, can you tell me how you learned of the existence of gods?"

"No... nothing. I just had a dream last night where a god asked me some questions. I can't quite remember the specifics."

One must always be on guard; Tang San was now beginning to struggle with whether he should have rejected the Jinx and given up a near-eternal life.

He feared that if Yu Xiaogang knew of the Jinx's existence, he might go off to find the broom and accept the inheritance himself.

If he regretted it then, it would be too late.

He dared not be certain if he would ever have the chance to be favored by a second godhood again.

Yu Xiaogang gave Tang San a suspicious look but ultimately decided not to press further.

For one, he had not spent much time with Tang San yet, and for another, he trusted his disciple to resolve his own problems.

Just like that, Tang San listened to the rest of the lesson absent-mindedly, then returned to his dormitory in a daze.

When he intended to finish his work as a work-study student, Tang San subconsciously walked to the corner of the dormitory. Just as his hand was about to touch the broom, he pulled it back as if stung by a needle.

Taking a deep breath, Tang San chose to go to another dormitory to borrow a broom to clean.

But the Pandora's box, already pried open at the corner, kept whispering in his mind.

"Are you just going to give up on godhood like this?"

"The new successor that the Jinx finds in the future will surely mock your ignorance to your face, Tang San!"

Level 100, immortality—a series of powerful synonyms echoed in Tang San's mind.

For the first time, the eternally calm Tang San felt his heart in turmoil.