Chapter 416 - The Scum Is Leaving

"The… what the…" Zuo Zhe stammered as they all stared at the flat sands in the distance where the Sand Sea Mountain should have been. "What the hell!" he loudly cursed as he pushed himself up from the wooden floor of the ship and clutched the railing tight when he saw that the Sand Sea Mountain disappeared. "WHAT HAPPENED?!" he asked, shocked, and also feel a bubbling anger and fear when he realized something. 

Only Fei Yin and Cheng Sheng returned from the Heilong Realm. That means, Yu Sheng is still there. But, now that the Sand Sea Mountain disappeared, how will Yu Sheng return? 

Zuo Zhe pressed his lips tight as his face paled and his eyes reddened. Yu Sheng… he thought as he clutched the railings. Where are you? Where are you now? You promised me… that you'd return… he thought as his tears slowly fell from his eyes. You always make promises to me, and you always keep them without fail. But, now – he raised his head and gazed at the golden sands where the battle in the ground is currently happening. 

He fears Yu Sheng broke his promise. 

In the battleground, one hour before. 

After Chen Jing and Wu Fan withdrew from the battle to look after Chen Han, while Xie Lan and Fan Wen went to calm Li Tian who nearly went hysterical, Jing Rui took over the fight against Wu Ran, and Qian Tian and Fei Lin assisted him while Xi Ling, together with the reinforcements that arrived – the Righteous Alliance disciples, the Zunjingde Sect, the Youxiwang Sect and the Chen Clan, the Shanliangde Sect, the Qianxu Sect, along with the Huakai Sect and Nanshu Sect, resumed battling against Wu Ran's minions while Jing Cheng, who lost his opponent Chen Han, turned to kill Wu Ran's minions. 

"You all… YOU ALL!" Wu Ran roared in rage after being interfered for the nth time. First, it was his royal father. Second, Ming Ye – his memories after he reincarnated in his body. Third, it was Cheng Sheng Sheng. Now, it is the whole cultivation world against him. 

Wu Ran's power continued to surge in his body, and the demonic qi that appeared and surrounded his body became thicker, denser. This shows that he had perfectly taken control of Ming Ye's body. 

Before, they doubt about Wu Ran's possession of Ming Ye's body, and hoped that Ming Ye is still alive, just that he was overpowered by Wu Ran in controlling his body. The evidence is Wu Ran, after being exposed as a demonic cultivator, but he can use Ming Ye's qi before when he was still acting Ming Ye. At first, they even thought that Wu Ran is Ming Ye's other personality. Not until they heard the story of the Wuran Kingdom, and of Wu Ran, the prince of calamity, that they were convinced of Wu Ran's reincarnation of Ming Ye's body. 

Because the battleground is filled with demonic cultivators, the surrounding is filled with demonic qi, added with the demonic qi Wu Ran is releasing, the demonic qi became denser. At first, the disciples and other righteous cultivators that joined are able to hold their ground because of the Cleansing Talismans they are carrying. But, the longer the battle took, the more the power of the Cleansing Talisman was used and their strength and qi, which feeds the Cleansing Talisman for it to continue to work, was consumed. With Wu Ran's demonic qi, which is also strong, add to the demonic qi that was already present in the surroundings, the righteous cultivators aren't able to endure and fell. 

Zheng Fu Gong, Jing Rui, Fei Lin and Qian Tian noticed this matter and also saw their allies fell. 

"Those who are below the Nascent Soul Stage, retreat!" Zheng Fu Gong said. "Those who are Nascent Soul Stage and above, endure and fight!" he told them. 

"YES!" the righteous cultivators answered.

"Jing Bai! Jing Hei!" Jing Rui called. "Take your fellow disciples where the demonic qi can't reach and tell them to fight there and if it's necessary. If not, then they should rest." He said. 

Jing Bai and Jing Hei who joined the battle nodded. "Yes, uncle!" they answered and flew away to take their fellow disciples who are weaker. 

"Zheng Yi! Lead the disciples to the sidelines and fight there." Zheng Fu Gong said. 

"Yes!" Zheng Yi answered and followed after Jing Bai and Jing Hei to fetch the disciples. 

"Qian Lin." Qian Tian called. "Father and mother looked unwell. You…" he said. 

"I'll look after them and take our disciples away." Qian Lin said. 

