Chapter 330: The Origin of the Four Great Divine Items

When Bukri Sehee left, I took out the book from my chest and placed it on the table.

This time, I truly intended to find out the exact truth about the Four Great Divine Items.

‘No doubt, the Martial Flower Lord will take this as an opportunity to demand something from me later… that’s what worries me.’

Even though such concerns arose as I looked at the Royal Consort Record, I pushed them aside for now.

It took me less than half an hour to read the first half of the Royal Consort Record.

It was that short, but its contents were so different from what I had imagined that I stared blankly into the air for a while.

“This is shocking.”

With a sigh, I let out a deep breath.

Things like the Azure Dragon and the Vermilion Bird were all legendary divine items, and the Four Great Divine Items were clearly man-made, borrowing the symbols of the Four Great Divine Beasts only in legend.

I was astonished that the Four Great Divine Items had been created to align perfectly with the energy of the Four Great Divine Beasts. I had long wondered who had crafted them.

At the very least, to create divine items of this caliber, I thought it might have been a renowned craftsman from the State of Yue, like Ou Yezi or Gan Jiang.

But upon learning who had actually created the Four Great Divine Items, I could not hide my shock.

“To think that Gwi Ryeongja created the Four Great Divine Items…”

Gwi Ryeongja, a genius excelling in formations, astronomy, academic pursuits of poetry, prose, art and culture, and martial arts, was truly a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy.

It was truly unfortunate that Gwi Ryeongja’s writings had not been passed down intact.

Through the long years of war, Gwi Ryeongja’s works were lost.

As time passed, all of his writings disappeared, and only the Royal Consort Record remained. I couldn’t keep this to myself, so I called Jeong Minji to my quarters.

Jeong Minji’s face was brighter than ever.

It seemed she had resolved all lingering emotions with her mother, Jo Gyeongmae.

“I thought you should know this, Min Mae, so I called you.”

I slid the Royal Consort Record toward her.

“So this is the Royal Consort Record that explains the origin of the Four Great Divine Items.”

Jeong Minji quickly read through the record.

After about a quarter of an hour, she lifted her head.

“This is unbelievable. I knew the Four Great Divine Items had great abilities, but I never imagined it was like this.”

“I was surprised too.”

“They weren’t just simple objects. Who would have thought the Four Great Divine Items were parts of the Banryong (Coiling Dragon)?”

The Banryong referred to a dragon that had yet to ascend, remaining on earth, on the verge of ascension.

A Gyo-ryong was a dragon that lived in water, possessing strong yin energy, while the Banryong lived in water but could also breathe fire, having both yin energy and fire energy.

“For the Banryong to ascend, it needed a Treasure Orb, which was made from human spiritual energy. Since the Banryong slaughtered humans mercilessly to obtain it, Gwi Ryeongja trapped it with a formation and killed it.”

I murmured, still unable to shake off my astonishment.

“After killing the Banryong, Gwi Ryeongja used his arts to forge its bones into a sword, and its hide, scales, and soul into the Four Great Divine Items. Truly incredible.”

It was such astonishing information that I still found it hard to believe.

“That’s right, I was shocked too. The bones became the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword, the hide became the Black Tortoise Tail Sword, the scales became the Vermilion Bird Wing Dagger, and the soul became the Blue Dragon Three Marbles.”

“What’s even more amazing is that these items only display their full power when used with the Blue Dragon Three Marbles. Without it, they cannot fully manifest their abilities.”

I drew the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword.

“Min Mae, look here.”

I pointed to the hilt of the sword.

“I always thought this hole was for setting an ornament. But after reading the Royal Consort Record, I realized it was meant to hold the Blue Dragon Three Marbles.”

I took out the Blue Dragon Three Marbles and brought them close to the hole in the hilt.

Their sizes were almost a perfect match.

But I hesitated to insert them.

I was a bit afraid because I didn’t know what would happen if I placed the Blue Dragon Three Marbles into the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword.

“I think we should try it.”

Jeong Minji nodded.

I made up my mind and fitted the Blue Dragon Three Marbles into the sword. At once, the sword vibrated subtly, and a transparent energy enveloped the entire blade.

We both had expected something extraordinary to happen, but when all we got was a slight vibration and faint glow, we couldn’t help but look disappointed.

“Why is nothing happening?”

After staring at the sword on the table for a while, I spoke.

“Maybe it has no effect anymore. Too many years have passed since Gwi Ryeongja’s time.”

Saying that, I picked up the sword.

“Huh?”

The moment I lifted it, my eyes widened in shock.

“This is impossible!”

As I exclaimed with wide eyes, Jeong Minji tensed and asked urgently.

“Gaga, what’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

I handed her the sword.

“Try holding it.”

The moment she held the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword, her eyes also widened.

“How is this possible? It feels completely weightless. If I had to describe it, it’s like holding a sheet of paper.”

“Min Mae, take out the Blue Dragon Three Marbles.”

She removed it from the hilt.

“Mmm!”

The moment she did, the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword regained its heavy weight.

Yong Hwarin took the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword back into his hand.

As expected, it was lighter than other steel swords, but it still carried the weight of bone.

While feeling its weight, a sudden thought struck him, and he slammed his left hand onto the table.

