Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest-Chapter 458 - 54: Absolutely Impossible

Chapter 458: Chapter 54: Absolutely Impossible

The Yan Family’s Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner was quite simple.

There were only five people, too few to finish a lavish meal, so they opted for simplicity.

Recently, Zhao Yuanzhen had been keeping a low profile, as if addicted to it. She even personally served duck soup to Yan’s father and mother and reserved duck legs for Yan Jing and Yan Yu, only then starting on the duck wings herself.

Yan Yu was indifferent and calmly enjoyed his duck leg; however, Yan Jing was startled and felt a sense of foreboding.

These tactics were actually not very clever. She could have managed them more subtly, but to Yan’s father and mother, it felt entirely different.

A daughter’s filial piety towards her parents is natural, but a daughter-in-law showing respect… that was exceedingly rare. It was known that in this widely awakened era, most people did not even show filial piety towards their own parents, let alone their in-laws.

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Zhao Yuanzhen’s clumsy maneuvering, though overly deliberate, appeared to Yan’s father and mother as a sincere childlike heart, comparable to an ideal daughter-in-law and a virtuous wife in this lifetime. If not for the civil affairs office being closed on New Year’s Eve, they would have been eager to send their son to register the marriage immediately.

With that, by the time sister Lingyun and the others arrived, the house might just turn into a scene of chaos…

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but glare at her elder brother again.

It was obvious that by the second day of the New Year, the fish pond rebellion wasn’t mentioned by her brother to their parents. They were still in the dark and more convinced that sister Zhao was their daughter-in-law.

By keeping it a secret, wouldn’t it be a harsh blow for their parents when the sisters came knocking?

After much thought, she felt it necessary to drop a hint.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Yan Yu and Yan’s father returned to the living room and sat down on the couch.

“Watch the Spring Festival Gala or the match?” Yan Yu asked.

The broadcasting rights, claimed by Ten-Speed, were announced as “Mysterious Realm Confrontation Simulation.” Due to the lengthy and cumbersome name, people often simply called it “the match.” The current battle of Gate Rock Piney Mountain was actually not an internal team simulation, but rather a real fight with other Transcendents, yet people still adopted the traditional name.

“Let’s watch the match,” Yan’s father said, “You can explain things I don’t understand.”

The live broadcast was delayed, shot from multiple angles, and what the viewers saw depended on the director’s cuts. If a scene showed a Cultivator from Lu Country injured or even killed, those images would not be broadcasted, strictly adhering to the principle of “broadcasting joy, not sorrow”— otherwise, people would not dare to entertain themselves with it on New Year’s Eve.

As Yan Yu turned on the TV, the battle seemed to be nearing its end.

Splitting their forces, the Flying Dragon Battle Team, led by Cai Qianlong, had just toppled a Gatekeeper and was clearing the surrounding Mysterious Realm monsters.

The Dragon Cavalry Team blocking the enemy behind them used the valley’s terrain to occupy the entrance. While delaying the enemy’s advance, they bought time for Cai Qianlong to refine the Nerve Center of the Mysterious Realm.

Although outnumbered, the situation was not too deadlocked but was rather clear-cut:

Yang Linhui summoned snowstorms to block the valley, hindering the enemy’s pace; Ai Lu and Guo Feiyun paired up with their swords to repel any strong foes who could withstand the blizzard; and Ye Jun deployed the Xuan Guang Ruler to protect everyone, so they were not worried about remote firepower damage.

Liu Longtao was displaying his awe-inspiring might, alternatively using swordsmanship to kill enemies and releasing Red Dragon Patrols the Heavens to brutally smash down on the opponents.

His Taoism Method was way more lethal than Yang Linhui’s. Transcendents with some defensive mechanisms dared to brave the storm, but upon seeing the Fire Dragon descend, they would immediately flee in panic and desperation.

The only one who could stand a few rounds against Liu Longtao was the Goryeo Sword God, Park Changmin. He stood alone where Liu Longtao’s Taoism Method couldn’t reach, pressuring the flank with his superb swordsmanship, crossing the blizzard, and even threatening Yang Linhui’s spells, forcing Liu Longtao to turn back in defense, which left him barely any time to deploy his Red Dragon Patrols the Heavens.

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“Can this guy break through?” Yan’s father asked worriedly.

The very question he asked was also a concern for many viewers.

Although the situation seemed stable, it was fraught with great hidden dangers, among them was Yang Linhui, who needed to sustain the sweeping blizzard.

