I Got Together with the Goddess [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 57

By the boundary stone of Daobei Ridge, Wu Xing basked in the flattery coming from all sides. He smiled and said, “That the Scarlet Flame Jade Emperor Gu took the top spot this time is merely due to my good luck. Everyone, keep working hard; the next legacy might just be yours.”

Li Shi also appeared on the scene, praising him: “As expected of the Sect Master. Who else but you could claim this legacy?”

“Hmph, Li Shi, I know you were eyeing this treasure as well. Fine then—if there are any Gu worms I don’t need, I can give them to you.”

“The Sect Master is truly magnanimous!”

The crowd discussed the matter joyfully, but Ning Xue alone looked at the boundary stone pensively. Ever since Xin Fang had been blindsided, she found these people incredibly distasteful. In terms of strength, if Wen Qing, herself, and Xin Fang teamed up, they wouldn’t necessarily be inferior to this lot. However, the other two were nowhere to be found, leaving her as a mere spectator.

As the twenty-four-hour agreement entered its final countdown, Wu Xing’s disciples began to shout.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

Seeing that the time was up, the final rankings froze upon the boundary stone.

Wu Xing saw that he was still in first place and breathed a sigh of relief. To secure the top spot, he had thrown many precious items to the Scarlet Flame Jade Emperor Gu. Fortunately, the first-place position remained his.

“The legacy belongs to me alone!”

The crowd offered their congratulations, yet the noisy chatter persisted for a long time without anything happening. Eventually, feeling that something was strange, everyone stopped as if a pause button had been pressed.

“Where is the legacy?”

“Sect Master, why hasn’t anything changed?”

Ning Xue covered her lips to hide a smile, but she held it back.

Suddenly, beneath the pine tree, the figures of two young women appeared.

“They are over there!” the crowd shouted.

Wu Xing’s Scarlet Flame Jade Emperor Gu immediately incinerated the pine tree with fierce flames. However, Shui Mingsheng led Jiang Yiqing away, lightly stepping across the scarlet flames and flying into the sky. Their hair bathed in the firelight; between Shui Mingsheng’s brows, a red lotus faintly emerged, her form already possessing the aura of an immortal. Jiang Yiqing was held in her arms, her eyes clear as pure water, looking delicate and fragile.

This entrance was so explosive that the crowd stared in a daze for dozens of seconds.

Shui Mingsheng’s voice drifted down from the heights, her body radiating a vast immortal power that created a clear divide between her and the strength of the people on the ground.

“The Red Lotus Nirvana Gu is the second layer of the Saintess’s legacy,” Shui Mingsheng declared. “I have come specifically to announce this to you.”

Only power is everything. I want to possess the power to protect those around me from harm, Shui Mingsheng thought secretly. The stronger this thought became, the more she felt her “self” shrinking, as if she were stepping aside for a more powerful existence within her body.

When did this start? Yes, it began when she revealed the Power of the Holy Hand to save Elder Xin Fang.

Jiang Yiqing took the opportunity to pull the boundary stone into her spatial storage. Seeing the stone actually under her control, Wu Xing and the others were shocked beyond belief.

“When did you… take control of the boundary stone?”

“Shameless little thieves! You are too cunning!” Wu Xing’s henchmen were still clamoring; they couldn’t see the gap in strength and assumed Wu Xing would settle the matter for them. “To steal a heavy treasure! Hand it over now, and we might spare your lives!”

Seeing the situation turn sour, Li Shi immediately tried to flee. Shui Mingsheng waved her left hand, and a spirit snake lunged out, transforming into a massive black shadow that pinned him ruthlessly to the ground.

Wu Xing’s fury ignited the Scarlet Flame Jade Emperor Gu, turning the ground into a sea of fire as streams of flame surged toward Shui Mingsheng. “Shui Mingsheng! You are merely one of the seventy-two stronghold leaders! You are under my jurisdiction and subject to my orders! If you know what’s good for you, hand over the legacy!”

Shui Mingsheng said with disdain, “Under your jurisdiction? Subject to your orders? Wu Xing, you still haven’t assessed the situation clearly. Today is not like the past. Do you think I, Shui Mingsheng, fear you? Furthermore, you dared to move against Elder Xin Fang. Today, I shall claim justice on her behalf.”

