The ice dragon carried endless icy energy, swamping Chen Ming with it.

  Shi Jiuquan spread his awareness and knew this wasn’t enough to end him.

  At the core of this violent and ruthless icy energy, Chen Ming threw one punch after another, using Conquering Immortals Art at every chance, so that the Flood Dragons and Qiongqi repelled the icy energy around him.

  Standing on ice crystals, Chen Ming turned his sight to the cold-eyed Shi Jiuquan.

  Shi Jiuquan moved his bone staff, releasing even more energy. In the resulted snowstorm, fine ice crystals took shape and, like razor blades, flew at Chen Ming.

  Chen Ming spread his arms punching in every direction, wanting to shake mountains with each strike. The might of his hits bogged down the ice storm, taking this chance to rush Shi Jiuquan.

  While Chen Ming was busy fending off the ice storm, Shi Jiuquan was unleashing another ice dragon!

  Chen Ming noticed Shi Jiuquan’s best move was that ice dragon. It opened its maw, releasing its icy energy breath. Chen Ming’s mind drifted to Spring and Autumn on the ground but found his control over it slipping.

  Chen Ming then unsheathed his ten thousand swords, dithering from his back, and formed a sword net around him.

  As the swords were flying in place, he also pushed Spring and Autumn to go further underground.

  Shi Jiuquan eyed the flying swords, “You should know by now these swords don’t work on me.” Chen Ming laughed, “So long as one reaches you, it will let me get close to you.”


  Things took a humorous tone as Chen Ming, an array master, wanted to rely on close combat to win over his enemy.

  But there was no alternative, not with the incomplete Allheaven Stellar Array. He had no way through which he could unleash the full power of the stars.

  As Chen Ming drew closer, Shi Jiuquan didn’t manage to form a complete ice dragon but had no choice in the matter as he released it.

  Chen Ming was blown away again, thirty feet back, his fist shattering the ice dragon to pieces. Shi Jiuquan was getting irate. This was his first encounter with such a powerful array master. He always believed lightning attributed cultivators were his archenemies but in the face of Chen Ming, his magical arts were almost all rendered useless. And wanting to distract an array master with numbers while he cast at the side was wishful thinking!

  The two clashed many many times on the hundred li wide platform, each sustaining some injuries. Shi Jiuquan had no choice but to release four more corpses, his last.

  As Chen Ming was entangled with them, Shi Jiuquan showed a trace of delight.

  When the ice dragon was about to be released, Chen Ming already dealt with the corpses. Despite incomplete, Shi Jiuquan launched the ice dragon towards him.

  But the instant it was about to swallow Chen Ming, Shi Jiuquan noticed he vanished. Beneath his feet, a sudden rumbling came, Damn! How did this brat get here?

  Chen Ming broke the ground punching Shi Jiuquan with all his might and cracking one of his bones!

  Fueled by his success, Chen Ming wasn’t about to let this chance slip away!

  He landed three more hits, sending Shi Jiuquan into a bloody coughing fit.

  Chen Ming’s power was unforgiving. His left grabbed Shi Jiuquan while his right punched with Conquering Immortals Art like lightning. His every hit was a storm as it struck Shi Jiuquan’s body!

  Chen Ming eyed his enemy, thinking of ending him then and there, yet Shi Jiuquan had something to say, “Stop! I spent a thousand years on this star, don’t you want to know why?”


  Chen Ming stayed his hand, wanting to hear Shi Jiuquan’s piece, only after finding he only had three thousand danger value. He was curious to see what tricks he’d pull now.

  Shi Jiuquan scraped the blood of his mouth, “A certain river lies on this continent, one that holds endless souls adrift. And somewhere around these souls, a tree, the Tree of Martyrs!”


  Chen Ming was skeptical, “Tree of Martyrs? The hell is that?”


  “There are many kinds of Tree of Martyrs. Like the Sacred Peach Tree of Immortal King overseeing the Jade Lake. Each peach can extend one’s lifespan. Or the one in the Heavenly Court, the Immortal Fortune Tree. Eating one of its fruit will improve your cultivation by one realm! And there are many others out there. The tree here is precisely a sapling of the Tree of Martyrs!’ ”


  Chen Ming was stunned, “How is this possible? These are all heaven-defying trees! Lifespan is the greatest barrier to a cultivator while eating a fruit can improve a realm? Just what joke is this? Improving one’s realm relates to his comprehension. It’s not like the Dao Sense realm, where you only need to strengthen your body!”


  Shi Jiuquan smiled, “I knew it’d surprise you. But you need to keep in mind as to what helps these trees grow.”


  “What?”


  “Souls! Only souls can grow such a tree to maturity!”


  Chen Ming recalled the Heart Enlightenment Tree on Yan Mountain. Its fruits could increase the perception of people, bolstering his merits income by more than ten times!

  Isn’t having this tree like stealing heaven’s fortune?

  Moreover, there are innumerable souls drifting around the Heart Enlightenment Tree. Or maybe not drifting, but drawn by it!

  Shi Jiuquan resumed, “With that tree, you can aspire for the whole world, wresting for the entire Galaxy, establish your own Heavenly Court. You will have the power to move the immortals, to be the sole ruler of heaven and earth! If you let me go, I will serve you, and teach you how to get that tree, especially how to use it!”


  “Then according to your words, won’t that mean there’s no afterlife?”


  Shi Jiuquan laughed, “Are you an idiot? If the number of souls grows and grows, where would they go? And if you control the tree, you can, to a certain degree, take out the souls you need, like those from your enemies. From here the Tree of Martyrs’ name came to be. Martyrs never die! Once it matures, one can shape a Martyr’s Body and let those martyrs come back to life!”


  Shi Jiuquan’s enticing words echoed on and on, “As long as you have that tree, you can live forever!”


  Chen Ming snapped Shi Jiuquan’s neck, having only his head in hand. Shi Jiuquan didn’t die, being an immortal and all, and glared at Chen Ming, “Don’t you want to obtain that Tree of Martyrs?”