Qian Tian smiled. 

"Brother, you… be careful." Qian Lin told him before he left to call their disciples that joined the battle. 

Xi Ling looked at the situation of the battle. "Xi Ming…" he called. 

"Yes! I'll lead the disciples away from the battleground and we'll leave this to the clan elders!" Xi Ming immediately said. He pulled Xi Xing with him, uttered and excuse, and then they left to call their disciples to leave. 

"He's such in a rush to escape." Ho Yue spoke as he walked beside Xi Ling. 

Xi Ling helplessly sighed. "Your disciple will be staying?" he asked in surprise when he saw Gong Xian. 

"He won't leave." Ho Yue helplessly said and looked at Gong Xian. "It's fine. He's in the Nascent Soul Stage now." He said, reassuring him. 

Xi Ling now noticed Gong Xian's cultivation level. And it was just then that he remembered that Gong Xian also participated in the Intersect Competition and successfully finished it together with Xi Ming and Xi Xing. Thinking until here, he saw Xi Ming and Xi Xing returned. He turned, then saw Jing Bai, Jing Hei, Qian Lin and Zheng Yi also returned to the battle. 

On Chen Jing's side, he and Wu Fan reentered the battle with Xie Lan, Fan Wen, Feng Mo and Lei Qing, as well as Shu Mu, while Li Tian and Xiao Le looked after Chen Han. With this, the battle has reached the peak. 

"AAARRRRHHHH!!!" Wu Ran screamed, enraged, and a violent gust of wind hit them all. 

"AAAH!!!" they exclaimed as they were all swept back. 

Zheng Fu Gong appeared before Jing Rui, Qian Tian and Fei Lin while Pai Lie erected a barrier before the five of them to protect themselves. 

"You… I'll kill you all! I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Wu Ran bellowed as his eyes turned bloodshot and his pupils turned red. 

"Be careful!" they all spoke as they took a step back. 

"Look! What was that! What's happening to the mountain?!" someone shouted. 

At this juncture where Wu Ran is about to explode, no one would dare to turn their heads to look. But, they don't need to, since Wu Ran let them. 

"Heheheheh…" Wu Ran suddenly laughed. 

This brought chill in their spines and they subconsciously shuddered as they watched Wu Ran's unkept hair floating behind him while a mixture of red and black qi swirled around his body. His red eyes are also glowing like a fiery fire, but are coldly looking at them. 

"I'm done playing with all of you." They heard him say. "It's time to kill you all." He said, his voice very calm as if it wasn't him who was enraged earlier. 

They all saw him turn, and they subconsciously followed his gaze. Then, their eyes widened when they saw the Sand Sea Mountain moving. Wait, how can a mountain move?! They all thought and stared at the mountain, wide-eyed, with bated breaths when they saw it is expanding, then contracting, as if it is like a heart beating. 

Everyone was focused in the Sand Sea Mountain that they didn't notice a small battle going on in one side – the Huakai Sect side. It's not that no one cares for them, but it's actually their enemies who don't care about the big battle and continues to engage in a small battle, particularly, with Wu Xi. With them targeting Wu Xi like this, it's obvious that they know Wu Xi. 

"Wu Xi!" Tang Yun cried when someone sneaked attacked behind him. He immediately threw a spell to the demonic cultivator while Guo Cheng erected a barrier of talismans behind Wu Xi. 

Finally, Wu Xi's enemies were killed. "Wu Xi?" they called when they saw him suddenly became still. They followed his gaze and saw that Wu Xi is staring at the Sand Sea Mountain. 

"Look! What was that?! What's happening to the mountain?!" it was Shan Lu who exclaimed. 

"Wu Xi?" Tang Zhe called. He noticed that Wu Xi is still. 

Suddenly, Wu Xi turned. "Thank you for accompanying me." He said through the Thought Talisman. "I thought that if I run away, my problems will disappear. I didn't think they would follow me here." He said. 

"What's wrong?" Tang Yun asked. 

"The battle made me realize something." Wu Xi said. "That things preordained will happen in the end, despite the twists and turns of fate, and no one can escape." He said before he flew straight to the pulsating Sand Sea Mountain. 

"WU XI!!!" they screamed and were about to follow him when suddenly, something flashed and, the next thing they knew, the Sand Sea Mountain disappeared. 

Together with Wu Xi.