# 1845
Chapter 1838: Divine Desire Paradise
"That's…" Lin Qiye noticed the figures below, his golden eyes narrowing slightly.
Most of the auras emanating from these people were at the Lesser God level, but there were also a few at the Chief God tier. As for what was contained in that black sedan, even his spiritual sense couldn't perceive it clearly.
It was called a black sedan, but it more closely resembled an enlarged coffin. Extending from its base were several crossbeams, carried aloft by several Lesser Gods as they moved slowly and steadily deeper into the Antarctic continent.
This group was extremely diverse in composition—they clearly weren't from any single divine kingdom. They must belong to one of the organizations that had recently emerged in the mist… the [Hidden Gods]? Or [Divine Desire Paradise]?
What were they doing here in Antarctica?
Just as Lin Qiye puzzled over their purpose, those figures suddenly halted. They exchanged words amongst themselves, then dispersed, spreading out as if searching for something.
The Lesser Gods and Chief Gods departed in different directions one after another, leaving only the weakest members behind to shoulder the black sedan. Lin Qiye considered taking this opportunity to descend and eliminate them all—after all, with this avatar's power, there were few below Supreme God who could match him.
But thinking of the诡异 aroma wafting from the black sedan, he abandoned that idea. This was one of Earth's most mysterious regions after all; caution was the better part of valor.
After brief consideration, Lin Qiye locked onto the direction taken by one of the Lesser Gods and, with narrowed eyes, silently pursued.
"What a desolate place… searched这么久都找不到，不如回去算了。" Harlan walked alone across the ice sheet, gazing at the endless white around him, cursing in frustration.
"Wouldn't enjoying pleasures back there be better than wasting time here? Don't know what possessed the Holy Sovereign to drag us to this wretched location… what a fool."
As Harlan cursed his way forward, though a Lesser God, his build was not tall—quite thin, actually. His eyes brimmed with resentment and cruelty, resembling an addict who had overindulged.
He took a cursory sweep of the surroundings and decided to head back. He had no interest in whatever the Holy Sovereign sought anyway; perhaps if he convinced him to abandon the search, they could leave sooner.
Just as he turned to depart, the shadow cast upon the ice suddenly flickered. A figure flashed behind him, palm crackling with golden energy, striking his temple with devastating force!
The attack came too swiftly, too suddenly. Harlan felt a crushing blow to his head, and then he plunged into the abyss of endless darkness.
Lin Qiye steadied the falling body of Harlan.
A brilliant magic array unfurled beneath his feet, directly swallowing the Lesser God's form. Then his own figure blurred; moments later, it transformed into Harlan's appearance.
"This body is much more convenient…" Lin Qiye savored the familiar sensation of transformation magic, unable to resist a sigh of appreciation.
After briefly acclimating to this body, he walked directly toward the black sedan. The distance between them was considerable, and Lin Qiye's swift action had released no divine power, so it had gone undetected.
When he returned to the black sedan, the others who had scattered in various directions had mostly rejoined the group.
"Found the entrance yet?"
A low voice emerged from within the black sedan.
Upon hearing this voice, Lin Qiye felt a flicker of surprise. He had assumed the source of the mysterious fragrance was an object, never imagining it could be a person… or rather, a god?
And if it wasn't his imagination, that voice seemed somehow familiar…
Everyone shook their heads.
"Holy Sovereign, we've been searching here for nearly a day now and still haven't found the entrance… perhaps we should consider returning?" A tentative voice ventured.
It seemed Harlan wasn't the only one with such thoughts.
Holy Sovereign?
What kind of title was that?
Lin Qiye glanced at the speaker—a person just as gaunt and hollow-eyed as Harlan, though perhaps even worse off, their voice thin and ethereal.
The Holy Sovereign's voice resounded once more. "The treasure deep within the Temporal Maze is more precious than anything in this world… Even if it takes a day, don't even think about leaving until you find it!"
The voice carried a ruthless edge. When he declared they would search until death, all present turned pale.
They knew the Holy Sovereign wasn't joking… if they couldn't find it, there was no way they were leaving this frozen world.
After a brief silence, the Holy Sovereign spoke again:
"But don't worry. If we find that thing this time, everyone will receive a reward upon returning to [Divine Desire Paradise]… Another taste of the 'Forbidden Fruit,' perhaps?"
"Forbidden Fruit?!"
At these words, the dull eyes of the crowd suddenly ignited with fervor. They licked their parched, cracked lips, hunger and greed blazing in their gazes.
So this was indeed [Divine Desire Paradise]…
Lin Qiye swiftly concealed his true thoughts and joined the surrounding "excitement," his eyes glittering.
This organization had only emerged in the mist quite recently, with sparse intelligence available. Yet its expansion had been staggering—nearly every survivor from the shattered divine kingdoms had flooded into its ranks. Lin Qiye had specifically dispatched [Knight] into the mist to gather intelligence, though there had been no response yet.
If his suspicions were correct, the figure seated within the black sedan was the supreme ruler of [Divine Desire Paradise]… But how did they know about the existence of the Temporal Maze?
"Continue forward… It is said that as we approach the Temporal Maze entrance, temporal anomalies will appear. Watch your surroundings carefully."
Under the Holy Sovereign's directive, the group pressed onward. Brilliant sunlight flooded across the ice, casting the entire world in blinding white.
"Little Harlan, do you think we'll actually get another chance to taste the 'Forbidden Fruit'?"
A figure squeezed close to Lin Qiye and whispered.
Lin Qiye turned to look. The speaker was the very person who had suggested they return earlier. Though appearing withered and frail, this individual was actually a Chief God.
"If the Holy Sovereign says we will, then we will, right?" Lin Qiye lowered his voice to match.
He had no idea who this person was, but his original body seemed quite familiar with them. For Lin Qiye, this was undoubtedly a dangerous signal—he had not inherited the predecessor's memories, after all.
"Tsk tsk, that 'Forbidden Fruit'…" The man glanced back at the black sedan behind them, a lascivious smile curling his lips. "Though [Divine Desire Paradise] offers many pleasures, none can compare to the [Forbidden Fruit]… If I could taste it just once more, I'd gladly stay here for a hundred years."
Seeing the undisguised lewdness gleaming in the man's eyes, Lin Qiye's expression grew somewhat peculiar.