Whoosh!

A viper-like whip latched madly onto the tree behind Gan Ning. The frenzied violet flickering upon its surface shocked the youth. “That’s the Whip of Violet Thunder!”

Gan Ning wasn’t a particularly strong genius, but he had paid some attention to his fellow contestants. He knew who the owner of this weapon was: one of Polylore’s top geniuses, Hu Lei.

Hu Lei was one of the strongest geniuses in the Polylore Sacred Land, though he did have a peer who was his equal. It was hard to say which of them was stronger. Still, he was undoubtedly leagues above Gan Ning himself.

Hu Lei’s whip uprooted the ancient tree with a single motion, sending it flying into the air. The tree slammed into the forest quite a distance away, causing a terrified flurry of squawking birds to fly up from the point of impact.

Gan Ning reflexively dodged away from the attack, but now that the tree was gone, there was nothing between him and his enemy anymore.

He could almost see the scars on Hu Lei’s face. The Polylore genius had sinister eyes and an evil grin. “I don’t know who you are, kid,” he laughed, “but I remember you being from Eternal. Are you with that Jiang Chen?”

Despite the lack of natural light, Hu Lei’s vision was completely unhindered. A sidelong glance was enough for him to identify his target.

Gan Ning was one of the more low-profile geniuses among the sixty.

However, every participant in the competition was competent in many ways. Hu Lei, being one of the best, recognized him immediately regardless.

Hu Lei licked his lips. A hungry light radiated from his eyes. Polylore Divine Nation had lost to Jiang Chen in the past. It would be a lie to declare they had no grudge with Jiang Chen.

The sacred land’s geniuses were especially dissatisfied. They wanted to take whatever opportunities they could to cause some trouble and get back at him.

Hu Lei didn’t expect to encounter one of Jiang Chen’s underlings here. Yes, this weakling was average at best, but he was on Jiang Chen’s team! If he could capture him and use him as bait, that could prove to be quite useful.

The Polylore genius smirked. “It’s your unlucky day, kid!”

Gan Ning braced himself. Hu Lei was almost at advanced empyrean realm. He could take on at least three Gan Nings.

What could he do, though? He had to fight back. He couldn’t lose face for Eternal here.

It didn’t take long at all for Hu Lei to fill the environment with afterimages of himself. He’d only flourished his whip a single time, but Gan Ning saw thousands of echoes. Even the sound seemed to have multiplied in every direction.

Gan Ning set up an Enclosure of Rippling Water all about himself. He charged up his Water God’s Arm in order to defend himself from the impending assault.

Hmph!

Hu Lei harrumphed. “Do you think a few bubbles can stop my Whip of Violet Thunder?”

He brandished his whip continually as he said this, smashing it against Gan Ning’s defenses again and again. The Enclosure began to collapse under the storm of attacks.

Boom!

The ripples of water broke, splashing liquid and runic fragments everywhere.

Gan Ning paled. He hadn’t expected his vaunted Enclosure to be destroyed in a single blow! Hu Lei was fearsome indeed.

The Eternal young genius winced with sadness when he saw the insurmountable gap between his opponent and himself.

However, he had no way out except forward. His body surged a few dozen yards back like a wave, conjuring another surf of ripples as he did so. His Enclosure this time was more powerful than ever before.

“Hmph, do you think the same attack is going to work on me a second time?” Hu Lei roared. “All will be torn to shreds under my Whip of Violet Thunder!”

Whoosh!

As if on cue, the whip in question ripped a vicious gash in space.

Pop, pop, pop!

The defensive ripples of water were reduced to insubstantial mist. The whip hurtled with unrelenting speed toward Gan Ning.

The young gentleman couldn’t possibly conjure up another Enclosure on such short notice. He could only keep backing away, blocking with his Water God’s Arm as he did so.

Aquamarine ripples appeared upon his arm. Oddly enough, the whip slipped off its mark.

Hu Lei was mildly taken aback. “Not bad, kid!” he cackled. “I underestimated you a little.”

He glanced thoughtfully at Gan Ning’s arm. There was something up with that strange limb.

Something clicked inside his head immediately. Guffawing, he raised his whip high again. This time however, violet electricity crackled along the weapon.

Gan Ning paled when he saw what his opponent had done.

Without skipping a beat, Hu Lei whirled his whip toward Gan Ning once more in a coiling motion. The thunder imbued in the whip hissed menacingly as he did so.

If Gan Ning used his Water God’s Arm to block again, the lightning in the whip would only be made fiercer for it. In fact, his arm might be disabled permanently.

He dared not do something so grievously foolish.

His body moved to leap toward the sky, but this was obviously not the best option to take.

Hu Lei’s whip was still in the fullness of its strength. Gan Ning was already slightly slow on the uptake, and jumping meant that he was assuredly behind his opponent’s blow.

His feet were the first to be paralyzed by the bolt of electricity coursing through his body. He yelped in pain; his calves already entangled by the whip.

Hu Lei chortled contemptuously. He knew he was significantly stronger than Gan Ning and toyed with his prey as disrespectfully as he could. He especially enjoyed the other genius’s fear and despair, as well as the anguished shrieking.

He threw Gan Ning into the air, then spun him around ceaselessly like an airborne kite. Hu Lei guffawed recklessly as he did so, forcing Gan Ning to revolve faster and faster until the latter felt immensely ill.

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