The Second Form of the Green Lotus Sword Song

"Little Grand-Uncle, no!"

"Come back!"

Xu Xian's sudden charge startled everyone.

Nangong Ning was especially alarmed. That was a beast king stage beast, after all. Even if it suffered a backlash of the Great Dao, making its beast king stage cultivation somewhat unstable, it had still swallowed a nascent soul stage Old Ghost right before their eyes. Even Song Qingshu's self-detonation hadn't left a single scratch on it.

No matter how extraordinary Xu Xian was for a foundation establishment stage cultivator, what could he possibly do, even with an immortal sword in hand?

However, the formation before them had reached its final stage. Even if she wanted to stop him, she was powerless to do so.

The demonic Blood Weeping Formation had the same effect as a Spirit-Sealing Formation, but righteous sects never used it. The primary reason was its sheer depravity; it required the burning of essence blood to start, and once active, it would continuously drain the spirit essence of those maintaining it.

The reason the Blood Infant Patriarch, before being possessed by the Xiushe, had looked so pale and bloodless was not just because he practiced demonic arts. It was very likely due to the existence of this grand formation. A Blood Weeping Formation spanning a hundred li was no laughing matter.

Furthermore, once the formation began, the casters could not stop it of their own volition. There were only two outcomes: either the formation succeeded, or the casters were sucked dry before it could finish.

Nangong Ning was in the nascent soul stage and had Ruan Zhong’s assistance. Since she was merely taking over and strengthening the existing formation, she wouldn't face the second outcome. Unless there was outside interference, the two of them could not stop now.

This was also why they had stood by and watched Song Qingshu go to his death, unable to do anything. Now that it was Xu Xian’s turn, they remained just as helpless.

Sensing the anxiety in their eyes, Xu Xian didn't want it to affect the speed of their formation. While sprinting forward, he channeled qi into his voice and shouted, "Keep going! I'll buy you some time. I won't die!"

His tone was firm and filled with confidence.

Although they didn't know where Xu Xian's courage and confidence came from, they could only choose to believe him at this point.

If not for Xu Xian, they would have died long ago. Every time they had been in a desperate situation, it was this Little Grand-Uncle who had turned things around.

He had rescued them from the Blood Pool and planned the ambush. While inside the Blood Pool Grotto, he had even coordinated with the others as a foundation establishment cultivator to kill several core formation practitioners. After escaping the grotto-heaven, he had single-handedly drawn away all the pursuers.

During the battle under the moon, while the five of them were overwhelmed and Song Qingshu was pinned down, Xu Xian had used a single sword to withstand the onslaught of several core formation cultivators, sending the enemy's foundation establishment disciples fleeing in panic.

He had protected everyone and reversed the situation, stalling until this giant snake descended. If not for this sudden variable, they would have already won a flawless victory. Xu Xian deserved all the credit for that.

Now, he had stepped forward once again in a moment of crisis. They could only pray that Xu Xian could create another miracle.

Xu Xian sprinted while the giant snake surged toward him simultaneously. The distance between them was less than a few li to begin with. In just a few breaths, they were within arm's reach. Xu Xian could even feel the scorching breath exhaled by the giant snake.

His eyes gleamed with a fierce light. The giant snake looked at him as if he were nothing, but he viewed the giant snake as a mortal enemy.

He didn't dare to relax for a second. His entire body was wound tight like a spring as he gripped the heavy sword, Wait, tightly, silently calculating the distance in his mind.

"Hiss!"

As the long snake flicked its tongue, he barked, "Little Book, help me!"

"Understood, Master."

The tiny book spirit sat cross-legged atop the youth's head, moving in sync with him. It closed its eyes to gather its breath, then snapped them open. A flash of purple light glared at the giant snake.

An invisible wave of spiritual power was released from the tiny book spirit's eyes. It used Xu Xian's divine sense to deliver a full-power strike.

The giant snake, mid-charge, felt a sudden piercing pain in its mind. Its consciousness wavered for a moment, and its blood-red eyes dimmed. It had lost its focus, letting out a low, disoriented hiss.

"Now!"

