# Chapter 3208: Smashing Through the Divine Temple
The ghostly qi was split in two, and the original body's cultivation base suffered severe damage, like a flesh-and-blood creature's body being cleaved in half.
Gong Shang was already renowned for his might, and at Ku Fa Mountain, he had punched through Yun Jing Shang Ren's chest with a single blow, his combat power definitely at the peak of Tai Xu realm.
Zhao Wu knew that his plan had failed today, so he acted quite decisively. The half of his ghostly qi trapped within the Nether Light Curse, like another version of himself, began to burn as ghostly incantations echoed throughout the divine temple.
He had clearly activated some forbidden art, the temperature rising to terrifying levels, blinding and scorching.
"Boom!"
The Nether Light was burned through, and flames exploded outward wildly.
Although it was not a self-detonation of the divine source, it was half of a Tai Xu Great God's life and cultivation, transformed in an instant into destructive power. Below the Infinite realm, any cultivator facing such a suicidal strike would have to retreat.
Perhaps they might not even escape.
Zhang Ruochen felt the flames surging toward him like an avalanche, dazzling and intimidating, comparable to a God King's strike, burning through space, eroding rules, as if about to reduce the entire divine temple to ashes.
"Haha, Gong Shang, you brought this on yourself by meddling. Do you really think that being a step ahead in cultivation allows you to suppress me? Even if it costs me an eon of cultivation, I will kill you." Zhao Wu's laughter was manic, echoing through the divine temple.
But soon, the laughter stopped abruptly.
In the divine temple, space trembled, and a bronze great cauldron flew out.
The cauldron spun, erupting with brilliant white light, warping space as it drew the destructive flames into a spatial vortex, then absorbed them all into the cauldron.
Ancient patterns flickered on the cauldron's surface, countless origin rules flowing within.
Zhang Ruochen raised his right hand above his head, his palm spewing divine qi like chaotic mist, the bronze great cauldron spinning in his palm. Moments later, a dazzling divine pill flew out from the cauldron and landed in his hand.
Uninformed cultivators might think Zhang Ruochen was a divine alchemy master.
But Zhao Wu knew that the divine pill was condensed from half of his cultivation base. Such speed, such an eerie method of alchemy—it was practically comparable to a Dao Ancestor of alchemy.
"You talk too much. I've wanted to refine you for a long time." Zhang Ruochen mimicked Gong Shang's tone, speaking coldly and sinisterly.
Within the six divine formations, Zhao Wu's true body was panicked and terrified, roaring: "Nine Cauldrons, Nine Cauldrons—you actually obtained the Nine Cauldrons... Gong Shang, how could you have such fortune?"
"Since you know my secret, I cannot let you live today."
Zhang Ruochen's killing intent surged, dark divine qi imbued with the meaning of death spreading from his body, forming a black hole.
Wu Yin rushed out from the blazing sphere, condensing his ghostly body, exclaiming: "Gong Heavenly Son, do not kill him. We need him alive."
Just as Wu Yin blocked Zhang Ruochen, Zhao Wu activated the six divine formations, condensing them into six formation worlds that pressed down upon the two in the hall.
From within the six formation worlds, fierce attacks erupted.
Various killing rays, like divine abilities, rained down like a storm, as if dozens of deities were attacking simultaneously.
Zhang Ruochen was fearless, his figure straight and tall, holding the Earth Cauldron aloft as he strode forward, drawing upon the origin rules of heaven and earth throughout Fengdu Ghost City.
"Rustle rustle!"
Origin divine light enveloped the Qing Cang Divine Temple, its radiance illuminating the eternal night of Fengdu Ghost City.
"Boom!"
This divine city, known as the number one city of the Hell Realm, shook violently, centered on the Central Ghost Emperor's Mansion.
Outside the Ghost Emperor's Mansion, buildings collapsed one after another, turning into ruins.
Countless cultivators had their souls scattered by the shockwaves of divine power. Even more ghost clan cultivators exploded into clouds of ghostly mist.
