After trying many methods, Zhang Yiyi was still wandering around this place, unable to find the so-called "life gate" of the formation, nor could she locate the formation's core to destroy it directly.

"Where's the gate? Why is there no gate?"

After trying over and over again, her gaze fell on the smooth stone wall.

"Yes, a gate!"

It seemed she finally thought of a solution, and her whole demeanor became eager once again.

It felt like she had overlooked the simplest yet most obvious issue. Since this was an illusionary formation and everything she saw was fake, did that not mean the "life gate" had no fixed location?

If what I think is real, then it is real. If I think there's a gate, then there is a gate. As long as I have enough power, I can open whatever door I want to exit!

One force can break a thousand methods. In this place where everything she perceived and imagined could manifest, why couldn't her power be strong enough to break through the formation?

The more Zhang Yiyi thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. Without further delay, she raised her hand and unleashed a mighty punch toward what she believed was the life gate, determined that this punch could forcibly break the formation.

"Open for me!"

With a furious roar, Zhang Yiyi slammed her fist down.

With a loud "bang," something seemed to shatter, and in an instant, Zhang Yiyi felt a massive twisting force. However, this time, her mind did not go blank, and she didn't lose consciousness.

As a flash of white light passed, the world Zhang Yiyi saw changed.

The icy jade bed, the vast treasure trove, and the closed training chamber without doors all disappeared. What remained was an empty valley.

In the valley, it was just like when the six of them first entered. Even the cave entrance was still there, although it looked a little different from before.

The cave entrance was noticeably smaller and much less eye-catching, almost hidden by overgrown vegetation, appearing desolate and easy to miss unless closely observed.

She also saw Zheng He and the others, lying not far away, unconscious and sprawled in various awkward positions. Just like her earlier, they had fallen into the inner illusion triggered by Zhu Qing.

Zhang Yiyi understood that she couldn't help them and that they would have to wake themselves up from the illusion. She also realized that this formation was far from simple.

Even though she had escaped, she had only broken the part she was trapped in. The formation itself remained intact.

Each of Zheng He and the others had been trapped in different corners of the formation, and with the formation still unbroken, she didn't dare to move recklessly for fear of being drawn back in.

Who knew what new challenges or obstacles she would face if she re-entered the formation? The method she used to escape might not work again.

Since Zhang Yiyi was not skilled in formations, she decided to sit tight and meditate while waiting.

She believed that at least one of them would manage to escape like her. It would be safer to come up with a solution together then.

At the very least, Zhou Yi, the formation master, would surely have no problem. Once he woke up, it wouldn't matter if the others remained unconscious. After Zhou Yi broke the formation, everything would be resolved.

As expected, it didn't take long before Zhou Yi, who was a little farther from her, woke up.

He sat up, took a long breath, and upon seeing the others still unconscious nearby, he understood the situation.

However, when his gaze fell on Zhang Yiyi and he realized she had woken up earlier than him, he was quite surprised.

"I didn't expect Miss Han to be so skilled in formations, waking up from the illusion so quickly," Zhou Yi remarked, clearly intrigued and showing no concern for his brother or friends just yet.

"You flatter me, Brother Zhou. I know next to nothing about formations," Zhang Yiyi replied honestly, not caring whether he believed her or not. "The only reason I woke up before you is purely due to luck."

Seeing her calm and straightforward response, Zhou Yi smiled and nodded. "Luck is part of one's strength as well. For someone of your age to have such abilities is truly impressive."

"You overpraise me. This illusion formation is still unbroken, so I'll have to rely on you, Brother Zhou, to break it. Otherwise, we won't be able to move forward," Zhang Yiyi said, unconcerned about the scrutiny in Zhou Yi's eyes. After all, attention and probing were inevitable for anyone not ordinary.

Hearing this, Zhou Yi didn't probe further and nodded. "Of course. But it might take some time. In the meantime, I'll need you to protect me and watch over the others."

"Don't worry, Brother Zhou. I will," Zhang Yiyi agreed readily. Zhou Yi breaking the formation was for everyone's benefit, so she naturally had to do her part in guarding him.

Without further words, Zhou Yi began gathering materials and focused entirely on breaking the formation, while Zhang Yiyi quietly stood watch.

As time passed, Zhang Yiyi grew increasingly aware of the complexity of the formation.

Compared to the initial formation at the valley entrance, Zhou Yi had already spent more than three times the effort, yet the progress seemed minimal.

During this time, Uncle Guan was the third to wake up, followed by Zheng He, then Zhou Ren. After that, no one else woke.

Once they woke up and saw Zhou Yi concentrating on breaking the formation, none of them dared to disturb him or move around, for fear of triggering changes.

After exchanging a few words, they learned that Zhang Yiyi was the first to break out of the incredibly realistic illusion. Each person had their own thoughts about that.

When they saw Zhu Qing still unconscious in the distance, they realized that if Zhou Yi couldn't fully break the formation, Zhu Qing might be stuck in the illusion forever.

"This guy... Let's see if he dares to keep cutting corners and slacking off in his cultivation after this!" Zheng He sighed softly. Despite all of Zhu Qing's flaws, they had been through life-and-death situations together, and he still hoped for the best for him.

"Don't worry, big brother. My brother will definitely break the formation, and when he does, Third will wake up too," Zhou Ren reassured, although he, too, felt that Zhu Qing had grown too weak.

Even after all this time, Zhu Qing had shown no sign of waking up, which spoke volumes about his weak resolve and poor skills.

Comparing Zhu Qing to the young female cultivator who was still in the Foundation Establishment stage, Zhou Ren felt he needed to learn from others' strengths and mistakes. He decided he would work even harder on his own cultivation once they got out.

Another hour passed, and Zhu Qing's breathing had become faint.

Suddenly, with a loud "bang," the formation was finally shattered by Zhou Yi.