"Damn it!"
Trapped within the Green-Haired Zombie Formation, Lin Li was in a dire situation.
His clothes were already showing signs of wear and tear.
Even though he had launched numerous attacks on the Green-Haired Zombies, managing to injure them, these zombies were not living beings.
Unless they were hacked into pieces to the point of being immobile, even if they suffered wounds that would be fatal to a human, the zombies could still continue their relentless pursuit of Lin Li.
What troubled Lin Li the most, however, was the Red-Haired Zombie!
It was faster!
Stronger!
Its defense was even more formidable!
When Lin Li's sword struck the Green-Haired Zombies, it left slight gashes on their bodies.
But against the Red-Haired Zombie, his attacks were completely ineffective!
This made Lin Li feel an immense amount of pressure.
He had no effective means to deal with the zombies, but in contrast, the zombies could easily injure him. Unlike the zombies, Lin Li's body, even though he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was still made of flesh and blood. If hit, he could be wounded!
To avoid further injury, Lin Li's movements became increasingly stiff and restricted, making it difficult for him to fight fluidly and forcing him into a defensive position.
Even so, Lin Li was unable to defend himself from every attack, occasionally getting caught off guard and struck by the Green-Haired Zombies.
As for the Red-Haired Zombie...
Sitting at the center of the formation, it remained still most of the time, but when it did attack, it was terrifyingly powerful!
Every time it moved, Lin Li could feel a massive threat looming over him!
When Lin Li failed to dodge in time and was struck by its immense strength, he felt his insides tremble. Unable to hold back, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and a bloody handprint appeared on his back!
At that moment, Lin Li couldn't help but panic: "What should I do? What should I do?"
"Do I really have no choice but to use my trump card here?"
Lin Li frowned deeply.
If he used the special skill of his Bloodthirsty Sword, breaking the Green-Haired Zombie Formation wouldn't be too difficult.
However...
By revealing his trump card, Lin Li wasn't sure if he would be able to face even more dangerous threats in the future.
"No, I can't!"
Clenching his teeth, Lin Li thought, "I absolutely can't use my trump card right now! I can't become overly reliant on this sword's special skill. My own abilities… should still have a lot of untapped potential!"
With that thought, despite his injuries, Lin Li's movements grew more agile.
Even his sword techniques began to change!
Where his sword strikes were previously wide and aggressive, now they became more cautious, fluid, and harmonious.
Lin Li had always been more skilled in offense than defense.
However, trapped within the Green-Haired Zombie Formation, he had no choice but to switch to a defensive stance.
As time passed, Lin Li, who had initially struggled to fend off the attacks of the Green and Red-Haired Zombies, gradually found his defenses becoming smoother and more natural.
"It feels... like the pressure has lightened considerably!"
Lin Li felt a surge of joy as he continued to fend off the zombies' attacks: "It seems that although I haven't improved in cultivation level, my skills have reached a new height!"
Now, while Lin Li still couldn't break the Green-Haired Zombie Formation, he had adapted to their attack patterns and was no longer getting hurt like before.
In this way, Lin Li and the formation reached a strange equilibrium—Lin Li couldn't break the formation, but the Green-Haired Zombie Formation also couldn't deal any fatal blows to him.
Outside the formation, the Demon Sect disciples were shocked, watching Lin Li hold his ground against the Green-Haired Zombie Formation, clearly shaken and filled with fear.
At the same time, the incense master controlling the formation and his ten followers began to grow impatient.
"Incense Master... this isn't going anywhere," one of the Demon Sect followers said.
"Exactly. The joints on our Green-Haired Zombies are starting to wear down. We don't know how long they'll last."
"Hmph! Do you think that sword cultivator's spiritual energy isn't depleting either?"
The incense master shouted, "I refuse to believe his spiritual energy is inexhaustible! He's already been fighting against our disciples for quite some time, and now he's trapped in the Green-Haired Zombie Formation! In my opinion, before our zombies lose their strength, his spiritual energy will run dry!"
The incense master's reasoning wasn't wrong.
Although Lin Li had begun to adjust to the formation's attack rhythm and wasn't getting injured anymore, his spiritual energy was depleting quickly.
Without defeating the Green-Haired and Red-Haired Zombies, Ye Fan couldn't replenish Lin Li's energy.
If this continued, Lin Li's spiritual energy would soon be on the verge of exhaustion!
…
Elsewhere, in one of the Demon Sect's buildings, a figure in a black robe stood by the window, watching Lin Li's battle against the Green-Haired Zombie Formation from a distance.
"That sword cultivator is really something," the figure murmured.
This black-robed man was none other than the vice commander mentioned earlier by the hall master.
However, the vice commander hadn't revealed himself yet.
Instead, he remained hidden, observing Lin Li to assess his strengths and weaknesses, ready to intervene if the incense master and his team fell into danger.
"He's only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, yet he's holding his ground in a formation that could pose a life-or-death threat to even mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. And he knows Elder Zou's Jinghong Sword from the Xuantian Sword Sect. Impressive!"
The vice commander sneered, "He's certainly talented, but he's still too young!"
"If he had more time, he might have even reached Core Formation. But it's a pity… Even if the Green-Haired Zombie Formation can't kill him, he'll undoubtedly die at my hands!"
…
"I've got it!"
Suddenly, a realization hit Lin Li!
"This Green-Haired Zombie Formation is powered by dead things. While I may not be able to break the formation, I can kill the ones controlling it!"
As Lin Li maintained his defensive stance, his mind raced: "I've been so foolish!"
"Then again, had I done this earlier, I wouldn't have had the chance to hone my defensive skills through the formation."
"Now, I should find a way to discreetly kill the incense master controlling the Red-Haired Zombie, which is the core of the formation!"
"If I succeed, the Red-Haired Zombie will lose its master, becoming sluggish and clumsy. Without the core, the Green-Haired Zombie Formation will collapse on its own!"