Ding Fan looked at the opponent's fist technique, feeling a bit praised for the opponent's technique. Although it couldn't compare to his Mortal Fist, it could be considered superior martial arts. Ding Fan, wanting to test his own fist technique, refrained from using other martial arts. Therefore, Ding Fan didn't dare to be careless, directly using Mortal Fist to dodge the opponent's fist techniques while launching punch after punch toward the opponent.

Boom!

Ding Fan struck punch after punch, the explosive sound was even louder than the young cultivator's fist technique. For a moment, the young cultivator's face was filled with shock, not expecting the opponent's fist technique to be on par with his own, or even surpassing it, which was quite unbelievable!

At this moment, Sect Master Gao, standing to the side, furrowed his brows. After all, he was a Spirit Severing Middle Stage cultivator, he knew that the boy opposite was not as simple as he appeared. His fist technique, whether in terms of the technique itself or the level of cultivation, was certainly not below Feng Er!

Sect Master Gao was greatly shocked, his eyes inadvertently caught a glimpse of Sect Master Tian's slightly gloating expression, making Sect Master Gao somewhat displeased. However, he had immense confidence in that young cultivator. Though the boy opposite was not simple, Feng Er was, after all, a Nascent Soul Mid Stage cultivator, with immensely superior True Qi regardless.

Furthermore, the fiercest martial arts he valued in Feng Er weren't just fist techniques.

Meanwhile, Sect Master Tian, witnessing Ding Fan's performance, was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that both Gao and he, possessing Spirit Severing Stage cultivation, had been deceived by that young boy. The boy wasn't simple, wasn't unexpectedly appearing at this Thirty-Six Cave Tournament, but judging by that performance, especially his fist technique, it was clear he simply couldn't penetrate it.

Sect Master Tian realized it was quite unbelievable that as a Spirit Severing Stage cultivator, Ding Fan was indeed so formidable!

Sect Master Tian couldn't help but turn to the burly young man next to him, using Divine Sense to convey a message:

"How would you handle the strength of that disciple from Gaoyuan Sect?"

Sect Master Tian's message via Divine Sense could be heard only by the burly young man beside him, who also replied using Divine Sense, confidently saying:

"Absolutely certain, just…"

Sect Master Tian, hearing the burly young man's words, paused, then unwittingly turned his gaze towards Ding Fan, understandingly using Divine Sense to say to the burly young man:

"Are you worried about that lower-stage youth?"

The burly young man nodded, his expression somewhat serious, responding through Divine Sense to Sect Master Tian beside him:

"Yes, that guy, though his cultivation is much lacking, his fist technique is quite strange. If I were to fight him, there might be some unknown variables."

"Hehe... No need to worry, though the boy's fist technique is somewhat fierce, his cultivation is too low to be a match for you. Furthermore, if you can defeat that disciple from Gaoyuan Sect at this Thirty-Six Cave Tournament, it won't be in vain."

Sect Master Tian comfortably assured the burly young man through Divine Sense.

The burly young man nodded gratefully at his master, Sect Master Tian of Qinghe Sect.

...

Ding Fan and that young cultivator had been fighting for some time. Ding Fan consistently remained in a defensive and evasive state, occasionally attacking several times, but those attacks were always countered. However, Ding Fan didn't mind; rather, he felt quite happy, having become more proficient in Mortal Fist, especially its defensive techniques.

Ding Fan was using just fifty percent of his skill to defend against the opponent, feeling very relaxed. This was something Ding Fan wasn't previously capable of. This period of resting and refining martial arts proved to be of great aid. Ding Fan believed that if he exerted his full efforts in fist technique defense, even Spirit Severing Initial Stage cultivators might be unable to subdue him.

It should be noted that Ding Fan's Divine Vigor was deliberately suppressed to the cultivation of Nascent Soul Stage, so those few sect masters only perceived Ding Fan as a lower-stage cultivator at Nascent Soul Stage.

Meanwhile, the young cultivator was not as joyful as Ding Fan, rather feeling quite depressed and deeply shocked, not expecting that the opponent was just at Nascent Soul Stage yet could spar with him for so long purely with fist technique, without sustaining any harm, which was simply unbelievable!

The young cultivator's learned fist technique was Tiger Fist, unquestionably a superior fist technique type, cultivated by the young cultivator since childhood, to the point of perfect mastery, where cultivators of equal cultivation could definitely not withstand his Tiger Fist for even dozens of rounds. Yet, the opponent, merely a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, had somehow momentarily fended off damage from his Tiger Fist, which was outright unbelievable!

At this moment, the young cultivator was somewhat flustered and exasperated, while Sect Master Gao's face was also rather unsightly. Sect Master Gao actually saw through the young cultivator's intentions. If Feng Er were to give it his all, the opponent would have been slain already. However, Feng Er, after all, is young and not composed enough. Seeing the opponent's impressive fist technique, he stubbornly wished to compete in fist techniques with them, resulting in a stalemate between both sides.

However, when Sect Master Gao looked at Ding Fan's expression, he was somewhat puzzled. The young man did not seem to be struggling, nor was there the slightest bit of agitation. Meanwhile, Feng Er was somewhat anxious with his fist technique, obviously getting worried and losing his composure.

