Humans and Ghost Hand Demon Child vs. Mad Demon Porcupine Riding a Giant Demon Tiger

"Humph, putting on an act!"

At those words, not only did Father No. 7's expression change, but Pang Hu and Teacher Zhang also looked grim.

Calling someone who'd taken first place last year "all show" was either unbelievably arrogant or a sign he had no idea how strong his opponent was.

Without a shred of self-awareness, he'd be stubborn even with death staring him in the face. That would only make people look down on him more.

Teacher Zhang gave a cold laugh, narrowed her eyes, and shouted:

"Let the competition begin!"

At her command, the pool below erupted into commotion.

In almost an instant, everyone in Family No. 7 transformed into three terrifying monsters.

At their head was a Human-Headed Giant Spider!

Its enormous limbs stretched all the way to the edge of the pool, stabbing firmly into the ground without budging.

"Father No. 7's strength is that his body doesn't need to touch the balance bridge. No matter how much it sways, he can't fall off."

"Last year's first place wasn't a joke. Li Ziyang's dad is in trouble now."

Quite a few people below looked sympathetic. After all, winning against a Human-Headed Giant Spider seemed all but impossible.

Su Bingyao transformed into an enormous pure-white serpent and shielded Li Ziyang within her coils.

The Human-Headed Giant Spider bared its pincers and spat out disgusting goo. "Li Ziyang's dad, scared now, are you?"

As it spoke, the Human-Headed Giant Spider attacked Li Ran with its two front pincers.

Its attacks were vicious. Whether it swept or slashed, a direct hit could separate its opponent's head from his body.

But in Li Ran's eyes, the Human-Headed Giant Spider's attacks seemed to move in slow motion.

His Mysterious Power had reached 380, after all, with 70 agility, 70 strength, and 50 constitution. His overall Mysterious Power value had reached at least 500.

A mere monster with 180 Mysterious Power was as feeble as a child in front of him.

Li Ran stood firm, summoned the Thunder Dagger, and nimbly dodged several of the Human-Headed Giant Spider's attacks.

When he saw Father No. 7 aiming straight for his vital spots—and even trying to hurt Su Bingyao—a flicker of bloodlust surfaced in Li Ran's eyes, and a faint red mist rose around him.

A layer of bloodlust shrouded the Thunder Dagger. He suddenly swung it forward.

Li Ran shouted:

"Blood Sickle Flying Blade!"

A crimson crescent slash skimmed along the balance bridge toward the Human-Headed Giant Spider.

The Human-Headed Giant Spider was startled and instinctively raised both front pincers to shield itself.

The Blood Sickle Flying Blade sliced straight through its body, passed behind the Scorpion Monster formed from its youngest son, and slammed into the wall, leaving a terrifying crack.

The three monsters froze. Then their heads began to separate from their bodies, slowly falling into the pool. The school of fish erupted into a frenzy and devoured the corpses in moments, leaving them unrecognizable.

"Li Ziyang's dad actually won?"

Everyone at the edge of the pool gaped in shock.

Teacher Zhang nearly bulged her eyes out.

She'd thought Li Ziyang's whole family was done for, but Li Ran had casually swung his dagger and wiped out all of Family No. 7!

"Was Family No. 7 really that weak? Were they actually first place last year?"

"Li Ziyang's dad really does seem to have something up his sleeve."

People around the pool started talking. Some of them now looked at Li Ran differently.

They'd thought Li Ziyang's dad was clueless and stubbornly mouthing off, but he'd wiped out all of Family No. 7 in an instant. He clearly had some real skill.

Pang Hu's expression shifted.

He hadn't expected Li Ziyang to win, let alone so easily.

"Family No. 7 talked such a big game and bragged about how strong they were, only to get taken out one after another. And they still had the nerve to call themselves last year's champions." Pang Hu seethed inwardly.

Su Bingyao and Li Ziyang returned to normal, and the way they looked at Li Ran changed again.

They trusted and admired him even more.

"Is Dad cool?"

"Cool!"

Tears of emotion glimmered in Su Bingyao's beautiful eyes. Before she'd entrusted her life to this man, she'd hesitated and felt lost. When he'd agreed to take the whole family onto the balance bridge, she'd even thought his decision was too reckless.

But once she was standing on the balance bridge and heard him say he'd take care of everything, her fear and hesitation vanished in an instant. As she gazed at his back, a trust she couldn't put into words rose from deep within her heart.

He hadn't let her down.

"Cool!" Su Bingyao said with a radiant smile.

The balance bridge competition ended, and the four winning families advanced to the next round.

Teacher Zhang led the four groups to a brand-new venue.

"The final event is the children's favorite: horse-and-rider battle."

"The rules are simple. The last one standing wins first place in this Parent-Child Activity."

The venue was an enclosed area like a tennis court, surrounded by high metal fencing.

"Each family may send two representatives to compete."

An assistant beside Teacher Zhang brought over a box.

