Chapter 171: Harvest: A Final Gamble

Basement.

Lu Ke, hearing the noise outside gradually fade away, felt a flicker of unease.

'Is it over?'

'Is Li Ang okay?'

After hesitating for a moment, the Young Master finally gritted his teeth and headed toward the first floor—staying hidden in the basement wasn't a solution.

Of course, out of caution, Lu Ke first only poked his head out.

Then he saw the street, plowed over and over again, and Li Ang and the other two talking.

As for the insects,

There were virtually no insects left on the street.

Seeing this, Lu Ke let out a breath of relief and climbed out of the basement.

He hurried over to Li Ang's side and asked in a low voice: "What's the situation now?"

The Young Master spoke while secretly observing the street.

"The swarm probably won't come after us for now."

Li Ang replied offhandedly; after what just happened, the swarm's new star should realize that sending ordinary insects won't work on him.

Thinking this, he glanced at the information on his panel.

【Using Reverse Birth: Three Layers in battle, skill experience +398】.

【Reverse Birth: Three Layers: Master】.

After the battle just now, Li Ang's Reverse Birth: Three Layers, which had been stagnant for a long time, finally reached Master level proficiency.

That is, the Third Layer.

'I can now achieve Formless Gathering and Dispersion.'

'But as Master said, Reverse Birth: Three Layers ends here.'

The ultimate goal of Reverse Birth: Three Layers is to return oneself to the state of Primordial Qi.

But then what?

Keep strengthening that Primordial Qi? What difference would that make from before?

And to maintain the state of Primordial Qi, one must activate Reverse Birth: Three Layers—clearly not what the Sanyi Sect's elders envisioned.

In short, according to the Sanyi Sect's design, Reverse Birth: Three Layers should shift from an active skill with mana cost to a permanent state upon reaching the Third Layer.

But the reality is, Li Ang still feels the energy constantly draining from within him—even in non-combat states, the drain is minimal.

Yet even so, there remains a fundamental difference.

Fortunately, Li Ang is no longer that naive beginner.

As his own system has grown increasingly complex, and after his failed Immortal Ascension ritual, he has gradually found the path for the Qi Alchemists.

'True and false, false and true.'

'Using the false to cultivate the true.'

'If I embed Reverse Birth: Three Layers into the ritual, what will happen?'

After his experience with the transmutation into 【Dragon Vein Alchemist】, Li Ang knew that actions during transmutation affect the final outcome.

What if, in a ritual whose essence is 'True and False,' he defines Reverse Birth: Three Layers as an Immortal Technique?

Not just Reverse Birth: Three Layers—but also Qimen Dunjia, and other skills he might acquire in the future that align with the 【Qi Alchemist】 profession?

Thinking of this, Li Ang exhaled softly.

These ideas are still too distant, but at least he now has some direction.

He set aside his thoughts and asked Mo Di, whose expression was grave: "In this situation, does your Inspection Bureau have an emergency protocol?"

Mo Di nodded slightly: "I communicate with the mothership daily. If they don't receive a message, they'll send someone to check."

"But the earliest they could arrive is tomorrow."

The implication: they must hold out for one more day.

"I see."

Li Ang felt he could probably last a day, but who knew what might happen next?

And the city had already fallen—yet his 【Traveler】 talent remained utterly silent, leaving him with a persistent sense that something bigger was coming.

But thinking too much now was useless; all they could do was keep holding their ground.

Given the circumstances, first let's tally the spoils.

As for what the spoils are—

That's obviously the dragon.