Chapter 1731: Reckless Abandon

"A'Zu!" Qiu Honglei's eyes immediately welled up with tears when she saw Zu'an rushing to save her despite the danger. Zu'an had no time to respond; he immediately activated "Great Wind" and teleported.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to the grand formation's influence, his teleportation range was severely reduced, and he could only teleport within the formation's boundaries. Each time he appeared, the terrifying suction of the vortex immediately pulled him backward.

After using "Great Wind" to teleport several times consecutively, he only managed to move slightly further away from the vortex, making it impossible to advance even an inch.

The "Great Wind" skill has a cooldown period. With his current cultivation level, performing it repeatedly without stopping was already his limit.

Although the interval between each use of "Great Wind" was not long, in this critical moment, that brief pause was enough for both of them to be pulled into the vortex multiple times.

The moment he stopped using "Great Wind," he was almost instantly pulled backward. Without hesitation, he immediately activated "Step-by-Step Lotus." Lotus flowers appeared beneath his feet as he slowly moved outward, seemingly struggling against a fierce storm.

It should be known that the "Step-by-Step Lotus" footwork was incredibly miraculous, even capable of escaping some seals. However, this grand formation had been meticulously planned and constructed by the Libationer over decades, harnessing the power of the myriad mountains of Purple Mountain. Now that the spatial collapse had formed, even powerful figures like Zhao Hao and the Libationer himself had been sucked in. No matter how miraculous this footwork was, it was merely a desperate struggle.

Zu'an struggled to take several steps but found that not only did he not advance, he even retreated a little, causing his heart to sink.

In haste, he could only draw out the Tai'a Sword and plunge it into the ground. The Tai'a Sword barely held firm, but both of them were almost instantly suspended horizontally in the air, like fluttering flags.

Tears like pearls streamed down Qiu Honglei's face. "A'Zu, I've brought you down with me. You shouldn't have saved me." Zu'an held her tightly by the waist, having run out of options. Hearing her words, he sighed, "How could I stand by and watch you in danger without helping?" His expression resolute, he channeled his power and threw her outwards. "Catch!" With his impressive cultivation, this full-force toss sent Qiu Honglei flying a distance like a cannonball. Due to the recoil, he could no longer hold on. The ground where the Tai'a Sword was embedded completely crumbled, and he spun as he plummeted into the abyss.

Qiu Honglei gasped. She understood immediately that he knew his own survival was hopeless and had chosen to save her. Without time to wipe her tears, she flicked her wrist, and a pink ribbon shot out, coiling around his waist. At the same time, a white silk ribbon wrapped around her hand; it was Yan Xuehen, who hadn't wasted the opportunity from a distance.

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue possessed formidable cultivation. They had been on the outer perimeter, and as the grand formation continuously collapsed, its influence on the outside gradually lessened. After rescuing Xie Daoyun, they had just managed to regain their footing. It was then that they witnessed Zu'an desperately saving Qiu Honglei and then throwing her out.

"That kid is truly reckless when it comes to chasing girls!" Yan Xuehen had no time to complain; she instinctively shot out a ribbon to catch Qiu Honglei. A tremendous force instantly pulled on the ribbon, causing her to lose her footing and stumble backward toward the collapsing formation. Fortunately, Yun Jianyue, with quick reflexes, wrapped her arms around Yan Xuehen's waist. The suction at this point was terrifying; the two grandmasters had lost all composure, relying purely on instinct.

Xie Daoyun, who had been thrown further away, also quickly formed hand seals. A phantom hand appeared and pulled the two women, allowing them to barely stabilize themselves. However, the powerful suction still caused the entire group to move step by step towards the collapsing vortex.

Seeing this, Zu'an urgently shouted, "Let go quickly, or you'll all die!" Qiu Honglei pursed her lips and desperately shook her head, reaching out to wrap the ribbon tightly around her hand several more times.

Yan Xuehen, her face serene like autumn water, naturally did not let go. Instead, she employed all her life's learning, attempting to pull the two inside out. However, a sharp tearing sound of fabric soon echoed. The white silk ribbon, unable to withstand the weight of the two individuals and the terrifying suction, snapped directly. There was almost no time between the appearance of a tiny crack on the ribbon and its complete rupture, leaving no one time to react.

Yan Xuehen was filled with regret; if she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have given the Cosmic Silk to Chuyan. However, she didn't hesitate. Instead, she instinctively lunged forward, grabbing the broken half of the ribbon. But her entire body was also dragged toward the grand formation. Yun Jianyue was startled. Without time to think, she quickly lunged and grabbed Yan Xuehen's ankle.

Xie Daoyun's face was pale. She also had no time to think; she leaped forward, grabbing Yun Jianyue directly, while her other ethereal hand clamped tightly onto the ground.

"Ice Maiden, you're risking your life to save my disciple this time. If we get out of this alive, I will definitely repay this favor," Yun Jianyue said, feeling awkward about thanking Yan Xuehen for saving Zu'an, so she used Qiu Honglei as an excuse. Yan Xuehen, similarly embarrassed to admit she didn't want anything to happen to Zu'an, bit her lip and replied, "I'm afraid there won't be a chance."

At that moment, the space within the grand formation rapidly collapsed, its speed and suction increasing manyfold compared to before. Xie Daoyun, with her cultivation, could no longer hold on. The ethereal hand generated by her talismans shattered instantly, and the entire group cried out as they were sucked into the vortex.

Just then, in another mountain range of Purple Mountain, at the temporary encampment of the Azure Palace, the disciples of the Nine Sects had not emerged from the Daoist Sect's secret realm as expected. However, the Emperor was coming for the Heaven Worship Ceremony, so they couldn't stay on Golden Summit. Thus, they had temporarily settled in a nearby mountain range, waiting for the secret realm to reopen and for the disciples of the various sects to emerge.

From the very beginning, Wan Tongtian and Abbess Huoling had been observing the unusual changes on Purple Mountain from afar, their expressions constantly shifting. Even from such a distance, they could feel the terrifying power of heaven and earth. Fortunately, they had decided to stay out of it earlier; otherwise, they would likely be like ants on Golden Summit now.

Suddenly, a disciple exclaimed, "The Blank Heavenly Book! The Blank Heavenly Book!" Sensing a series of unusual movements, the two grandmasters were startled and rushed towards the sound. They saw that the Blank Heavenly Book, which had been resting securely, was now violently vibrating, emanating a peculiar radiance from its entire form.

Both their faces changed dramatically. They knew that the Blank Heavenly Book was connected to the Daoist Sect's secret realm. If something happened to it, wouldn't all the most outstanding disciples from the various sects be trapped inside?

They were about to cast spells to stabilize the Blank Heavenly Book when, to their surprise, it suddenly shot skyward, crashing through the roof, and vanishing into the clouds. Its pages opened, facing the direction of Golden Summit. The previously blank pages now seemed to display ancient and profound characters, and a series of images flickered across them.

At that moment, on Golden Summit, the colossal formation had shrunk into a basketball-sized black hole. Immediately after, the entire Golden Summit was sucked into the black hole. A flash of black light, and the black hole completely closed and disappeared.

At this point, the civil and military officials, who had been on the verge of breaching the Zheng Yang Sect's mountain-protecting formation, were utterly stunned. The mountain-protecting formation they had detested so much was gone. Yet, they felt no joy, because it wasn't just the mountain-protecting formation that had vanished, but everything above the Reception Hall—half of Purple Mountain's main peak had disappeared into thin air!