Otherworldly Affairs Office-Chapter 817: Ye Ruozai’s Hidden Ability (Part 2)

The situation suddenly worsened as two companions were attacked, catching Lanloste off guard. In a panic, he swung his longsword to try to repel Ye Ruozai with Sword Qi, but to his horror, he found he was unable to convert his source energy into Sword Qi. By the time he realized this, Ye Ruozai had already knocked him from the sky with a series of swift attacks.

Only then did he realize the real problem. Though he wouldn’t claim to be battle-hardened, he had undergone various trials in the Magic Realm, which qualified him to participate in this group tournament. Under changing circumstances, it was possible to panic, but not to the point of forgetting ingrained combat skills. Recalling Gerald’s earlier performance, he realized all this was Ye Ruozai’s doing. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Lanloste didn’t have time to voice his question as Ye Ruozai, hovering in the sky, had already switched to another longsword, ready to start the next attack. Percival, looking somewhat disheveled after recovering from the thunder strike, glanced at the approaching swordsman. As he breathed, his back arched slightly, his muscles swelled instantly, and fitted armor appeared on his body.

"Holy Armor Technique!" Summoning the projection of the Holy Armor taught to him during his life, Percival’s face regained a confident and arrogant expression as he yelled at Ye Ruozai, "I don’t know what cheap trick you used earlier to forcibly control my body! But it’s clear your struggle is futile. Regardless of how strange your methods are, lacking a powerful move to deliver a fatal blow will be your greatest weakness."

"You are right!" Recognizing Percival’s enraged roar, Ye Ruozai nodded and raised his longsword to his chest, remarking, "Whenever I use this ability, my mind suffers torment, and this pain drives me insane, which is why I have long kept it hidden and rarely used it. Your current aggression has forced me to unleash it, so now you will experience this pain alongside me."

"Holding a sword against fine wine, never admitting disgrace to a wanderer!" With those words, Ye Ruozai shrunk the distance in a flash and appeared before Percival, his figure darting as the longsword in his hand thrust like a venomous tongue from a tricky angle towards the enemy’s throat. Though Percival dodged the attack, it revealed changes in Ye Ruozai’s sword tactics compared to before.

"Thunder chariots drive rain dragons into frenzy, lightning bolts streak across the sky like crazed arrows!" Ye Ruozai’s next sword strike was accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder. Amid the Sword Qi, thunder rolled and rumbled incessantly. Caught off guard, Percival was struck by the Sword Qi, feeling the damage to his internal meridians—reminiscent of battles with Sword Cultivators from the Daoist Realm—which filled him with rage. He shouted, "You actually know Swordsmanship from the Daoist Realm! Were your previous attacks just a prelude to this moment?"

Not only he, but also the elders of Hongjun Sword Pavilion and various Sword Cultivator sects outside the arena, stood up in surprise, their eyes fixed on Ye Ruozai in the ring, amazed by the transformation in his swordplay. These experts, who had devoted their lives to the Sword Dao, easily discerned the difference in Ye Ruozai’s technique.

Ye Ruozai’s previous attacks, though skillfully executed, produced Sword Qi by injecting source energy into the longsword, forcefully condensed and released with no Sword Intent. At most, it was a replica of Pei Yan’s source energy compression into an attack line, a contemptible move in the eyes of Sword Cultivators, as any cultivator reaching a certain level could compress source energy; the variation was only in compression speed and power.

Ye Ruozai’s current attack, however, was genuine Sword Qi imbued with Sword Intent, forming a consciousness within the Sword Qi—integrated and whole. He even introduced Thunder Magic into the attack, perfectly merging it with the Sword Qi. Such a technique was exceedingly high-level, even among Sword Cultivators in the Daoist Realm.

Only these Sword Cultivators comprehended the might of Gerald’s and Percival’s earlier Thunder Fist Force and Flaming Sword Qi. Sword Qi and Martial Techniques traditionally clashed, but their perfect fusion owed much to the combat experience of the Round Table Knights during their lives, and their current state as pure energy bodies.

"Though modified, the way this Sword Qi is released seems to belong to our sect. Genius indeed!" An elder from Hongjun Sword Pavilion exclaimed while observing Ye Ruozai’s techniques. "Was this derived from the sword manual gifted by Mr. Liu? A Dao Heart Stone and a sword manual, yet in less than two months, such achievements were made. No wonder the Sect Leader, seeing this talent, desired to recruit him across realms. Ah! We were shortsighted. If this disciple had been recruited and carefully trained, regaining his loyalty would be far from difficult over time!"

Unlike the elder’s mixed feelings, Percival was on the verge of rage. As Ye Ruozai’s sword momentum unfolded like relentless waves, Percival found his strength inexplicably restrained. Even when Lanloste rejoined him, they were still on the defensive, unable to adjust to the unexpected situation. This infuriated Percival, whose aggressive and proud nature couldn’t accept the reality.

Gradually understanding why he couldn’t wield his power, Percival attempted to clear the strange force restricting him with source energy, all the while yelling defiantly despite his injuries, "Is this your ability? Suffering just by wielding Sword Qi and wanting me to share that pain? Don’t make me laugh! Your attacks have indeed harmed me, but you’re far from killing me! I am an energy being formed by the power of believer’s faith. My recovery ability far exceeds yours...!"

"With a three-foot sword in the scabbard, reveal injustice to the world!" With a subtle utterance, Ye Ruozai’s longsword slashed into the void towards an imaginary direction, prematurely ending Percival’s rant. His expression frozen in angry defiance, under Lanloste’s horrified gaze, his body dissolved into specks of light, vanishing between heaven and earth.

At that moment, Lanloste was truly terrified. Fear comes from the unknown! He hadn’t detected what Ye Ruozai had done. Though the three were in combat, Percival was injured but, as he said, nowhere near a fatal point. Yet Ye Ruozai delivered an ordinary slash, one that didn’t even strike Percival; how had he vanished after a mere slice into thin air?

"What—what did you do?" Lanloste looked at Ye Ruozai with terror and trembled while speaking.