Chapter 27: Famous Blade Ace!
Ling Wenhe clapped his hands, and two bodyguards in suits immediately entered from outside.
Together, they pushed a half-height metal chest. When the chest hit the floor, it made a heavy thud, causing the ground to vibrate slightly.
That wasn't all.
Burly men in similar attire filed in one after another, carrying boxes of various sizes.
Zhou Mingxuan leaned over to peek, his eyes instantly going round. "Holy crap, did Patriarch Ling move his treasury here?"
As the boxes opened, layers of silk were revealed, filled with a dazzling array of resources.
Perfectly round pills were piled high.
Jade bottles containing viscous medicinal liquids were arranged in neat rows.
In the very center lay four swords of varying lengths. Their scabbards were carved with dragons and phoenixes or inlaid with gems—clearly treasures at a glance.
"These are basic resources. These pills and spiritual potions are enough to last you until the Second Tier." Ling Wenhe pointed at the boxes, his tone full of sincerity.
"Considering that taking low-level pills and potions creates drug resistance," Ling Wenhe waved his hand grandly, "these are all top-tier pills and potions I had rushed out. You can eat them freely!"
Chen Yu was stunned, awed by Ling Wenhe's extravagance.
Although pills and potions couldn't create a top-tier powerhouse, they were more than enough to create a Tier-5 Awakener at the cost of their future potential.
This made top-tier pills incredibly valuable, often priceless, because top-tier potions were rare and hard to seek.
Anyway, as the mayor's son, Zhou Mingxuan had never seen them, and Chen Yu certainly hadn't.
Chen Yu and Zhou Mingxuan's expressions were perfect, giving Ling Wenhe a secret sense of satisfaction.
"The main point is these four blades."
"Demon Slayer, Feiche II, Peerless, and Shigure Tensei."
"They are all works of famous swordsmiths in the Alliance, adapted for the strength of Beginner Awakeners. See which one you like."
Zhou Mingxuan had already leaned close to the swords, reaching out to touch the curved saber inlaid with a red gem, only to be stopped by a look from Ling Wenhe.
Chen Yu stepped forward. His gaze swept over the four gleaming famous blades. His fingertips brushed over the scabbards one by one, but he didn't stop.
Until his gaze landed in the corner of the box, where he suddenly froze.
Lying there was a sword wrapped in coarse cloth.
The cloth was old and worn.
Judging by its shape, it resembled a Western cutlass.
The guard exposed at the edge was covered in brown rust, looking completely out of place among the surrounding treasures.
Just then, a throb he had never felt before came from Chen Yu's mind—not from his own cultivation, but from the Roger Character Template.
The template seemed to be awakened by something. The originally grayed-out icon for "Sword Skill: Divine Departure" began to glow faintly.
"Uncle Ling, what is this sword?" Chen Yu reached out and picked up the rusty blade.
It was unusually heavy in his hand. As the coarse cloth fell away, a rust-covered scabbard was revealed.
Seeing the sword he picked, Ling Wenhe showed obvious surprise. "Who put that sword in there?"
"That's not a famous blade. I found it while exploring a Secret Realm last year."
"It's badly rusted. I tried scrubbing it, but the rust wouldn't come off. It cuts worse than a standard practice sword."
"Some people saw that it didn't break despite the rust and tried using it, but eventually found it was just an ordinary sword. It's been sitting in the warehouse ever since."
Zhou Mingxuan leaned over too, curling his lip. "Chen Yu, are you crazy?"
"You ignore four famous blades to pick up a broken rusty sword? Forget cutting steel, that thing would struggle to cut wood, right?"
Chen Yu ignored Zhou Mingxuan's complaints. He gripped the rusty handle and pulled gently.
With a chi-la sound, flakes of rust fell away, revealing the blade inside.
It was still covered in patches of rust, but through them, one could see a pitch-black blade and a wave pattern on the spine.
The moment the blade was fully unsheathed, the Roger template in Chen Yu's mind vibrated violently.
[Detected Character's Sword: One of the 12 Supreme Grade Blades - Ace (Damaged)]
Holy crap!
A storm raged in Chen Yu's heart. He finally understood why the template reacted so strongly.
This seemingly inconspicuous rusty sword was actually the Pirate King Roger's saber, "Ace"!
Although damaged, it retained remnants of Roger's Conqueror's Haki, which was why it could trigger his template.
"I choose this one." Chen Yu gripped the rusty sword tight, feeling the faint resonance from the blade, as if he could touch the majestic aura belonging to the Pirate King.
So what if it's broken? I can still use it by wrapping it in Armament Haki.
The most crucial part was...
The [Sword Skill: Divine Departure] on his character panel unlocked!
[Sword]: Ace (Damaged)
(Current Effect: Absorbs the Sword Master's Conqueror's Haki, wrapping the blade.)
(Repair Method: Nurture with Haki. Current Repair Level: 3/100)
[Sword Skill: Divine Departure]: Conqueror's Coated Slash.
[Evaluation]: Divine Departure? If you don't depart, you're ballsier than a God.
So that's it. No wonder no one used it. It's just like Zoro's Enma—it sucks the Sword Master dry.
One Piece always hinted that swords possessed a will of their own.
Famous swords choose their masters.
The higher the grade of the sword, the higher the requirement for the master.
Ace's first master was Roger...
You must be thirsty too, right!
The corner of Chen Yu's mouth hooked up. He suddenly unleashed a precise burst of Conqueror's Haki.
Do you want Daddy's big Haki? Say it!
Do you want Daddy's big Haki to fill up your empty blade body, huh?!
Watching Chen Yu clutching the rusty sword and refusing to let go, Ling Wenhe frowned slightly. He thought Chen Yu was embarrassed to take the good items.
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. So, his tone carried a hint of pleading.
"Chen Yu, this sword is really just a piece of scrap iron. You can't even use it for practice."
"Why don't you choose these four famous blades? One for combat, one for backup."
Chen Yu rubbed his thumb over the mottled rust on the blade, feeling the faint tremors in his palm.
He looked up and smiled. "Uncle Ling, swords choose their masters. I feel a connection with it."
He paused, then added, "Besides, it might not be as ordinary as it looks."
This made Ling Wenhe pause. He wanted to persuade him further, but Zhou Mingxuan was already clicking his tongue.
"Connection? Chen Yu, I think the rust on that broken knife blinded you!"
"Let's have another duel later. You use that thing. Loser calls the winner 'Daddy'!"
As soon as his voice fell, urgent footsteps echoed in the venue. A coach wearing the dojo uniform ran in, panicked.
Zhou Mingxuan spoke first. "Don't you know this floor is a private training ground?"
But the man's face was pale. "Bad news! Someone is here to kick the dojo! Vice Master Zhao has been defeated!"
"Kick the dojo?" Ling Wenhe was stunned.
This was Elder Wei's territory. Someone dared to come here and challenge the dojo?
The coach swallowed, speaking rapidly. "The opponent claims to be from the Chen family. His name is Chen Chen!"
"He defeated Vice Master Zhao in just a few moves. Vice Master Zhao ordered me to call for Instructor Chen."
"The Chen family? Chen Chen?" Zhou Mingxuan's eyes went wide, and he looked sharply at Chen Yu.
"Your brother came looking for you!"
"It seems some people can't hold back their patience." Chen Yu's lips curled into a smile as he slung "Ace" diagonally at his waist.
"Perfect. I'll use him to test the sword."
(To be Continued)
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(Translator's Note: The term "Damage Level" for Ace previously caused misunderstandings that it was about how broken it was; it has been updated to "Repair Level" to indicate progress.)