The natural aura of power emanating from Shui Mingsheng caused even Wu Xing to waver. He looked frenzied. “Impossible! I refined so many heavenly treasures—how did you manage to take first place?”

“I have your Truth Gu and Soul-Searching Gu to thank for that.” Of course, it wasn’t just those; to secure the top spot, Jiang Yiqing had thrown in everything usable from her space. The White Emperor Dream-Manifestation Gu had only just managed to defeat the Scarlet Flame Jade Emperor Gu.

However, now that she had obtained the Red Lotus Nirvana Gu, Wu Xing was no longer her match.

As Shui Mingsheng took a step in the air, a red lotus bloomed beneath her feet. Golden light condensed at the heart of the flower, and a pair of phoenix wings manifested around her. Between the flapping of the wings, countless beams of dark red light descended.

Those beams crashed down toward the crowd. Some resisted immediately, while others did not move.

“Thunder and rain, dew and frost—all are gifts. This is the true essence of the Red Lotus Nirvana Gu,” Shui Mingsheng said coldly.

Wu Xing, Li Shi, and the others were trapped by the light beams. The more they resisted, the deeper the Red Lotus trapped them using the power of the White Emperor. Conversely, nothing happened to Ning Xue and her companions.

Seeing Shui Mingsheng’s strength clearly, the crowd immediately split into two factions. Some resisted stubbornly, while others declared on the spot, “Lady Shui, we are willing to follow your divine decree. From now on, we only wish to be at your disposal.”

Such a massive opportunity had allowed Shui Mingsheng to obtain Immortal Gu like the White Emperor Dream-Manifestation Gu and the Red Lotus Nirvana Gu; the crowd could not help but prostrate themselves in worship.

This was the Saintess’s legacy—it was indeed domineering.

Shui Mingsheng was filled with contempt. She said, “Once I have obtained all of the Saintess’s legacies, I shall distribute rewards based on merit. Do not think that because my seniority is low, you can fool me as you please. The myriad hills of Miao Jiang will sooner or later be under my control. From today on, think carefully about what you should do to assist my great cause.”

These words were spoken with youthful spirit and magnificent grace, demanding submission. Even Jiang Yiqing trembled slightly in her arms. However, she had a feeling that after using the Saintess’s power, something about Shui Mingsheng was changing bit by bit.

“Lady Shui is mighty! We await your orders!” the crowd shouted in unison.

Wu Xing fought a few rounds against Shui Mingsheng in public. Even while holding Jiang Yiqing, Shui Mingsheng handled him with ease. After the Red Lotus beams sliced into the flesh of a few small-time crooks who were still resisting, a treacherous power originating from the Soul-Searching Gu activated.

Among them was the Gu master who had used the Soul-Searching Gu against Xin Fang. Under the immense pressure of the Red Lotus Nirvana Gu, he was instantly stripped of his sanity by that very Soul-Searching Gu, dying on the spot with blood leaking from his seven orifices.

Seeing the man’s horrific death, Wu Xing and Li Shi couldn’t help but feel terrified. Even as they condensed their souls to resist, some information still leaked out.

“Sect Master, I have something to report to you.”

Shui Mingsheng glared at Li Shi. “So it was you! You beast!”

Shui Mingsheng used the full power of the Holy Hand to force the Soul-Searching Gu’s power, wrenching more intel from Li Shi’s sea of consciousness.

Shui Mingsheng saw scenes of a mysterious conversation between him and a black-robed figure emerge in his mind.

“Ignorant child, that Shui Mingsheng will be the next Saintess of Miao Jiang. Why haven’t you buried her in obscurity before she grows powerful?”

“Lord Black-Robe, is what you say true? And how do you know this?”

“This is a secret of heaven and cannot be revealed. Just do as I say. Have I ever been wrong? Who do you think allowed you to become the leader of the Jade Mountain Stronghold?”

“…Thank you for the instructions, My Lord.”

In the images, the black-robed person was shrouded in a mass of black mist, making their face impossible to discern.