But with countless formations blocking the city, the destructive force was not too severe.
The six divine formations and the Qing Cang Divine Temple were all smashed through by a single strike of the Earth Cauldron.
The six formation worlds manifested above the Qing Cang Divine Temple, layered one atop another like six world towers, each vast in territory. But a hole a thousand meters in diameter pierced through all six worlds.
It was a shocking sight, for the six formation worlds were no different from the real world, even more stable than it.
What kind of power could punch through six worlds at once?
Cultivators gazing toward the Central Ghost Emperor's Mansion were all stunned, thinking a God King had emerged, wielding a war halberd that pierced heaven and earth.
Origin divine light spread between the six formation worlds, lingering for a long time.
Thick origin rules of heaven and earth and chaotic divine power shrouded a large area of the Central Ghost Emperor's Mansion, preventing any arriving deities from breaking through.
Even some Tai Yi and Tai Bai Great Gods, upon approaching, found their divine bodies beginning to disintegrate.
Zhao Wu failed to escape and was suppressed beneath the cauldron by Zhang Ruochen.
His divine body was powerful, his divine patterns as firm as vajra iron chains. The origin divine light erupting from the Earth Cauldron could not decompose him even after some time.
Such veteran Tai Xu Great Gods were indeed not easy opponents.
Zhang Ruochen held the cauldron with one hand while forming a claw with the other, gradually breaking through the defensive barriers, piercing the divine realm world, and grabbing into Zhao Wu's ghostly body.
His five fingers emitted origin divine light as he forcibly performed a soul search.
"You... you wouldn't dare..." Zhao Wu's spiritual will was strong, his eyes bulging as he resisted Zhang Ruochen.
But the Earth Cauldron's power was immense, suppressing him so he could not move, unable to use any desperate measures.
"Found it!"
Zhang Ruochen's fingers pierced through Zhao Wu's divine sea, grasping the divine source within the boundless divine sea.
In that instant, Zhao Wu keenly sensed something, his eyes showing suspicion.
No other reason—when Zhang Ruochen searched for his divine source, he used powerful truth power. This truth power was so pure and strong that it far surpassed a Truth Envoy, nearly comparable to a Truth Lord God.
Zhao Wu grew suspicious of the identity of this "Gong Shang" before him, but could no longer speak.
After a while, the soul search ended.
Zhang Ruochen extracted Zhao Wu's divine source, holding it in his hand, his expression shifting uncertainly.
On the ground, Zhao Wu's ghostly body alternately condensed and dispersed, wrapped in layers of spiritual power chains, completely sealed.
Wu Yin stood to the side, watching Gong Shang holding the Earth Cauldron, his heart filled with shock and awe.
In the hundred thousand years since they last met, this old fellow's cultivation had become terrifying to such an extent. Zhao Wu had even used forbidden arts, yet still had no power to resist.
Even more frightening, he could locate Zhao Wu's divine source in an instant and extract it.
This...
A deity's body was a world.
A deity's divine sea was a world within a world.
Even if the divine body was shattered, the divine sea could remain undestroyed.
Even if the divine sea was pierced, the divine source could hide without form, like hiding a drop of water in the ocean.
As long as the divine sea was not destroyed and the divine source remained, even if a deity's physical body turned to ashes, their cultivation could still return to its peak.
However, Wu Yin could see that Gong Shang's overwhelming power came from borrowing the Earth Cauldron's might.
The legendary Nine Cauldrons were indeed universe-shaking treasures. Holding one cauldron allowed one to sweep through deities of the same realm, invincible. Holding all nine might truly command the world.
Wu Yin approached with reverence, bowed, and said: "Thank you, Gong Heavenly Son, for saving me and eliminating this great threat to the Central Ghost Emperor's Mansion. After the soul search, did you find anything?"
Zhang Ruochen held Zhao Wu's divine source, arrogant and cold, glancing sideways: "The Quantity Envoy is Huang E Shen Jun, a disciple of the Three Calamities Emperor Lord."