The rules of horse-and-rider battle were simple: the son rode on his father's shoulders, with the son as the rider and the father as the horse. They had to defeat their opponents, and the family—or individual—left standing would win.

Li Ran had played this game as a child in his previous life. Later, as living standards improved and parents treated their children as more precious, the game had come to be seen as dangerous and was gradually banned.

He hadn't expected to get to play a childhood game again.

Each of the four families sent two people into the arena.

"Good luck!"

Su Bingyao clenched her delicate fists and cheered Li Ran and Li Ziyang on.

"I'm sure Dad can get first place!" Li Ziyang said happily.

The other families soon entered the arena. Pang Hu and his six-foot-three father made for an imposing sight.

Though Li Ran had easily taken out last year's balance bridge champion, Pang Hu and his father remained confident. After all, Pang Hu's dad had the size and strength to back it up.

Teacher Zhang relaxed a little and thought, "With Pang Hu's dad here, Su Bingyao can't win."

"Right. Pang Hu's dad used to be a professional kickboxer, and I hear he even won awards. Why would he be afraid of Su Bingyao's husband?"

She glanced at Li Ran with disdain, resentment simmering inside her. "Bingyao, don't blame me. You ignored my advice and insisted on marrying this man. Did you ever think about how I felt? If I can't have you, then I'll destroy everything you have with him!"

Pang Hu and his father stood in the arena, radiating pressure that instantly silenced everyone.

By comparison, Li Ran looked tiny, with his slender build and shorter stature.

The other two father-son teams kept their distance from Pang Hu's team.

"Son, get up."

Li Ran casually lifted Li Ziyang onto his back with ease.

The other two teams mounted up as well.

Pang Hu and his father made an imposing pair, so huge that the other two teams didn't dare approach.

"Let the competition begin!"

At Teacher Zhang's command, Pang Hu's dad let out a cold snort.

"Hmph, you're in the way!"

Then he transformed into a fierce Giant Demon Tiger and charged at the other two families near the edge of the arena.

The Demon Tiger formed by Pang Hu's dad was enormous, completely black, with a powerful physique and purple stripes coiling around its body. Pang Hu, meanwhile, had transformed into a fearsome porcupine and was riding on the tiger's back.

A porcupine riding a tiger?

Li Ran had never expected to see such a combination.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Two screams rang out.

The competition had barely started, yet the Giant Demon Tiger had already taken out both teams.

One had lost its upper body. The other had been torn into pieces by a swipe of the tiger's paw...

Everyone around the arena turned pale.

The strength Pang Hu's dad had just displayed left them rooted to the spot.

Worry showed in Su Bingyao's beautiful eyes.

Beside her, Teacher Zhang saw her fretting over her husband and son and seethed with resentment. "Su Bingyao, I'll destroy everything you have with my own hands. Just watch. Once I do, you'll belong only to me!"

On the arena floor stood a gigantic Giant Demon Tiger before Li Ran. Li Ran looked like a helpless little rabbit targeted by a tiger.

"Roar!"

The Giant Demon Tiger let out a deafening roar.

"Li Ziyang, what do you have to compare to me? Your useless dad?"

Pang Hu, transformed into a porcupine on the Giant Demon Tiger's back, laughed scornfully. With his savage tusks, enormous belly, and haughty, ugly face, he embodied a porcupine's arrogance to perfection.

"Dad..."

Li Ziyang was so terrified that his head split open. The Ghost Hand emerging from his neck cowered and trembled in the place where his head had been.

Humans and Ghost Hand Demon Child vs. Mad Demon Porcupine riding a Giant Demon Tiger.

The two teams in the arena couldn't have looked more bizarre!

"Roar!"

The Giant Demon Tiger bellowed and swung its enormous paw at Li Ran. Its demonic claws tore through the air. Even before they struck him, he could feel a faint sting on his face.

At the same time, bone spikes sprouted all over the Mad Demon Porcupine's body, and it hurled them wildly from the tiger's back.

Li Ran stomped his right foot and moved more than ten meters in a series of swift steps, dodging the Giant Demon Tiger's repeated lunges. Then he made a stylish block, knocking away the flying porcupine quills.

"A B-rank monster with 330 Mysterious Power really is no joke. It's far stronger than the Blood Mantis Monster. And the Giant Demon Tiger and Mad Demon Boar even know how to work together?" Li Ran was slightly startled.

When he'd killed the monster after it transformed into a Mantis Monster with a string of moves, he'd had some luck on his side. For one thing, the Mantis Monster hadn't fully evolved. For another, Deng Zhiwei had no combat experience. The monster before him was on a completely different level from the Giant Demon Tiger.

Other mothers at the event who weren't competing saw Pang Hu's team instantly suppress Li Ran and couldn't help screaming.

Teacher Zhang was secretly cheering. With Pang Hu's combat experience, Su Bingyao's husband and son were doomed!