Jinx

Tang San, who came from the Tang Sect, had always carried a measure of vigilance.

The voice that suddenly appeared in his mind made him even more jumpy. He raised the broom and swept his gaze around the entire academy.

Yet strangely, there was no one else within several hundred meters of him.

"Strange, was I hearing things?"

"You heard correctly. It's me. I'm in your hand!"

"Hm?"

Tang San's eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the broom that had accompanied him for a month.

"You... you... what are you?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Tang San hurriedly released the broom as if he had touched something filthy.

"Thud."

The broom that fell to the ground flashed with silver light, then began to tremble irregularly.

"Young man, pick me up. Are you sure you want to give up such a hard-won opportunity?"

"If you do, put me back where I was. I'll wait for the next fated person."

At those words, Tang San's expression kept changing.

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

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

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

"Hehe, the war in the God Realm, the dusk of the gods... I no longer remember how much time has passed."

"The... God Realm?"

Tang San's eyes were filled with shock, as though he had heard some incredible revelation. Was this something a mere Soul Master like him could hear?

"Are you... a god?"

"Yes, and no."

"You may call me a fallen god. And the broom in your hand represents a Godhood."

"Hiss..."

Though he did not fully understand it, Tang San suddenly found the broom in his hand scalding hot. Yet for some reason, he could not bear to let it go.

But with his naturally suspicious nature, there was no way he would simply believe that he had been chosen by a Godhood.

"My Soul Power has been constantly disappearing. Was that because of you?"

"That's right. This wisp of remnant soul carries the hope of a Godhood inheritance, and your Soul Power is the key to awakening it."

"Will you accept my inheritance? If not, then as I said before, put me back where I was."

There were no threats and no temptations. The broom's straightforward words revealed the dignity he had once possessed as a god.

That also caused the little bit of vigilance in Tang San's heart to slowly ease.

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

"I already told you. The war in the God Realm caused many gods to fall, and I was one of them."

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

"As for your question, you want to know what kind of god I am, whether my power is strong, and whether I am worth inheriting, correct?"

"Uh..."

With his thoughts exposed in a single sentence, Tang San looked somewhat embarrassed.

But the broom in his hand did not seem to mind much and continued leisurely:

"Jinx. That is my name."

"J-Jinx?"

Tang San's mouth fell open again, and he nearly threw the broom away.

As a member of the Bashu Tang Sect in his previous life, he knew all too well what a jinx was.

"S-Senior, I don't think we're fated. I'd better put you back where you were."

Pure and spotless Tang Xiao San would never inherit a Godhood despised by everyone, no matter how powerful Jinx was.

Now that he had figured out why his Soul Power had been disappearing, he could cultivate and grow stronger on his own from now on.

There was no need to rush into seeking outside help.

As for the little Soul Power he had spent, he would treat it as forming a good karmic bond.

He hurriedly put the broom back in its original place, then immediately ran to the bathhouse for a shower, intending to wash away the bad luck clinging to him.

The broom never made another sound, which also made Tang San breathe a sigh of relief.

"What a principled god. Not even a hint of reluctance to part with me."

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

Meanwhile, Lu Xian, in the senior dormitory, curled his lips into a faint smile.

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

He refused to believe that Tang San would truly remain unmoved with a Godhood right before him.

His guess soon became reality. Though Tang San had directly refused to inherit Jinx's Godhood, he remained extremely concerned about the appearance of something like a god.

Early the next morning, Tang San began spacing out during Yu Xiaogang's private lesson.

This made Yu Xiaogang, who had been continuously teaching him knowledge about soul beasts, somewhat dissatisfied.

"Xiao San, what's going on?"

"You've been absent-minded all morning."

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

"Sorry, Teacher. It's just..."

"What exactly is going on? Tell me."

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

He intended to ask about Yu Xiaogang's understanding of gods and see whether he could clear up his doubts.

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

"Hm?"

Yu Xiaogang gave Tang San a surprised look and asked somewhat doubtfully:

"How did you learn about gods?"

Seeing Yu Xiaogang's expression, Tang San immediately understood. Gods really did exist.

"Teacher, so gods truly exist?"

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

"She is also the spiritual totem of all Spirit Hall."

"To put it simply, gods are Soul Masters beyond Level 100, with nearly limitless lifespans."

"But for some unknown reason, no Soul Master above Level 100 has appeared on the continent for a very long time."

"Even Qian Daoliu, the Pope from two generations before the previous one of Spirit Hall, remained stuck at Level 99 for his entire life, unable to advance another step."

As Yu Xiaogang spoke, Tang San grew more and more shocked.

He had never expected a Godhood to be such a rare thing. Had he been too hasty in rejecting Jinx?

Seeing Tang San lost in thought, Yu Xiaogang gently patted his shoulder.

"Xiao San, can you tell me how you learned that gods exist?"

"N-No, it's nothing. I just had a dream last night. In it, a god asked me some questions. As for what exactly they were, I can't remember."

One had to guard against others. Tang San had already begun agonizing over whether rejecting Jinx meant giving up a nearly eternal life.

He feared that if Yu Xiaogang learned of Jinx's existence, he would immediately seek out the broom and accept its inheritance.

By then, if Tang San regretted it, it would be too late.

He did not dare assume he would have another chance to gain the favor of a second Godhood.

Yu Xiaogang gave Tang San a suspicious look, but ultimately did not press further.

For one thing, he had not known Tang San for long. For another, he believed his disciple could resolve his own problems.

And so, Tang San listened to the rest of the lesson absent-mindedly before returning to the dormitory in a daze.

When he planned to complete his work-study duties, Tang San unconsciously went to the corner of the dormitory. Just as his hand was about to touch the broom, he jerked it back as if pricked by a needle.

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

But the Pandora's box whose lid had already been pried open kept whispering in his mind.

"You're just giving up a Godhood like that?"

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

Level 100, immortality, and a series of powerful terms echoed through Tang San's mind.

For the first time, the ever-calm Tang San felt his heart fall into turmoil.