Swish!
A long whip, like a venomous serpent, quickly coiled around the massive tree behind Gan Ning. It wrapped tight, its movements appearing wildly aggressive.
Upon seeing this black whip with its faintly surging purple glow, Gan Ning’s heart sank in dismay. "The Purple-Light Black Thunder God Whip!"
Though Gan Ning’s martial prowess wasn’t the strongest, he’d made some effort to understand the other geniuses. Who else would wield the Purple-Light Black Thunder God Whip?
It could only be Hu Lei, the top genius of the Duo Wen Sacred Land.
This Hu Lei was one of the two strongest in the Duo Wen Sacred Land. Paired with another genius like a double star, it was hard to say who was stronger, Hu Lei or the other.
But without a doubt, Hu Lei’s strength was absolutely superior to Gan Ning’s—and by a considerable margin.
With a flick of the whip, the towering ancient tree was torn up by its roots, violently swept into the air. Its crown and roots flew together before crashing heavily into the distant jungle, startling a flock of nocturnal birds into a clamorous, panicked flight with sharp cries.
Gan Ning reacted with extreme speed, his figure flashing to land on the opposite side.
However, this also meant there was no longer any obstruction between them.
Gan Ning could almost see the bumps on Hu Lei’s face. Hu Lei’s gloomy eyes held a hint of an evil smile as he clicked his tongue and chuckled: "Kid, I don’t know you, but I recall you’re from the Eternal Sacred Land, part of that Jiang Chen’s group, right?"
Although night was approaching, Hu Lei’s vision was completely unaffected. With just a casual glance, he had identified Gan Ning.
Among the sixty geniuses, Gan Ning was the relatively inconspicuous sort.
But anyone qualified to participate in this Genius Grand Competition was no ordinary talent. Hu Lei, being one of the outstanding ones, naturally recognized Gan Ning at a glance.
Having identified Gan Ning, Hu Lei licked his lips, his eyes gleaming.
The Duo Wen Divine Kingdom had previously suffered a humiliating defeat before Jiang Chen, so it was impossible for them to harbor no resentment.
Consequently, the geniuses of the Duo Wen Sacred Land felt extremely resentful, each eager for a chance to cause trouble for Jiang Chen and regain their lost prestige.
Now, unexpectedly, they had directly encountered Jiang Chen’s underling here. In Hu Lei’s view, while this fellow’s strength was average, he belonged to Jiang Chen’s party. If he could capture this guy and use him to lure out Jiang Chen, that would be an excellent choice.
Hu Lei grinned: "Kid, you’ve run into me. Bemoan your own wretched fate!"
Gan Ning’s heart grew heavy. He knew Hu Lei was a being approaching the high-tier Heavenly Position. His cultivation was more than enough to handle two or three of Gan Ning himself.
Yet, as matters stood, Gan Ning had no other option but to resist stubbornly. At the very least, he couldn’t bring disgrace to the Eternal Sacred Land!
Hu Lei’s figure began to move. In the blink of an eye, shadows of him were everywhere. The long whip in his hand seemed to only flicker once.
But before Gan Ning, it was as if thousands upon thousands of whips were lashing out. The sharp, whooshing sounds of their strikes came from every direction.
Gan Ning continuously deployed his Water Ripple Space, setting up defenses around himself while the ethereal form of the Water God’s Arm flickered in and out of visibility, poised and ready to strike.
Hmph!
Hu Lei gave a muffled snort: "A few mere bubbles, and you think they can block my Purple-Light Black Thunder God Whip?"
As he spoke, the long whip flicked repeatedly, crackling and popping as it struck Gan Ning’s Water Ripple Space. The defensive space buckled downwards under the whip’s assault.
Boom!
The Water Ripple shattered, splashing countless droplets of water, while various runes scattered in every direction.