Book 16 Chapter 22

New Rebirth

- Destruction and Rebirth -

"Well, now that you know everything, do you have anything to say?"

Bilyeon asked.

"No, I won't bother. It's too troublesome and undignified."

The Great Master Bi replied in a surprisingly meek and calm voice.

"It seems I've been found out. No amount of excuses would be believed here, would they?"

He admitted it with a simplicity that was almost anticlimactic. Gasps and murmurs of shock mixed together from all around.

"Then, killing An Myeonghu was also your doing?"

"I didn't do that. However, I'm not unrelated. Well, it's fine to say I did it. After all, even if I used tools, they were my tools."

"Why are you doing this? And what is your goal?"

"Do you want to hear the reason?"

"Of course!"

Bilyeon nodded his head.

"Abolish old customs! And a new rebirth of the martial world!"

Bi replied, his eyes filled with conviction shining sharply like a blade.

"A new rebirth? Why?"

Bilyeon countered with a perplexed look. For what reason did he want to destroy the current framework of the martial world?

"Are you really asking because you don't know?"

"Are you saying I'm asking because I don't know? Surely you're not mistaking what you know for what others know, are you? That's as foolish as thinking you know everything in this world!"

Bilyeon said in a voice devoid of tension.

"Then I'll tell you clearly! It's because the current martial world is a rotten puddle. A defiled lake, that is the true face of the martial world today. A rotten puddle teeming with maggots who bask in the sweetness of authority and vested interests passed down from generation to generation, a truth no one dares to uncover!"

The Great Master shouted as if spitting out something foul.

"The mold of standardized education, the common perception that fosters blind obedience to authority, questioning the teachings imparted in the name of preserving tradition is not tolerated! Foolish people who believe that simply repeating and imitating the teachings passed down from the founder is the best! What new creation can arise from repeating standardized, formalized teachings? When the path to truly grasping the martial principles is still so long, must we be held back here in the name of 'preserving tradition'? Are you so afraid of losing your vested interests? It's better to destroy such frameworks! Only destruction brings new rebirth."

"Are you saying tradition is useless for progress and development?"

"That is your statement, not mine. I never said tradition is useless. I am merely saying that imitating tradition is an act that corrupts tradition and truth itself. Emulating and inheriting ancient teachings is a completely different matter from imitation. If you view these two as the same, all I can offer you is contempt."

His fiery sermon continued.

"Those who cling to mere letters passed down by the founder rather than the founder's true intent! Those who try to speak of the whole by looking only at a part! How much change has there been in this martial world over the past hundred years? How much progress has there been?"

"Does that mean the birth of the Cheonmu Academy and the Macheon Pavilion were not the price of progress?"

"I considered those attempts quite useful. However, that system was also imperfect. Didn't you repeatedly engage in power struggles within it instead of pursuing true martial principles? You wasted your energy on trivial matters to escape the anxiety and fear of 'us.' The peace of the martial world was irrelevant! Because you didn't believe in its existence in the first place. How can you sincerely pursue something you don't believe in?"

His passionate speech suddenly turned into cold sarcasm.

"Hmph, defending tradition? Aren't you just desecrating the achievements of the prophets? These worthless insects! It's better to destroy ranches that can only raise sheep! What the martial world needs are dragons and tigers who seek true martial arts!"

His voice held no hesitation or doubt, as if he harbored no suspicion about the justice he believed in.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Suddenly, there was applause. The one who clapped, oblivious to the atmosphere, was none other than Bilyeon.

"That's quite right. If you can't break the mold that binds you, you can't move forward. The present has value in transcending the past."

"What are you doing agreeing with that scoundrel's words?"

Jang Hong roared in anger. Bilyeon, who was acting suspiciously, either oblivious to the situation or deliberately ignoring it, was unacceptable to him.

"However!"

Bilyeon paused.

"Just because the theory is correct and the words are right, doesn't mean all actions are permissible."

A glint flickered in Bilyeon's eyes.

"Right words only have value when they meet right actions. Before that, they are just misleading nonsense. As I see it now, you're not acting particularly right. Abandoning the middle path and rushing to extremes only disrupts balance and cannot achieve new creation. Actions that rush to extremes without knowing moderation invite backlash and only lead to destruction. It becomes destruction for the sake of destruction, not destruction for the sake of new creation. That's not very interesting!"

Everyone who knew him was astonished, wondering why such a sensible statement was coming from him.

"That's right. Furthermore, your plan has already been discovered! We've secured all the Yomu from the warehouse. Give up! You no longer have the strength to do so!"

Jang Hong shouted.

"No strength? Khhkhkhk!"

Suddenly, a chilling cackle escaped Bi's lips.

"You stopped my plan? Where did you stop it? You caught one small fish like this? What you found was just bait. Like leftover scraps. It's too late! You foolish maggots! You woodworms that gnaw at the martial world! All preparations are complete. The plan proceeds as scheduled!"

His voice was so chilling it made one's hair stand on end. It was a voice utterly unlike the usual Great Master Bi.

"Wh-what!!!"

Exclamations of shock erupted from the crowd.

"What a shame! I wish the leader of the Martial Alliance were here too… I could have wiped them all out at once… Now, I'll show you the proof."