Tang!

“Now I understand!”

“Yes?”

“I think I know why the Royal Consort Record discusses the Four Great Divine Items in the first half and Iki-Eo-Geom in the latter half.”

Yong Hwarin suddenly laughed like a madman.

“Uahahahahaha! At last, the mystery is solved.”

In truth, Yong Hwarin had once dismissed the Royal Consort Record as miscellaneous writings.

That was because the contents recorded there seemed to have no connection to each other.

But now, he realized that everything was indeed connected.

“I was always very doubtful about the realm of Iki-Eo-Geom. Because, even if you tried to perform Iki-Eo-Geom with a steel sword, the weight of the blade would mean it could only be swung at the level of a child. That’s not enough to threaten a master. No matter how high your cultivation, you can’t swing a steel sword like a pair of chopsticks using qi alone, so I thought Iki-Eo-Geom was a symbolic realm. And until now, no martial artist had ever truly realized Iki-Eo-Geom with a steel sword. But if the sword had no weight, then it would have the same power as striking directly with a steel sword… No, perhaps the real Iki-Eo-Geom would surpass any technique. If you attack with the sword in hand and, at the same time, strike from behind with Iki-Eo-Geom—who could defend against that?”

“I thought the same, Gaga. If it’s a weapon without weight, Iki-Eo-Geom could really be possible.”

“That’s why Gwi Ryeongja created a weapon without weight, then researched how to use Iki-Eo-Geom with it. He left that method in the Royal Consort Record. That’s why the Four Great Divine Items and Iki-Eo-Geom were recorded together.”

Jeong Minji looked regretful.

“In that case, it’s such a shame the latter half was burned. It must have contained the method to wield the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword through Iki-Eo-Geom.”

“Don’t worry about that. Musician Urak composed a song from the contents of the latter half, so he should remember it. According to him, that latter half was written as a musical score.”

“That makes sense. Gwi Ryeongja was said to have remarkable talent in music. He might have left the key formulas or insights of Iki-Eo-Geom in the form of a musical piece.”

Yong Hwarin asked,

“Does the Jeong Family Manor happen to have a cultivation method for operating the Blue Dragon Three Marbles?”

Jeong Minji tilted her head.

“I don’t know. We have the Phoenix Flame Heaven Divine Art for operating the Vermilion Bird Great Flame Heaven Bow, but I’m not sure if it’s meant for the Blue Dragon Three Marbles.”

Yong Hwarin handed her the Blue Dragon Three Marbles.

“Then try using it with your cultivation method and see what happens.”

Jeong Minji held it and activated the Phoenix Flame Heaven Divine Art, but the Blue Dragon Three Marbles showed no reaction.

Yong Hwarin nodded as if he had expected it.

“Just as I thought.”

“Gaga, you know something, don’t you?”

“These Blue Dragon Three Marbles respond only to the Nine Dragons Heavenly Ascent Technique. It’s a cultivation art passed down in my main family. I’ve practiced it since childhood, but because it didn’t harmonize well with the family’s swordsmanship, I was never treated with much regard. I only learned it because it’s a legacy long inherited by the clan. Even so, I had always found it strange.”

“Then it makes sense. Only the Blue Dragon Clan knew the cultivation art for operating the Blue Dragon Three Marbles. You’d need that to draw out the full power of the Four Great Divine Items. It wasn’t simply about exchanging and storing the items—they made it so the Four Great Divine Items couldn’t be fully used without going through the Blue Dragon Clan.”

“That’s right. Since Iki-Eo-Geom could be used with the Four Great Divine Items, they must have placed such a safeguard. The Royal Consort Record says the most powerful among them is the Vermilion Bird Wing Dagger. In truth, compared to that, the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword and the Black Tortoise Tail Sword are weaker.”

“I also learned that from Gwi Ryeongja’s writings—the Vermilion Bird Great Flame Heaven Bow uses the Vermilion Bird Wing Dagger as a hidden weapon.”

“Min Mae, think about it—if the Banryong’s scales were made weightless by the Blue Dragon Three Marbles and used as a hidden weapon, even a god couldn’t stop it. And with fire energy contained inside, who could possibly block it? It’s no exaggeration to say it’s the most powerful among the Four Great Divine Items.”

“And I think later generations created martial arts to match the nature of each item.”

“That’s likely. Gwi Ryeongja crafted the Four Great Divine Items from the Banryong, but he didn’t create martial arts for them, so the masters of the Demon Castle must have developed techniques using their energies.”

“But there’s something strange. The martial art performed with the Blue Dragon Three Marbles is said to be the Blue Dragon Grand Stance, according to Lord Geum. If the Blue Dragon Three Marbles are all used in other items, then with what would you perform the Blue Dragon Grand Stance?”

“The Royal Consort Record states that the Blue Dragon Grand Stance is indeed performed with the Blue Dragon Three Marbles. The masters of the Demon Castle must have found a way to perform Iki-Eo-Geom with them. Perhaps they mastered it from the Royal Consort Record. The record says that while the Vermilion Bird Wing Dagger is the strongest of the items, one who has mastered the Blue Dragon Three Marbles cannot be stopped even by a god. Thinking about it… that might be true.”

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