Sect Master Gao's face was somewhat dark, yet he wasn't particularly worried. He believed that Feng Er prevailing over the opponent was absolutely not a problem. After all, the opponent was merely a cultivator at the Nascent Soul Stage. Sect Master Gao knew that in Feng Er's heart, defeating the opponent with his cultivation felt somewhat uncommendable. Sect Master Gao sighed internally, thinking to himself, one must know that cultivation is indeed the greatest disparity between cultivators.

Regardless of what moves Feng Er uses, as long as he can defeat the opponent, that's victory. Isn't that how battles are among cultivators? It's important to realize that under Giant Peak Mountain at the Thirty-Six Caves Assembly, if it were elsewhere, if two youths were sparring, even should one slay the other, what would be so unusual about it?

If you can't slay the opponent, the result is being slain by the opponent; as for what technique you use, it actually doesn't matter!

"Defeat the opponent directly!"

At this moment, Sect Master Gao couldn't help it any longer and directly reminded the young cultivator.

Upon hearing Sect Master Gao's words, the young cultivator sighed inwardly, then nodded towards the other. The young cultivator then directly took out a longsword, swirling it in his hands. In just a short moment, the longsword suddenly transformed into countless identical longswords, sequentially rushing towards Ding Fan one after the other!

Swish swish swish!

The flying swords were so real yet elusive, making them difficult to grasp, extremely sharp. Each longsword blade shimmered with silver light; even a slight touch from these longswords could prove fatal.

Ding Fan, looking at the opponent's flying swords, was somewhat shocked. The opponent's swordsmanship was not simple, no less challenging than their fist technique. Ding Fan secretly admired the abilities of the disciples from the Thirty-Six Caves. Even though the opponent's sect wasn't any Great Gate Sect, they still managed to produce disciples like this, a testament to the accomplishments of the Thirty-Six Caves.

With merely their fist and sword techniques, Ding Fan believed that if the opponent weren't a disciple of the Thirty-Six Caves, they likely wouldn't have encountered such martial arts. After all, this level of martial arts cannot be claimed by general sects. Even the previous Dayang Sect only had one such martial art.

Ding Fan knew these martial arts were by no means simple. While his response wasn't very difficult, it was because the opponent's cultivation fell short and the training was lacking. If it had been a cultivator at the Spirit Severing Stage demonstrating either the fist or sword technique, Ding Fan wouldn't be able to easily counter them. At that time, Ding Fan wouldn't merely rely on Mortal Fist to respond to them.

One longsword after another was released by the opponent's young cultivator, reaching over thirty in count, something Ding Fan couldn't accurately keep track of. All of them were rushing towards Ding Fan. Ding Fan unleashed his Mortal Fist, as Divine Vigor flowed out with his fists, slowly circulating around himself.

When the swift longswords reached Ding Fan, they were directly driven by Ding Fan's fist technique, revolving around him. Yet, the sword momentum charging towards him persisted unceasingly against Ding Fan, but as Ding Fan utilized Mortal Fist punch after punch, its form took on the characteristics of Eight Trigrams—shattering hardness with weakness, and controlling speed with slowness.

Soon, the wave of longswords was driven by Ding Fan's fist technique, and those sword forces were consumed by his fist technique, merely revolving around Ding Fan unceasingly. Although Ding Fan's fist technique withstood one longsword, a moment later, a second longsword had already pierced in front of Ding Fan.

Ding Fan unruffled, performed his fist technique, and carefully sensed the force within this fist technique, then, one by one, the more than thirty blades of longsword were all held up by Ding Fan's fist technique, revolving slowly around him.

The young cultivator, witnessing the scene, was filled with shock and at a loss for words. Initially, he was unimpressed when Ding Fan withstood one longsword. Two, even three, were of no concern, but this was over thirty flying swords, all of which the opponent managed to endure.

It seemed a bit unbelievable, didn't it?

Currently, the young cultivator held only one flying sword, with none left to thrust towards the opponent. Those more than thirty swords had already been entirely swept up by Ding Fan's rhythm. The young cultivator was both stunned and puzzled. He realized the opponent seemed to have negligible True Qi Fluctuation, not even having reached the Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivation level, yet how did he manage to seize the rhythm of his longswords?

"Go!"

Ding Fan shouted abruptly, performing his fist technique, and fiercely lashed out at the youth. Ding Fan's fist resembled a ferocious dragon rushing towards the opponent. Although Ding Fan's fist did not follow through, the force of the fist did not diminish because his fist wasn't there; instead, it absorbed Heaven and Earth's Momentum as it soared, growing ever stronger and more substantial.

Simultaneously, as that dragon—both illusory and substantial—charged toward the young cultivator, more than thirty sharp longswords beside it also went rushing towards the young cultivator.

The young cultivator was greatly startled by the scene, never anticipating the opponent with such seemingly weak cultivation could release such a formidable fist aura, even reaching levels beyond what he could contend against. The first word that flashed in the young cultivator's mind was: Escape!

Though the young cultivator wasn't entirely clear how the opponent reached this point, he knew the power of this punch was beyond what he could resist, leaving him with no choice but to evade. He even wondered if he could escape even should he desire to.