SDG 57

Chapter 57

The Dragon Pearl.

A symbol representing dragons.

But—

“Just because it’s a dragon pearl doesn’t mean I should treat it as something overly mystical.”

From a certain perspective, a dragon pearl was much like a danjeon in humans — the energy core.
And for spiritual creatures, it was similar to an internal core (naedan).

While there were clear differences, they all shared the same function — the storage of energy.
To put it simply, the dragon pearl was a vessel — a container that could hold certain powers.

Originally, what it was meant to hold was spiritual energy (yeonggi).
Because its creator was a dragon, after all.
Spiritual energy was what dragons needed.

But now that I had become the master of the dragon pearl, what I needed was different.
Not spiritual energy — but divine power (shinryeok).
So I commanded the dragon pearl to contain divine power instead.

At first, the spiritual essence within the pearl resisted.
It wasn’t just because the master had changed — it was afraid.
It feared the change that would come from replacing spiritual energy with divine power.

Instead of soothing the spirit, I chose a different path —
To push it so hard that it would have no choice but to submit.

If the spirit had been born from me, perhaps I would’ve shown leniency.
Or perhaps the spirit itself would’ve yielded to me out of reverence.

“But this dragon pearl wasn’t made by me — it was created by an Imoogi.”

And so, remnants of that Imoogi’s presence lingered in its spirit.
It wasn’t openly hostile now, but the fact that it resembled an Imoogi was a problem.

For Imoogis were sly creatures — serpents on the path to becoming dragons.
If I let my guard down, the spirit of the pearl could turn on me just as its creator once would have — baring venomous fangs.

Therefore, by replacing spiritual energy with divine power, I would also reshape its very essence.
From being on the Imoogi’s side — to being on mine.

It wouldn’t be easy, of course.
Judging from the clashes already happening, the process was bound to be difficult.
Destroying the spirit and starting anew would’ve been far simpler.

But that would’ve been wasteful — because the spirit itself was unique.
Uniquely special in that it could ascend on its own, even without an Imoogi.

Meaning — this dragon pearl could, one day, become a dragon itself.

And dragons, of course, were extraordinary beings.

“They say dragons can grant any wish…”

Such legends existed.
Of course, I knew that wasn’t literally true.
But it wasn’t entirely wrong either — dragons did everything in their power to grant the wishes of those they chose to serve.

At least, that was what I knew.

“The odds are slim, but if this thing truly becomes a dragon someday…”

Then it would become an enormous source of power.

So, despite the hassle, I decided to make the pearl’s spirit my ally first.
And to do that, I infused it with divine power.

The method to subdue its spirit was actually simple.

“The divine power must overwhelm the amount of spiritual energy stored within.”

To become a dragon, an Imoogi needed to cultivate for a thousand years.
That meant the maximum spiritual energy a dragon pearl could hold was roughly equivalent to a millennium’s worth of cultivation.

Since the Imoogi that created this one had failed to become a dragon, its pearl clearly hadn’t reached that capacity.

From what I could sense, the Imoogi had lived about seven hundred years — quite old, even among its kind.
No wonder it had dared to confront a divine beast like Baekho, even weakened as it was.
The longer an Imoogi lived, the stronger it became.

Still, this meant the dragon pearl — now split in half — should’ve contained a little over three hundred years’ worth of spiritual energy.

Yet, when I checked, the energy exceeded four hundred years.

Even allowing for error, that was a significant difference.
The reason was clear enough.

“This place is an ideal environment for cultivation.”

The fact that there was an entire world inside this stone monument was shocking enough —
but the energy here was on a whole different level.

Even compared to all the sacred places I had visited alongside the masters of Mount Hua, this realm was unmatched.

No wonder the Imoogi had hidden here.
Just by looking at the pearl, it was obvious why.

“If I’d known that, maybe I should’ve hunted the Imoogi instead.”

It was a fleeting regret — that I’d only gotten half a pearl.
Had I slain the creature, I would’ve obtained a full eight-hundred-year dragon pearl instead of this four-hundred-year one.

“Oh well.”

