The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 1036: Transferred Out

Transferred Out . . .

"Please, brother, could you kindly refrain from speaking? I\'d rather let you be the leader, alright? Don\'t we appear godly to those who gaze at us from below?" Cha Eun Xiao sighed heavily. "I\'ve finally seen your true nature. Your only skill seems to be pretentiousness, and nothing more. Who on earth was foolish enough to bestow that title upon you? It\'s a complete waste and tarnishes the name…"

Han Bingxue was exasperated and felt rather awkward but couldn\'t find any words to counter Cha Eun Xiao\'s remarks. He was left speechless.

Meanwhile, beneath the inscribed words, the undulating purple qi gradually formed a seemingly solid platform.

In the center of this platform was a clearly defined handprint.

\'Activate your martial art, place your hand upon the handprint precisely, engage your dantian energy in nine revolutions, and the door shall open!\'

Additional instructions appeared one after another.

"That seems straightforward," Han Bingxue declared with a smile, stepping forward in a long stride. "Let me handle this, Boss!"

His intention was not motivated by personal gain but rather by concern that this might be a trap challenging Cha Eun Xiao\'s cultivation or something of the sort. Given Cha Eun Xiao\'s current frailty, he was likely to fail if it turned out to be a test.

Although Han Bingxue couldn\'t be sure of his own ability to pass such a challenge, he was unquestionably stronger than Cha Eun Xiao at this point.

So, all things considered, it was the right course of action for him.

Without waiting for Cha Eun Xiao\'s response, Han Bingxue\'s hand became frost-covered, and frigid energy enveloped it. He carefully placed his hand on the handprint.

In technical terms, his hand was slightly larger than the handprint, but he managed to place it upon it. "In the number of nine... That implies running it for nine cycles. That\'s rather brief…"

He initiated the flow of his inner spiritual energy.

The next moment, a frigid energy surged within his body.

However...

"Good heavens!"

Han Bingxue exclaimed in alarm.

The platform suddenly emitted a brilliant purple light that illuminated the entire surroundings. Cha Eun Xiao felt as though he had been blinded and couldn\'t see anything. After a while, he heard Han Bingxue cry out in a terrified voice before falling silent.

The purple light twisted as if it had encountered something extraordinary...

When he reopened his eyes, he noticed that...

Han Bingxue had vanished!

Han Bingxue had truly disappeared!

"What in the world?"

He was frightened and hastily scanned his surroundings for any sign of Han Bingxue. No matter how marvelous, valuable, or astounding the platform might be, it could never compare to his brother!

Perhaps the platform was aware of Cha Eun Xiao\'s thoughts, for the purple qi began to move again and revealed several more lines of text.

\'He who pretends to have qualifications will be banished by the heavens!\'

Cha Eun Xiao was taken aback.

The explanation was clear enough; Han Bingxue had attempted the platform without the necessary qualifications and had been exiled!

However, regardless of how he had been banished, the news was good for Cha Eun Xiao. At the very least, Han Bingxue was not killed. He was alive.

This was good news as long as he remained alive!

The more pressing question was: Where had he been banished?

At this moment, that was not Cha Eun Xiao\'s primary concern!

Moreover, a startling notion took root in his mind—could this platform be... conscious?

Could it potentially communicate through a mental connection to him? Did it receive his thoughts?

How else could this be explained?

After a brief moment of contemplation, Cha Eun Xiao decided to turn around to check if Han Bingxue had been banished to the outside of this layer. However, as he pivoted, he was confronted with an unexpected sight: the door to the fourth layer, which he had so recently opened, was now firmly closed.

In other words, Cha Eun Xiao found himself locked inside this place, entirely alone.

Stunned by this realization, he took a moment to collect himself. In a measured tone, he murmured, "According to what Cha Shangxin said, once the door is closed, it will remain shut for at least two hours before reopening. I wonder if the same rule applies in the fourth layer. Nevertheless, I will have at least two hours here. Let me wager my fate. Let\'s see if I am indeed the one you\'ve been waiting for, the monarch you await."

Although he framed it as a bet, Cha Eun Xiao didn\'t dare to be reckless. He quietly activated the East-rising Purple Qi. The purple energy surged forth from his dantian, completing a single cycle within a matter of moments.

With great care, Cha Eun Xiao extended his hand.

The rolling purple energy enveloped his entire hand, rendering it a crystalline shade of purple.

Gradually and deliberately, he pressed his hand onto the purple handprint.

Outside the mountain, representatives from the Cha Clan and Li Clan stood on opposing sides, each awaiting the outcome of their disciples\' expedition. Cha Tianchen wore a concerned expression, his hands clasped behind his back, while Li Clan\'s senior elder appeared tense as well.

This exploration of the third layer of Heaven Treasure Mountain held great significance for both clans\' futures, as they competed to see which of their disciples could amass the most treasures.

An atmosphere of anxious anticipation pervaded, and no one wished to engage in any quarrels. They chose to wait in silence, each of them longing for the results.

Suddenly, a group of figures emerged from the mountain, descending with downcast expressions.

Four individuals in total—all from Li Clan.

Their arrival immediately drew the attention of the onlookers. Cha Tianchen frowned, while Li Clan\'s elder raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"What\'s the matter? Why have the four of you returned so soon? Did something happen?" Li Clan\'s elder inquired, his forehead creasing with concern.

The four men, their faces etched with frustration, spoke up. "Yes, you could say that. The young man did succeed in opening the third layer… But... Shortly after the door was unlocked, a vast horde of spiritual beasts surged into the area."

"A horde of beasts? How is that possible?" Both Cha Tianchen and Li Clan\'s elder were visibly taken aback.

"Yes, it\'s true. There were countless spiritual beasts that converged on the entrance to the third layer. Even the weakest of them were at level six. Many were supreme spiritual beasts, exceeding level eight and level nine. It was a challenge for Dao Origin Stage cultivators to fend them off, let alone us." The Li Clan representative still appeared shaken, his complexion pale. He continued, "We were at the rear of the group... Witnessing the dire situation, we decided to withdraw... Otherwise..."

"What about the others?" Li Clan\'s elder inquired.

"I\'m afraid..." the man replied with a heavy heart, "I\'m afraid... they are no longer with us."

Cha Tianchen and Li Clan\'s elder exchanged grim looks. Both were plagued by the same thought: had they missed a tremendous opportunity?

On the opposite side, Xuan Bing, cloaked entirely in black, inquired impassively, "What about the man in white standing beside Master Cha?"

She was referring to Han Bingxue.