Mortal: My name is Ma Liang, and I also possess a magic brush.

Upon hearing this, Ma Liang immediately leaped onto the venomous python's head and propelled the beast away from the area at high speed.

He was unsure if there would be any danger around him when he destroyed the formation, and he was also worried that staying nearby would interfere with Xiang Zhili.

After Ma Liang drifted away, the first beam of light suddenly began to fluctuate, and rings of light appeared around the beam, spiraling upwards.

……

The area outside the forbidden zone was no longer desolate and lifeless. A large number of cultivators had gathered there, and the seven sects had even specially dispatched Core Formation stage cultivators to guard it.

Two years ago, after the people from each faction returned, they all concluded that something must have happened in the forbidden area, so they all sent people to come.

Later, someone spread the news that "someone is breaking the formation," and people from all factions preferred to believe it rather than not, so they immediately sent more people to garrison the area.

Over the past two years, not only have more and more cultivators from the seven sects gathered, but several small gathering places have even formed on the outskirts of the forbidden area.

Today, Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi had another argument. Li Huayuan came out of the house cursing, and Fuyunzi followed closely behind.

Just as Li Huayuan was about to turn around and retort, a disciple suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Look! What's that?"

Upon hearing the sound, everyone turned to look and saw that the space in the direction of the blood-red forbidden area was rippling, and strange light and shadow, like the reflection of a water mirror, were swaying in the void.

Someone shouted in alarm, "The formation is about to break!"

This shout seemed to trigger some kind of signal. Immediately, a cultivator took out a communication jade talisman, hurriedly entered his words, and infused it with spiritual power. The jade talisman then transformed into a beam of light and disappeared into the sky.

Immediately afterwards, countless communication jade talismans flew up from the settlement and shot off in different directions.

Nangong Wan also walked out of the Yanyue Sect's residence and looked at the surging spatial fluctuations in the direction of the forbidden area.

"That's not right! They clearly said they were only going to break the barriers between the second and third layers, so why are they causing disturbances even in the outer layer?"

……

Not only was Nangong Wan shocked, but Ma Liang, who was inside the forbidden area, was also filled with doubt as he looked at the constantly shaking void above his head.

"No, this isn't the correct method for breaking the formation, so how come even the outer layer of restrictions is being triggered?"

He quickly focused his mind, retrieved the Three Elements Locking Array diagram he had memorized, and began to study it inch by inch.

The more he tried to verify the formation diagram, the more he felt that the scene before him did not match the patterns in his memory. However, after repeated examination, he was certain that the method of breaking the formation was correct.

Suddenly, a thought struck him: Oh no!

The master of this great formation actually connected the Three Elements Locking Formation with the outer layer of restrictions. He only knew how to break the Three Elements Locking Formation, but knew nothing about the related outer layer formation!

Ma Liang hurriedly relayed this conjecture to Xiang Zhili, shouting loudly, "Senior, wait a moment! Don't break the formation yet! This is a connected grand formation!"

Xiang Zhili was completely absorbed in breaking the formation when he suddenly heard these words, and his heart skipped a beat.

"No, we can't stop now! We need to think of something!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Liang became anxious and angry. What could he possibly do?

Finally, gritting his teeth, he patted the venomous python beneath him, urging it to soar into the sky, intending to risk recording the surrounding restrictions as well.

The giant python responded and charged wildly into the sky, finally arriving at the area of ​​spatial fluctuation a full quarter of an hour later.

To be on the safe side, Ma Liang first had the venomous python condense several poison arrows and shoot them at the source of the array fluctuations. The poison arrows were immediately blasted away upon contact.

He then took out a scroll, drew a small bird on it, and urged it to crash into the barrier.

The little bird was flung away with a "thud" and wobbled towards the ground. Ma Liang saw clearly that this restriction was at most equivalent to the third level and had no offensive effect.

He gritted his teeth and placed his palm directly on it, and as expected, it was like a three-layered formation, only to be repelled.

