Chapter 32: Death By a Whip
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When the crowd saw Xia Ping’an walk out, the coliseum suddenly burst into a wave of booing. The booing showed that most people here did not look highly at Xia Ping’an.
Xia Ping’an merely walked over to the battle cage silently. He came up to the divine altar crystal ball and used the exceptionally sharp end of the Black Cobra steel whip that resembled a tail to prick his finger. He dropped two drops of his blood on the divine altar crystal ball.
If Xia Ping’an had already coalesced a summoner’s Secret Mind Altar right now, the divine altar crystal ball would react. However, he was still one divine being boundary bead away from doing so. Hence, when his blood dripped onto the divine altar crystal ball, it still radiated with blue light, proving that he was not a summoner.
“Whip Punisher will enter the battle cage. The battle between a whip and a machete is about to unfold. We notice that he is only using a whip and has not taken up a shield. This will put him at a huge disadvantage in the upcoming battle. Is this overconfidence in his steel whip or arrogance from lack of combat experience? We shall know soon enough.”
The emcee’s provocative voice reverberated in the coliseum. Xia Ping’an had already walked into the battle cage, and the entrance behind him had already been closed.
“Ladies and gentlemen, there are still three minutes left. Everyone, please place your bets quickly. This will be a duel full of suspense.”
The clock in the coliseum began to count down for 180 seconds.
“Kid, this is not a place for a person like you with a handsome face suitable for the catwalk. In just a moment, I will tear your entire body to shreds,” Bear Butcher threatened as he stood across Xia Ping’an in the battle cage. His breathing was hoarse and he stared at Xia Ping’an with a bloodthirsty gaze.
Xia Ping’an did not look at the scumbag. He merely lowered his head and looked at the Black Cobra in his hands with an emotional gaze. With one hand, he gently stroked the diamond pattern on the steel whip.
The Black Cobra was very heavy, much heavier than it appeared to be. The handle of the Black Cobra was especially so. It was exactly like a cobra with its hood flared open before it struck. The sections of metallic joints were more than 20 centimeters wide. Further down, the steel whip gradually tapered off.
The metallic joints of the entire steel whip were forged from platinum and tungsten steel. Platinum was even denser than gold. When applied in the joints, it would allow the steel whip, which did not appear large, to produce the greatest amount of kinetic energy as it was swung around.
As for the tip of the steel whip, it was like the tail of a cobra. There was a razor-sharp metallic cone like a bullet head. The metallic cone was forged from an aluminum-titanium alloy. It was both light and tough.
From the super heavy platinum and tungsten steel whip body to the aluminum-titanium alloy tail, there was a huge change in the density of the materials and its weight. In the eyes of ordinary people, it was difficult to comprehend the intention of the creator. However, for Xia Ping’an, he knew at a glance that the Black Cobra was indeed a weapon made for him.
Only a whip expert could tell the genius behind the various intricacies of this steel whip at a glance.
Big Zhou indeed had good eyes.
As the three-minute countdown in the coliseum came to an end, Bear Butcher’s breathing became more hoarse as he stood across Xia Ping’an. The look he gave Xia Ping’an became more tyrannical. His entire person was already ready to pounce forward.
Beep. The ending sound of the three-minute countdown reverberated in the coliseum.
Bear Butcher, who was holding a machete and shield, was like a feral bear. He used the shield to guard his chest area and raised the hideous machete. He charged straight towards Xia Ping’an like a raging bull.
Cries of surprise filled the coliseum. Many of the spectators even believed that Xia Ping’an would be killed by Bear Butcher the very next moment.
Right then, Xia Ping’an finally raised his head and looked at Bear Butcher charging towards him. His eyes were as sharp as swords.
As Xia Ping’an stepped forward, the power from his legs, waist, and back transferred completely into his hand. Then, from his hand, the power was transferred into the steel whip.
The Black Cobra steel whip in Xia Ping’an’s hand suddenly lashed out furiously. It was like a striking cobra that left a black shadow as it traveled through the air.
