Ambush!

The Fire Vein Spirit Jade Liu Xing had obtained contained more spiritual energy than even several hundred top-grade fire spirit stones combined.

More remarkable still, spirit jade could conceal its spiritual energy fluctuations deep within itself. Even cultivators with profound cultivation would find it difficult to detect, which naturally made it exceedingly rare.

It could be said that with this piece of Fire Vein Spirit Jade in hand, Liu Xing had instantly joined the ranks of the Cultivation World's wealthy. At the moment, however, he was holding a mountain of treasure without knowing it.

An Innate Supreme Treasure like Fire Vein Spirit Jade could bring tremendous benefits simply by being kept close to the body, even for someone like Liu Xing, who lacked an innate spiritual root. At the very least, it could gradually cleanse his essence and marrow and extend his lifespan with ease. This was also why Liu Xing had felt so comfortable all over after grasping the Fire Vein Spirit Jade.

Liu Xing did not know the Fire Vein Spirit Jade's origins, but he knew this fiery-red round stone was certainly no ordinary object. After a little thought, he lifted his short animal-hide jacket and tucked the Fire Vein Spirit Jade into its lining, keeping it snug against his body.

Just as he finished putting away the Fire Vein Spirit Jade, Liu Xing felt the ground beneath his feet shake violently. Sky-Peak Volcano was probably about to erupt again.

Without the Fire Vein Spirit Jade, this mysterious cave had become little different from any ordinary cave. Who knew whether lava would swallow it after the eruption? Liu Xing hesitated no longer. He slipped through the crack in the rock and raced straight down the mountain.

Although Liu Xing had left, this fire vein beneath Sky-Peak Volcano remained. There was simply no telling how many hundreds of millions of years would pass before another piece of Fire Vein Spirit Jade formed.

After leaving Sky-Peak Volcano, Liu Xing headed straight for the cave where he lived. Along the way, he could not help thinking, This red round stone is clearly something rare. If the Yellow Phantom hadn't entered my body and suddenly given me that experience of seeing a thousand miles through "divine sight," I would never have discovered it. What exactly is the Yellow Phantom? Why does it have such a unique ability?

For a moment, Liu Xing grew even more curious about the Yellow Phantom.

With the Fire Vein Spirit Jade tucked against his body, Liu Xing felt far more vigorous in essence, energy, and spirit than before. Even his running speed had increased a little. This time, the return journey took only an hour and a half before he reached the hills.

Still thinking about the Yellow Phantom, Liu Xing was somewhat distracted. He had completely forgotten that a great beauty whose fate was still uncertain lay in his cave. As though returning home on any ordinary day, he stepped inside without the slightest guard.

Suddenly, a fierce gust rushed straight at Liu Xing's face, accompanied by a flash of green light hurtling toward him. Almost instinctively, Liu Xing twisted sideways against the rock wall and shot backward more than ten meters, narrowly avoiding the surprise attack.

By now, Liu Xing had retreated outside the cave, and realization dawned on him. Could the person attacking him be the Black-Clad Woman?

Sure enough, a graceful black figure appeared at the cave entrance. It was none other than the Black-Clad Woman. Liu Xing had undone her black leather outfit earlier, but now she wore it properly again. Clearly, she had been awake for some time.

Her face possessed an innate, seductive charm, but now it was cold as frost, which only added a distinctive allure.

Liu Xing had no experience dealing with outsiders and knew nothing about reading expressions. Upon seeing the Black-Clad Woman, he said delightedly, "You're awake?" It never occurred to him that she had just launched a vicious attack at him.

The Black-Clad Woman lightly clenched her pearly teeth and said bitterly, "Hand it over!"

As she spoke, she turned her delicate wrist and thrust a lovely, pale hand almost right up to Liu Xing's face.

"Hand it over?" Liu Xing froze, unable to understand what the Black-Clad Woman meant.

Seeing Liu Xing apparently playing dumb, the Black-Clad Woman raised her slender brows. Without seeming to make any large movement, she suddenly glided forward like flowing water and reached him in the blink of an eye. She turned her delicate palm and unleashed another streak of green light.

After living on Connors Star for so many years, Liu Xing possessed instincts nearly equal to those of a wild beast. Without thinking, he flipped backward and evaded the Black-Clad Woman's strike.

Shocked and furious, the Black-Clad Woman wanted to pursue him, but then her chest tightened and the spiritual energy inside her scattered. At the same time, a sweet taste rose in her throat, and she nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

The Black-Clad Woman knew that forcing herself to channel spiritual energy and attack while so gravely injured had placed an immense strain on her body. That was to say nothing of how she had forcibly detonated her inner core before it had fully condensed to deal with the eldest and third members of the Five Uglies of Meng Mountain.

Had the Black-Clad Woman not happened to be wearing a strand of Soul-Congealing Pearls that could keep her primordial spirit from dispersing, she would never have dared use a move tantamount to mutual destruction. After all, to a cultivator, having one's soul scattered and sinking forever into the cycle of reincarnation was far more terrifying than death.

Although the Black-Clad Woman had managed to preserve her life, her injuries could not heal in a short time. She had already been awake for a while and had painstakingly accumulated a little spiritual energy, only to spend it all on ambushing Liu Xing.

Infuriatingly, that fellow who looked like a savage was more slippery than a monkey. Even her surprise attack had failed to hit him. Now that they faced each other openly, she had even less chance of catching him while so badly injured.

During her earlier battle with the Five Uglies of Meng Mountain, the Black-Clad Woman had already noticed Liu Xing hiding nearby and watching. When she later unleashed her desperate strike, the Soul-Congealing Pearls had protected her primordial spirit from dispersing. Utterly exhausted, she had merely pretended to fall unconscious.

The third of the Five Uglies of Meng Mountain had died on the spot, while the eldest had suffered grave injuries. The Black-Clad Woman had sensed all of this. She had pretended that her primordial spirit had dispersed because she wanted to see whether an opportunity would arise to ambush their so-called eldest.

Who could have expected the eldest to suddenly summon Liu Xing and order this inexplicable boy to drag her over? The Black-Clad Woman could only conceal her intentions and hold back, allowing Liu Xing to take her hand.

Little had she expected Liu Xing to fling her into the air the moment he acted. Although he had caught her securely in the end, the abrupt tossing up and down was more than the gravely injured Black-Clad Woman could bear. This time, she truly lost consciousness.

Before passing out, the Black-Clad Woman had seen Liu Xing crush the eldest's head underfoot, finally lifting a great stone from her heart. After all, deep down, she did not consider a mortal like Liu Xing capable of threatening her.

PS: Here's today's third update. Please keep those recommendation votes coming, brothers and sisters!