If they carelessly let a few through who could entangle him and prevent his spells, with others charging into the valley, the favorable situation could quickly deteriorate.

It was precisely because of this that both Ye Jun’s Xuan Guang Ruler and Liu Longtao’s swordplay were primarily focused on shielding Yang Linhui, but who could be certain on a battlefield? A slight misstep, allowing Park Changmin’s Flying Sword to break through, could lead to disaster.

“Mmm,” Yan Yu replied after watching closely for a moment, smiling, “No worries, he can’t break through. Lu Country has this in the bag.”

Yan’s father, impressed, nodded and then asked:

“This Liu Longtao compared to you, who is more powerful?”

“He can’t compare to me,” Yan Yu modestly said, “But he is quite strong domestically.”

“Oh.” Yan’s father had also heard some comments from around that in Lu Country, no Cultivator was stronger than Yan Yu, but he had spent his life working cautiously in a state-owned enterprise. He did not completely believe it, nor did he spread the word elsewhere.

Now, hearing his son boast, he instinctively cautioned him,

“Don’t say things like that outside, even if you really are stronger than him.”

“Mm-hm,” Yan Yu nodded.

“Big brother is bragging again,” Yan Jing chuckled from the side.

“Hehe,” Yan Yu called out, “Zhao Yuanzhen, come here!”

Zhao Yuanzhen was in the kitchen helping Yan’s mother wash fruits when she heard him and immediately turned around,

“Coming!”

She brought the fruits to the living room, popping a piece into her mouth, and then heard Yan Yu ask,

“Between Liu Longtao and me, who is more powerful?”

“He can’t even beat me, and you’re comparing yourself to him?” Zhao Yuanzhen asked in disbelief.

“Did you hear that?” Yan Yu looked around at his sister and father, sneering as he spoke.

Yan’s father neither agreed nor disagreed, and he then asked,

“How about Liu Longtao compared to that Goryeo guy, who is more powerful?”

This question stumped Yan Yu.

If one were to tell the truth, Park Changmin couldn’t even compare to Liu Longtao, the difference in their True Yuan quality was significant. Lord Master could beat him black and blue just with straightforward swordsmanship combat without any use of Taoism Method.

But explaining this was something Yan’s father would not understand. Because all spectators saw Liu Longtao and Park Changmin clashing in a snowstorm, their swords matching each other blow for blow, each showing strengths and weaknesses.

Of course, Lord Master was also distracted looking after other matters, so strictly speaking, Park Changmin had the upper hand, but quantifying how much this distraction affected Lord Master’s strength wasn’t easy to measure, and everyone still saw the two as nearly equals in ability.

“Let’s just call it 50-50,” Yan Yu eventually answered, “Not much difference.”

Yan’s father was disappointed with this answer but not surprised; he just continued to watch TV with a visibly tense expression.

Alas, on New Year’s Eve, we shouldn’t be watching this. It’s supposed to be a match with a clear advantage, and yet they’ve styled it as evenly matched, unnecessarily creating suspense for everyone.

“Speaking of which,” Yan Jing asked, “if you are stronger than Liu Longtao, why not send the Zhenghai Team to fight?”

“To kill a chicken, there’s no need to use an ox-cleaver,” Yan Yu casually responded.

Yan’s father was pleased with this answer, as he, too, disliked it when his son was frequently called to battle; it always worried the family.

Yan’s mother had cleared up the dishes when Yan Jing saw her chance as she was free and sneakily spoke up,

“Mom, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” Yan’s mother asked.

“Brother’s battle team members are planning to visit on the second day of the New Year,” Yan Jing cautiously said.

“That’s fine,” Yan’s mother replied without a second thought, “Just have them stay for a meal; we’re free that day.”

“They…,” Yan Jing hesitated for a moment, “might all like big brother, and they will compete with Zhao sis.”

“What do little kids know about liking?” Yan’s mother burst into laughter and said.

Previously, during the Three Isles Treasure Ship Secret Realm, Yan’s parents saw Yan Yu holding a soaked Li Minghu, brazenly appearing on live TV, and initially thought their son had a girlfriend on the sly… But then TV experts explained that “Li Minghu was unwell” and “afraid she might catch cold,” and after Yan Yu also denied it on the phone, they realized it was a big misunderstanding.

Having been mistaken once, they were not easily fooled again. Now, hearing their daughter say her son was digging ponds to raise fish, Yan’s mother’s first reaction was disbelief.

Impossible!