No one could follow the trajectory of the steel whip. In that instant, the entire coliseum seemed to witness a bullet being shot out in the battle cage. There was a loud snap. The snap rattled the eardrums of the spectators, eclipsing the blaring horn in the coliseum that announced the start of the match.
Bear Butcher, who was still charging towards Xia Ping’an, was still 5 meters away from him. His head split open. Brain fluid and fresh blood splattered all over the battle cage. His bear-like figure, carried by his charging momentum, took two more steps before suddenly kneeling onto the ground. He was kneeling towards Xia Ping’an. The machete and shield in his hands dropped to the ground. The figure, with its head split apart, knelt quietly for two seconds before slumping onto the floor.
The entire coliseum fell into a deadly silence.
Xia Ping’an retracted his steel whip and looked down at the tip of the Black Cobra. The tip was not stained by blood at all and looked good as new. It was to be expected. Just now, the head of Bear Butcher had split open before his insides could even stain the tip of the Black Cobra.
The initially roaring coliseum fell silent for more than 10 seconds. On the gigantic displays of the coliseum, the footage of Xia Ping’an killing Bear Butcher with a lash of his whip was being played. The footage was recorded by the high-speed cameras above the battle cage.
The high-speed cameras above the battle cage could capture even the trajectories of bullets and cannonballs. It could naturally capture the various scenes during a brawl between humans.
On the gigantic displays, Xia Ping’an’s whip lashed out. The Black Cobra in his hand drew a series of S-shaped curves as it glided through the air and approached Bear Butcher. Compared to the speed of the steel whip, Bear Butcher’s movements were too slow. It was as though he had been petrified to the spot.
The attack trajectory of the steel whip was not a straight line nor was it an ordinary curve. Instead, it was a series of complicated, ever-shifting S-shaped curves. The attack trajectory directly slipped between the shield and machete in Bear Butcher’s hands.
The tip of the Black Cobra steel whip was like a bullet. As it approached Bear Butcher, it suddenly accelerated and shot into Bear Butcher’s head between his eyes. Then, its huge amount of kinetic energy completely split his head apart.
With a lash of his whip, Xia Ping’an had killed Bear Butcher in less than 0.5 seconds.
The emcee started to speak with an excited voice. His voice was about to crack as he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is...this is the whiplash effect. After analyzing the footage captured by the high-speed cameras above the battle cage, the tip of Whip Punisher’s whip already exceeded Mach 2.
“Many people here might not know what the whiplash effect is. Allow me to provide a simple explanation. Just as the whip was lashing out, its total kinetic energy was unchanged. However, as it continued to move, its kinetic energy would be transferred from the handle to the tip of the whip. The whip tapers off into a pointy tip. Given that its total kinetic energy remains unchanged and there is less material the closer it is to the tip, the speed it moves will gradually increase. It can even break through the sound barrier. This is the whiplash effect.
“Only a true whip expert can utilize the whiplash effect during combat, causing the whip to become the only cold weapon capable of breaking the sound barrier and killing in one blow.”
“This is the shortest, most thrilling competition I have ever seen,” the emcee added.
As the emcee gave his explanation, the entire coliseum was suddenly in an uproar.
Xia Ping’an, who was wearing the crimson executioner hood, had already kept away the Black Cobra and was walking silently out of the battle cage.
For him, he had already completed his mission.
The spotlights of the coliseum once again shone on Xia Ping’an. As he turned to leave, only then did many people notice the powerful and authoritative aura emanating from the Achala tattoo on his back.
When they looked at Xia Ping’an’s crimson executioner hood again, the feeling that everyone had now was completely different.
The battle had been so decisive. It could not even be considered a competition or a brawl. Instead, it felt more like an execution. The battle cage was Bear Butcher’s guillotine.
For those who knew about Bear Butcher’s background and past, they felt a chill down their spines at that moment. They seemed to have vaguely figured out something.
Gradually, the uproar and cries in the coliseum calmed down. The coliseum once again fell silent as everyone watched the executioner disappear into the passageway with his steel whip.
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