"The reason Zhao Wu was so easily defeated is that he had dedicated much of his divine soul to Huang E Shen Jun. Without a doubt, Huang E Shen Jun already knows what happened here."
Wu Yin's expression changed drastically. This matter was too significant.
If Huang E Shen Jun was a Quantity Envoy, how could the Three Calamities Emperor Lord escape involvement?
The Three Calamities Emperor Lord was not only the clan leader of the Corpse Clan but also one of the Twenty Heavens.
Wu Yin, having lived for hundreds of thousands of years, quickly calmed down: "What exactly are they plotting?"
"They first imprisoned Chi Cha Luo, then captured Yao Guang Emperor Consort, and now they've made a move against you. Can't you guess what they want?" Zhang Ruochen asked in return.
Wu Yin said: "Chi Cha Luo was imprisoned in the Divine Prison by Xue Chang Jin. Does Gong Heavenly Son mean that Xue Chang Jin is also a member of the Quantity Organization?"
Zhang Ruochen's eyes were sharp, and he snorted: "Without a high-ranking insider, would Huang E Shen Jun dare to plan such a large scheme in Fengdu Ghost City?"
Wu Yin pondered for a moment, and flames of hatred surged in his eyes: "So that's how it is. It seems that Zhang Ruochen back then was indeed just a scapegoat. I thank Gong Heavenly Son again for your help. This debt of gratitude will be remembered by Fengdu Ghost City. I will immediately send word to the Ghost Divine Temple and the various Ghost Emperor's Mansions."
Zhang Ruochen did not stop Wu Yin. After all, what happened in the Central Ghost Emperor's Mansion needed to be explained to the outside world.
If Wu Yin could truly spread the news, it would be a good thing. It would make it ten or a hundred times harder for the Quantity Organization to control the divine formations in Fengdu Ghost City.
But Zhang Ruochen did not believe that only Huang E Shen Jun and Xue Chang Jin were behind such a large matter. There must be other powerful figures in the shadows.
How many of the sixteen Quantity Envoys had come?
Unfortunately, Zhao Wu had joined the Quantity Organization too recently and knew very little.
"I must leave now. The Central Ghost Emperor's Mansion must not encounter any accidents. You must guard it carefully. By the way, regarding Gong Lan and Gong Bai that Zhao Wu mentioned earlier, it would be best to detain them first. Also... Blazing Sun Heavenly Lord was meeting secretly with Zhao Wu earlier. He is most likely a member of the Quantity Organization as well." Zhang Ruochen said sternly.
Mentioning the Blazing Sun Heavenly Lord was entirely Zhang Ruochen's personal addition.
In truth, Zhang Ruochen did not believe he was a member of the Quantity Organization at all.
Hatred surged in Wu Yin's eyes. After experiencing today's events, he detested the Quantity Organization even more, wanting to eliminate them all.
Moreover, eliminating members of the Quantity Organization was a monumental achievement. When the Ghost Emperor and Heavenly Venerable returned, there would surely be great rewards.
Gong Lan, Gong Bai, Blazing Sun Heavenly Lord... Hmph, just wait. Better to kill the wrong person than let the guilty escape.
Zhang Ruochen suddenly stopped and added: "Regarding the Earth Cauldron, please keep it secret. This cauldron is to be offered to the Heavenly Father in the future. If word gets out, you know the consequences. As for the Heavenly Father... Heh heh!"
"Rest assured, Heavenly Son. Wu Yin will keep his mouth shut."
Wu Yin bowed deeply, his words sincere and full of respect.
But Zhang Ruochen did not believe his guarantee at all.
The Earth Cauldron had appeared, and he had witnessed its power firsthand. It would be strange if Wu Yin was not tempted.
It didn't matter. At least until the Quantity Organization in Fengdu Ghost City was eliminated, no matter how greedy Wu Yin was, he would not act rashly. Moreover, the Gong Heavenly Son was not someone just anyone could afford to offend.
(Chapter End)