The Great Master raised his hand. Then, the mountain began to rumble.

"Wh-what is this? An earthquake?"

The valley shook violently as if struck by an earthquake. Bi and his subordinates chanted in unison.

"Stagnant water rots and unused swords rust! The Fire Dragon will soar, and a flood of fire will engulf the mountains! And from the ashes, the phoenix will rise!"

Bi and his followers chanted as if reciting an incantation.

"I, with the blazing beacon, herald the beginning of a new world!"

The arrival of the Blood God in a world of blood and calamity!

And the formation was activated.

Pillars of flame shot up from the twelve directions of the circular valley. Like a reverse waterfall…

The 역류하는 불꽃 (flowing-back flames) were merely the prelude to the awakening of a sleeping dragon.

"Stop it! Do you think you can escape our grasp?"

The Sword Master spoke in an overbearing voice. Those flames were dangerous. His instincts told him so.

"It's no use."

"What did you say?"

"Once the Fire Dragon Extermination Great Formation is activated, even I cannot stop it. The awakened fire dragon will not quell its rage until it devours everything. And I will not be caught."

Bi retreated with astonishing speed, almost imperceptible.

Kwahkwahkwah!

At that moment, the platform exploded with a tremendous roar. The hastily erected Yomma-rye had detonated on signal. An immense shockwave and storm engulfed the people. As a signal, chain explosions began to occur in various places within Hongmae Valley. It seemed they were determined to reduce this place to dust.

"Do you think you can escape?"

Bi-ryeon's Five Sword Techniques: Gasa-salgi

Yuseonghocheobgeom (Shooting Star Butterfly Sword)

Dozens of blade shadows extended from Bilyeon's arms and surged towards the Great Master's body like shooting stars. It seemed his body would be pierced by a shower of sharp meteors at any moment. But suddenly, the Great Master's body split into three layers. The meteor-like sword energies passed harmlessly through Bi's first and second shadows.

'Could it be, Samcheobyeong (Three Layered Shadow)?'

It wasn't exactly the same as the unique martial art of the Biryeomun, Samcheobyeong, but it was a very similar technique. As soon as the Great Master dodged Bilyeon's attack and landed, he immediately flicked his hand. He couldn't afford to be attacked again after giving him an opening.

Yeongnae (Shadow Thunder) Janheun (Remnant Traces)

Invisible blades lunged towards Bilyeon's entire body, gleaming with murderous intent. But he returned what he received. True to his nature of following the law of equivalent exchange, Bilyeon evaded all of Bi's sweeping attacks.

"No way, you dodged them all… The attack was three times stronger than back then!"

A groan escaped the Great Master's lips.

"Did you think I'd fall for the same technique I've seen once before? This technique, it seems the presence in the darkness back then was you. I had a suspicion, but I wasn't sure…"

It seemed his intuition was correct.

"Then I'll have to add arson, bombing, incitement to murder, and kidnapping to your charges."

Bilyeon said, ticking off the charges one by one with his fingers. The displeased Great Master frowned. However, a second signal was rising into the sky.

"I'm sorry, but I can't play with you any longer. Time is up! It's time for the dragon to fly!"

If he lingered any longer, he and his subordinates could become sacrifices to the Fire Dragon. He couldn't achieve his great cause with a body reduced to ashes, so Bi quickly retreated.

From the special device named 'Gangryong' (Descending Dragon), buried according to the sixty-four trigrams, a fine gunpowder like dust called Yonglin, along with Yomu, was sprayed. The Yonglin spread through the air currents, forming a vast band. Flames began to roar and race across the black band.

Fire Dragon Extermination Great Formation, Phase Two Activated!

The slumbering Fire Dragon opened its eyes. The Fire Dragon spat out flames of rage, covering the land with a river of fire. The blazing flames rushed forward, pulling along a writhing body that flickered like dragon scales. Black smoke instantly swallowed the space. The scorching heat made the air boil. The rapidly heated air violently churned as if about to explode.

Fwshhhhhhhhhh!

As the Fire Dragon's mouth met its tail, a giant wall of flames rose, trapping them.

Screams erupted from various places due to the terrifying heat. The panicked masses began to flounder.

There was only one entrance to Hongmae Valley. For a brief moment, a path of life opens when the Fire Dragon Extermination Great Formation transitions from Phase One to Phase Two. If you miss that path of life, the infernal flames of hell will engulf everything.

The Great Master quickly subdued Dokgoryeong and led his subordinates out through the path of life. Bilyeon, who tried to pursue, was blocked by the obstruction of the Macheon Seven Warriors and had to give up the chase.

Bi, carrying a woman, and his subordinates passed through the momentary path of life and exited the entrance. Then, the entrance to Hongmae Valley collapsed with the thunderous roar of the thunder god. This place was no longer accessible to humans. Hongmae Valley was completely isolated.

The surging inferno brought a burning hell to the mortal realm. The flood of fire threatened their lives. The Cheonmu Samsung and Hyeokjung tried to do something about the flames by gathering their energy, but it was futile. Just as Yomma-rye couldn't do anything to them, they too were powerless against the Fire Dragon Extermination Great Formation.