I decided to be satisfied with what I had.
A full one would’ve been better, sure, but this was more than enough for what I planned.

And soon, the results began to take shape.
At first, the spiritual energy and divine power repelled one another — but eventually, the former began to absorb the latter, changing its nature.

“Once that happens, the rest is easy.”

Once the first step was done, everything flowed smoothly.
The spiritual energy began to transform rapidly into divine power.
Soon, it didn’t even need my input — it converted itself naturally.

A deep humming filled the air.

The spirit of the pearl resisted briefly — but by then, it was too late.
And ironically, its resemblance to the Imoogi helped.
Sensing it couldn’t win, the spirit yielded — accepting the transformation willingly.

It was done.
The spirit of the dragon pearl had submitted, and all its energy had turned into divine power.

And with that, the spirit itself began to change —
purging every last trace of the Imoogi’s mark and embracing divine essence.

It could’ve been left alone now — it would’ve matured into a fine, loyal spirit on its own.
But I had no intention of leaving it that way.

It lacked individuality.
Just as the Imoogi had left its imprint, so too would I engrave mine.

“I already have the Myoryak Divine Sword…”

But having another existence similar to me wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

Of course, a dragon pearl couldn’t become a divine sword.
But it could hold Zaha — my divine power.

A name came to mind.

“Zaha… and since it’s a sphere, perhaps Zaha-Ok — the Purple Jade.”

As soon as I named it, a deep purple hue began to spread across its surface, like paint staining glass.

The spirit within also took on that same violet glow.

“Your name shall be Jaok.”

And at the very moment I named it—

Flash!

Light burst forth — a blinding radiance that filled the space.

It was complete.
The dragon pearl, reborn through divine power.

“It seems to have gotten a little larger.”

Perhaps it was the influence of divine power, but it did seem slightly bigger —
and when I checked, the energy contained within had also grown.

Measured in spiritual terms, it now held about five hundred years’ worth of power.

Naturally, I hadn’t poured in that much divine power myself — I’d already reclaimed what I’d used.
The increase came from another reason.

“Their compatibility is far better than I expected.”

Indeed — the synergy between the two energies was exceptional.
The spiritual energy seemed to be stimulated by the divine power, evolving as it touched it.

A phenomenon I had never seen or heard of before.
Meaning it was incredibly rare — likely not a coincidence.

“It seems the Imoogi’s spiritual energy happens to harmonize unusually well with my divine power…”

I couldn’t be sure.
I’d have to meet that Imoogi again someday to confirm it.
It wouldn’t like that, of course — but it might prove useful knowledge later.

“Well, that’s for later.”

I examined the Zaha-Ok carefully.
Just to make sure there were no imperfections.

“At least to the eye, it looks perfect.”

Then only one step remained.

“Baekho.”
“Yes, Master!”

The white tiger, who’d been keeping watch nearby, approached quickly.

“Did all go well, Master?”

He’d been guarding me from afar so as not to disturb the ritual.
I held out the Zaha-Ok to him.

Baekho tilted his head curiously, then spoke in awe:

“Its nature has changed, yet its aura feels even stronger. Truly remarkable, Master.”

He added that it could likely become a powerful divine artifact if used correctly.
I smiled.

“It already is a completed divine artifact. And its purpose has already been decided.”

“Oh? I can’t help but wonder — may I ask what that purpose is?”

He looked genuinely curious.

I almost laughed aloud.
If I told him it was for him, he’d be astonished beyond words.

“Did I say something wrong, Master?”

He looked nervous — clearly misreading my expression.

I could’ve teased him more, but I decided to spare him.

“Take it. With this, even without my help, you’ll be able to assume your battle form — the same one you took when fighting the Imoogi.”

Of course, we’d still have to test it first.

Baekho’s eyes widened — and then, unexpectedly, tears welled up in them.
Large, glistening drops fell to the ground.

I froze.

“You’re not… displeased with the gift, are you? Or did I offend you by laughing earlier? If so, I apologize.”

At that, Baekho actually smiled faintly through his tears.
I almost joked that “crying then laughing will make horns grow on your backside,”
but thought better of it — he was a tiger, after all.