Xu Xian's brows furrowed as he gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

"Green Lotus Sword Song, Second Form!"

"Green Lotus Transforms into Qi!"

As the sword swung, a green lotus coalesced, blooming with sixteen petals. The sword edge slashed out, and sword intent condensed.

A green lotus appears in one breath.

A green lotus falls in the next.

Each petal transforms into a longsword.

Sixteen petals, sixteen swords.

Swift as the wind and fast as lightning, they slashed toward the snake's heart...

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Because the giant snake’s mind had been impacted by the book spirit's spiritual strike, its protective demon essence had wavered and loosened. Taking advantage of this, Xu Xian unleashed the second form of the Green Lotus Sword Song. Guided by the Pupil of Insight, he landed all sixteen swords of the Green Lotus Transforms into Qi precisely on the snake's weak point.

To kill a snake, one must hit its heart. Even for a giant snake, the principle was the same.

The dazed snake, lacking its protective essence, was forced to tank those sixteen swords with nothing but its beast king stage physical body.

While the attack wasn't enough to kill it, it still felt the pain. Its wild instincts drove it to let out an earth-shaking roar. Its massive body writhed as if in great agony...

Xu Xian's face was deathly pale, but his heart leaped with joy. The corner of his blood-stained mouth curled up slightly.

"It worked."

Back when Song Qingshu self-detonated, Xu Xian had used his Pupil of Insight to see that the giant snake was unharmed. Even then, he had already been one step ahead of the others, thinking of a countermeasure in his mind.

How could he stop this giant snake?

Song Qingshu couldn't do it. Nangong Ning and Ruan Zhong were tied down. The other five went without saying—unless they did the same thing as Song Qingshu, it wouldn't be enough. Besides, not everyone had the courage to self-detonate, and not everyone could do it successfully.

He had asked the little book spirit for help, and it provided this plan.

Little Book said it could help Xu Xian launch a spiritual attack to momentarily daze the snake. If Xu Xian could seize that chance to hit the snake's heart, he should be able to stall its progress for a short time.

Of course, the plan carried risks, and its feasibility was extremely low.

Firstly, its full-power strike would consume Xu Xian's divine sense, instantly draining him. In a severe case, he might faint. At best, he wouldn't be able to use the Pupil of Insight for a short while. This meant that in the coming battle, he wouldn't be able to perceive enemies in advance, use his God's-eye view, or hide his presence. He wouldn't even be able to play it safe and hide anymore.

Secondly—and most importantly—Xu Xian currently lacked a move that could break through the snake's defense. His strongest move, A Single Lotus Appears, was far from enough. Unless he could use the second form of the Green Lotus Sword Song.

But Xu Xian had never succeeded with it before. He couldn't even trigger it when he was at full strength. In his current state, combined with the loss of divine sense and the difficulty of concentrating, the probability of success was infinitely low.

Little Book had only offered it as a suggestion, even advising him not to do it.

But Xu Xian wanted to gamble. Finding life in a desperate situation and taking an unconventional path—this was not just Xu Xian's Dao, but also his Master's. Drawing the sword in the face of adversity, the lotus appears, and the sword sings wildly...

Xu Xian thought this might be the true essence of the Green Lotus Sword Song: glimpsing a sliver of life within the silence of death.

Clearly, he had won the gamble. Even though it was incredibly risky, his luck was superior.

The members of the Wendao Sect witnessed the entire process and were equally shocked. They didn't know how Xu Xian had done it, but he had. He had even unleashed the second form of the Green Lotus Sword Song, and with sixteen petals of sword intent right from the start...

In the history of the Wendao Sect, this was unprecedented.

"So strong!"

"Incredible!"

"Grand-Uncle, beautifully done!"

Nangong Ning furrowed her brows and muttered, "When did the Little Grand-Uncle learn the second form?"

Before they had set out, she had heard Wen Qingxue say that while the Little Grand-Uncle practiced the Green Lotus Sword Song, he only knew the first form. At that time, she had already been gaping in shock. Seeing the second form unleashed today, she figured that if Wen Qingxue were here, her reaction would be the same.