Shui Mingsheng tried to find more information related to the black-robed person but found nothing.

“Li Shi, your crimes are inexcusable. Today, I shall make an example of you before everyone.”

Li Shi trembled all over. He kept chanting “Lord Black-Robe” in his mind, but the lord no longer appeared.

Why was this? Was he the fool who had been used?

The spirit snake’s shadow and the Red Lotus beams tore Li Shi apart. After a loud explosion, only scorched earth remained.

Wu Xing was horrified and knelt to beg for mercy, no longer looking anything like the Sect Master of old.

“As for you, Wu Xing—considering you have ruled Miao Jiang for so long, you have worked hard if not successfully. I shall spare your life. Go to the dungeons beneath the Tiatong Academy and reflect on your sins.” Shui Mingsheng gave a cold snort and swept away.

The crowd watched her leave, unable to fully recover their wits.

Who was the black-robed figure? Was Shui Mingsheng truly the next Saintess?

However, it seemed there was still a third layer to the legacy. It was said that the third layer held even greater power and was known as the Saintess’s “True Legacy.”

But now, who could possibly compete with Shui Mingsheng?

Shui Mingsheng and Jiang Yiqing returned to Xia Yi’s home.

The second layer of the legacy consisted of the Red Lotus Nirvana Gu and a “Celestial Binding Gu.” Being named “Celestial Binding,” it naturally possessed power at or above the level of an Immortal Gu.

Shui Mingsheng handed the Celestial Binding Gu to the Tree Gu and said, “With this Gu, you can become an Immortal Gu, or even something greater. Fulfill your promise and release Aunt Xia.”

“…I didn’t expect you two to actually carry such destiny.” The Tree Gu’s voice carried a hint of indiscernible greed. “If I obtain Xia Yi’s wisdom combined with the power of the Celestial Binding Tree Gu, could I also become the number one in Miao Jiang?”

“No, you would be refined by me,” Shui Mingsheng said.

Having obtained the second layer of the legacy, she possessed the Power of the Holy Hand belonging to the Saintess, which could refine the Tree Gu in an instant. At that point, her strength would surpass everything. However, Shui Mingsheng was not blinded by power; she would not become a person like Wu Xing.

The Tree Gu clearly guessed she had this capability, so it was only testing her. It then obediently took the Celestial Binding Gu and transferred itself out of Xia Yi’s body, gradually sinking deep into the earth and disappearing without a trace.

Xia Yi watched the Tree Gu, which had accompanied her for so long, leave with a sense of loss. Now, she was finally an ordinary person.

Fortunate, yet unfortunate.

She looked at Shui Mingsheng with some sadness and said, “Mingsheng, with great power comes great responsibility. I really don’t know if taking control of Miao Jiang will be a good or bad thing for you.”

“Aunt Xia, the feeling of having power is so wonderful. Why resist it?” Shui Mingsheng countered.

Xia Yi was startled but did not question her. Instead, she asked, “Mingsheng, do you know where the third layer of the legacy is?”

“The Saintess only told me. She said the third layer is on her person; I just need to find her coffin,” Shui Mingsheng said. “The location of the Saintess’s coffin is also within Daobei Ridge.”

She pressed her forehead, having a faint, bad premonition. But the Saintess’s coffin contained her power, and only one who had obtained the Power of the Holy Hand could open it. It shouldn’t be stolen by anyone.

Shui Mingsheng could have left immediately to find the third layer, but for some reason, she didn’t.

Xia Yi said, “Mingsheng, I want to see you become someone like the Saintess, but I also feel a sliver of fear in my heart.”

“Fear of what?”

“The Saintess was an immortal, yet her companion was a mortal. After losing her companion, the Saintess became violent and irritable. That is also why she eventually ended her immortal body and buried herself in this land of Miao Jiang. I don’t know if you will shoulder the same fate as her.”

Shui Mingsheng looked at Jiang Yiqing and said, “It’s different. Yiqing is bound to a cultivation system; we will always be together.”

“I hope I’m just overthinking it,” Xia Yi said. “Mingsheng, I wish you success.”