This time, Ma Liang finally managed to record the array diagram of the outer layer of restrictions.

Ma Liang looked at the newly recorded array diagram and was immediately stumped.

He was not a master of array formations. Although his divine brush could record and analyze a single array diagram, he was completely helpless when it came to merging two array diagrams.

So he decisively spurred the venomous python to dive downwards. During the dive, he took out a blank jade slip and used his divine sense to quickly imprint the array patterns on it.

Unfortunately, the formation was too complex, and by the time the venomous python was almost upon Xiang Zhili, only a small portion of it had been imprinted on the jade slip.

Having exhausted all other options, Ma Liang tossed the jade slip to Xiang Zhili and called out, "Senior! This is part of the outer array diagram. Can you discern any clues?"

Xiang Zhili immediately separated a wisp of spiritual power to support the jade slip and focused on examining it.

Xiang Zhili memorized all the array diagrams in the jade slip and repeatedly compared and analyzed them with the previous Three Elements Locking Array. The more he deduced, the darker his expression became, and the veins on his forehead twitched involuntarily.

"Young Ma! Now look what's happened, you've practically pushed us both to our deaths!"

Ma Liang quickly apologized, "Senior, please don't be angry! The most urgent thing is to find a way to escape. You are experienced and will surely have a plan!"

"Think of a way? If these three layers of the great formation are breached, I predict that the outermost layer will most likely explode! The entire area will be reduced to ashes then. What kind of solution do you expect me to come up with? We don't even have a way out right now!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Liang panicked.

But just then, his gaze swept towards the central area of ​​the forbidden zone, and his eyes lit up.

"By the way, senior! Let's go into the tower! That tower looks extraordinary; even if the great formation really explodes, it should be able to hold out for a while!"

"You're very experienced. Do you think that if the three-layered formation breaks, the outer layer will explode instantly, or will it give us some breathing room?"

"I just deduced the formation. Once the three-layered formation is broken, the outer formation will explode in no more than ten breaths! Moreover, it's hard to say whether there are other restrictions on the tower. It's questionable whether we can even get in."

Ma Liang slapped his thigh and gritted his teeth, saying, "Then we have no choice but to gamble! Gamble that the tower's restrictions are connected to the outer array, and if it explodes, everything will be destroyed! Senior, you continue breaking the array here. I'll wait for you at the third layer of restrictions. You fly fast; this distance is nothing to you!"

Xiang Zhili immediately cursed, "You little brat! Get back here! Even if you guard the third layer of restrictions, do you think you can break into the tower in ten breaths? That's ridiculous!"

Ma Liang was also getting anxious. "This won't work, that won't work, so what do you suggest we do? We can't just sit here and wait to be blown to bits!"

Xiang Zhili immediately pulled a teleportation talisman from his storage bag. Ma Liang's eyes lit up when he saw it. "Why didn't you say you had this talisman sooner? We're saved!"

"But there's only one! This place is too far from the tower; one isn't nearly enough!"

Ma Liang sighed helplessly, "Give me the talisman, let me take a look!"

Without saying a word, Xiang Zhili tossed the talisman over, and Ma Liang caught it and used his divine brush to record the entire talismanic pattern.

He immediately unrolled the scroll and began to paint.

To his surprise, replicating the teleportation talisman consumed a great deal of energy. He hurriedly took out a handful of Soul Nourishing Pills, chewed them, and forced himself to continue drawing until he had drawn six talismans before finally stopping.

Ma Liang took out two replica teleportation talismans from the scroll and tossed them over along with the original one to Xiang Zhili, saying, "Senior, these three should be enough!"

Xiang Zhili took the talisman and held it between his fingertips. With just one sweep, he understood his previous confusion.

This is no simple trick; it's a miraculous replication technique!

He was shocked, but he didn't have time to think about it and quickly put the talisman into his storage bag.

He looked at the restless core of the formation. "The formation flags have been returned to their positions. Breaking the formation is urgent. The outer formation could explode at any moment. Get ready!"