Rebirth of the Fallen Master

Hidden Chamber

Li Ye fell silent after hearing those words. His chest tightened, and his lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, but Li Xiang gave him no chance.

Li Xiang immediately turned his back to Li Ye, lifting his head to hide his reddened eyes. Behind his back, his hands were clenched tightly into fists.

"Guards, drag this child to the Ancestral Hall! Lock him up, and don't let him eat or drink without my permission!" he ordered sternly.

The two Li Family guards immediately seized Li Ye's arms. With cold expressions, they dragged the young man away.

"I have to endure. This isn't the right time yet," Li Ye thought, suppressing his anger.

"Father, you're only punishing him like this?" Li Cu asked unwillingly. "What if he does something underhanded behind our backs?"

"Enough," Li Xiang cut him off irritably. He took a moment to steady his breathing before silently watching Li Ye being taken away.

***

Li Ye had been sitting for hours in front of the wooden memorial tablets engraved with the names of the Li Family ancestors.

The sun had already set, yet there was still no sign that the doors of the Ancestral Hall would open. A moment later, the sound of a key turning suddenly echoed, startling him slightly.

"There's no way they'd suddenly become that kind," Li Ye thought doubtfully as he looked toward the door. He didn't believe the Li Family would release him so easily.

Not long afterward, a maid quietly sneaked inside.

"What's going on?" Li Ye asked suspiciously.

The maid immediately raised a finger to her lips, signaling for him to stay quiet.

"Miss Bai came, but Young Master Li Cu drove her away immediately. Because of that, she secretly asked me to bring this to you, Young Master," the maid said as she took out a food basket.

"Bai Lian?" Li Ye thought while inspecting the small basket. Inside were food and several herbs he had been searching for. If not for those herbs, he would never have believed the maid had truly been sent by Bai Lian.

"Actually, Miss Bai also wanted me to secretly bring you a blanket, but that would have been far too conspicuous," the maid whispered hesitantly.

"I understand. You may leave," Li Ye said.

The maid nodded before quietly slipping out of the Ancestral Hall.

"She really did it," Li Ye thought with a smile of disbelief as he looked at the herbs he had been searching for.

Li Ye carefully checked the surroundings, making sure no one else would come to the Ancestral Hall. After confirming that no one was there, he walked toward the large table covered with hundreds of Li Family name plaques. Smiling faintly, he rotated one of the small wooden plaques.

Then suddenly...

Rumble... Rumble...

Moments later, the massive table rumbled softly before splitting into two, revealing a hidden passage leading underground.

Li Ye smiled faintly. Without hesitation, he picked up the basket the maid had brought and stepped inside.

After walking through the passage for some time, he saw a massive stone door at the end of the tunnel slowly open by itself. Without hesitation, Li Ye walked inside. Beyond it lay a spacious chamber surrounded by several stone doors.

Li Ye turned around to look at the entrance behind him. On the inner side of the door was a hand-shaped indentation. He placed his palm against it and pressed.

Clunk!

Suddenly, every door inside the chamber slammed shut and locked. Li Ye immediately walked deeper into the enormous room.

On one side of the chamber was a crystal-clear pond and two gigantic statues resembling guardians. Ancient carvings decorated the walls, while the glowing spirit beast crystal cores embedded within them illuminated the room.

Li Ye placed the basket beside the pond before gazing at the vast, empty chamber. Memories from the past flooded his mind.

Back then, Li Ye was often punished by being ordered to clean the Li Family estate. When he was ten years old, he had accidentally discovered this passage and become trapped inside.

He cried in terror and screamed for help with all his strength, but no one came. Eventually, he figured out how to open the stone door. If the chamber was empty, the stone door would automatically open whenever someone approached.

However, once it was locked from the inside, every passage would automatically seal itself. Only those who possessed the Li Family bloodline could activate the lock.

"Back then, I was too afraid of being punished to tell anyone I had found this place. Who would have thought this hidden cultivation chamber would become useful to me now?" Li Ye murmured with a faint smile. Now, he no longer had to worry about anyone disturbing him.

Li Ye immediately arranged the herbs he had prepared and inspected them carefully, making sure everything was safe. For a brief moment, he glanced at the food Bai Lian had sent.

"I can't trust that maid even if Bai Lian bribed her. It's better to be cautious and not touch this food," Li Ye muttered to himself.

He carried the herbs over and sat on a stone altar, placing everything he needed beside him.

Then Li Ye took out the set of acupuncture needles he had purchased and laid them out before him. His sharp eyes carefully examined each needle.

"A damaged dantian cannot be repaired. The only way is to destroy it completely, then form a new dantian before the qi inside my meridians completely disappears," Li Ye thought.

"This method is dangerous, but it's also the fastest way to repair my dantian," Li Ye murmured. He had already decided on the method he would use.

He let out a slow breath before taking the body-strengthening elixir he had refined the previous night and swallowing it without hesitation.

Shing...

Li Ye's fingers brushed across every needle. With skillful and precise movements, he swiftly inserted them one by one into his own body. Eighteen needles pierced the major acupoints.

Afterward, he formed a hand seal and circulated his qi. Violent energy surged throughout his body. The needles trembled, and his teeth chattered as he endured excruciating pain.

Li Ye immediately waved his hand, causing the two ingredients Bai Lian had brought—Fire Grape Flower and Ice Lotus Leaf—to tremble before rising into the air and being absorbed into his body.

The vortex inside Li Ye's body grew stronger. His damaged dantian trembled violently before the first crack appeared. Li Ye frowned as he felt it. Cold sweat poured down his face. Then another crack appeared, and...

Crack!

"Cough!"

Li Ye spat out a mouthful of blood as his dantian shattered. His eyes widened from the overwhelming agony. His vision blurred, and breathing became difficult.

"Even though my dantian has been destroyed, the qi flowing through my meridians hasn't completely disappeared. As long as that flow isn't severed, I still have one chance to form a new dantian," Li Ye thought while forcing himself to remain seated. Blood streamed from his ears, eyes, nose, and mouth.

With trembling hands, he reached for the Red Cloud Grass Stem. Slowly, he consumed the herb before closing his eyes and struggling to regain control.

Gradually, Li Ye sensed the qi in the air once more and began absorbing it bit by bit. He tried to condense the qi swirling inside his body, but failed.

"Red Cloud Grass isn't meant to heal injuries. Its purpose is to serve as the core that reunites the scattered qi, allowing a new dantian to be formed."

Li Ye bit his trembling lip to stay conscious. Again and again he tried to condense the qi. Finally, little by little, it began to compress.

The condensed qi slowly revolved at the site of his former dantian, forming a tiny vortex. The vortex grew denser and denser, but it was still unstable and could collapse at any moment.

Li Ye formed another hand seal to lock it in place. Once the qi vortex was completely sealed, a brand-new dantian finally took shape. Li Ye slowly opened his eyes.

"The final step, the Sleeping Maiden Root will stabilize my newly formed dantian," he thought.

His breathing was still labored as he stretched out his hand.

"I can't fail... This is my last chance..."

Just as his fingers were about to reach the root before him, everything suddenly went dark.

Li Ye collapsed unconscious.