# 1848
Chapter 1848
The terrorous divine power intertwined within the golden light, like a massive pillar rising into the clouds, terrifying ripples swept across the ice field, and ice layers spanning dozens of kilometers exploded violently!
This single slap directly contained the combined divine power of over a dozen Lesser Gods, two Chief Gods, and Fenrir's own divine power, instantly grinding the massive form of the Demon Wolf into the lowest layers of the ice, the cracking of its skull merging with the sound of shattering ice, disappearing into the explosion.
This strike was absolutely enough to rival the Supreme God-tier.
The aftershock of the tremor dissipated across the shattered ice plain. Fenrir lay motionless in the glacier like a corpse, leaving the surrounding [Divine Desire Paradise] forces utterly stunned.
Not just them—even Lin Qiye hadn't anticipated such devastating damage from the 22nd's strike. The precision of timing and angle far exceeded anything Kubera and these Chief God and Lesser God entities could achieve.
The 22nd's bulky form drifted down onto a floating ice chunk, gazing down at the waterlogged Fenrir, and spoke indifferently:
"Killing one beast—is that really so hard? Why does it have to be so troublesome with you lot?"
Kubera and the others exchanged glances, lowering their heads in silence.
Just as the 22nd was about to continue speaking, the ice beneath his feet suddenly exploded!
A pair of delicate hands emerged from the freezing current, clamping onto his ankle with crushing force, toppling the 22nd's bulky frame and sending him crashing into the icy river!
The reversal came so abruptly that by the time those distant observers could react, the masked figure had already planted herself atop the 22nd's body, a palm crackling with azure light striking toward the 22nd's chest!
The spot she targeted was precisely where the [Royal Scepter] was located!
Was her goal to seize the [Royal Scepter]?
Watching from within the void, Lin Qiye's eyes widened in surprise at this development.
No wonder she'd vanished right after her initial appearance, letting Fenrir keep the [Divine Desire Paradise] forces occupied all along—she'd been lying in wait for the 22nd to exhaust the [Scepter]'s power before making her move to seize the weapon. From the very beginning, everyone had walked into her trap.
Both the 22nd's sudden appearance and this fake God of Trickery had caught Lin Qiye off guard... It seemed the four years within the mist had indeed brought about many changes.
The girl's palm grabbed the top of the [Royal Scepter], pulling with all her strength to extract it from the 22nd's body, but no matter how hard she tried, the scepter remained completely unmoved.
It wasn't that she lacked strength, nor was she grabbing the wrong spot—after all, the 22nd had fused this scepter directly into his flesh, making it part of his body, with only a section of the top protruding from his chest. Removing it would be no easier than pulling out a rib from the 22nd's body with bare hands.
Slap—!
A hand clamped down死死 on the girl's wrist.
"So that's what you were after... Heh." The 22nd lay on his back in the current, sneering at the masked girl before him. "I merged it with my body specifically to guard against people like you. Appearances mean nothing—only absolute power is what one must grip tightly in their hands... Wouldn't you agree?"
From within the water, a sword radiating divine light burst forth with a thunderous rush!
The 22nd gripped the girl's body tightly with one hand while clutching the [King's Treasure Sword] in the other, pointing it directly at her throat. This sword, like the [Royal Scepter], was a Supreme-tier artifact—the only divine-slaying sword in the world that carried its own divine law.
Beneath the girl's mask, her expression shifted, her pupils narrowing slightly.
Just then, a blade of light sliced through the void, its edge catching against the sacred sword and producing dazzling sparks as it held the weapon suspended in mid-air!
A figure materialized swiftly from the emptiness.
"Another helper?"
The 22nd narrowed his eyes at this, slashing his sword to knock away the blade, then his身形 raced across the glacier back to the [Divine Desire Paradise] ranks.
Those who'd been knocked unconscious by the trap earlier had now woken up one after another. They followed behind the 22nd, their gazes filled with wariness as they watched the two figures before them.
"Isn't that Harlan?" Kubera blurted out, recognizing the blade-wielder.
"Fool—he was replaced long ago."
The 22nd fixed his gaze on the figure, his voice cold. "That strange lightning from before—was that your doing too? What are you really after, lurking among us?"
"No particular motive." Lin Qiye replied unhurriedly. "I just saw you lot struggling to find the maze, so I lent a hand."
At this point, he saw no reason to maintain his disguise. With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the transformation magic and reverted to his original appearance.
Upon seeing that face, the 22nd's brow furrowed tightly.
"Brown Myers... it's actually you? Or should I address you as Commander Lin of the Great XiaNight Watch?"
Hearing this long-unfamiliar name of Brown Myers, Lin Qiye's heart stirred slightly.
"Long time no see, 22nd." Lin Qiye spoke calmly. "You've grown quite a bit these four years."
"Have I? Nothing compared to the famous Commander Lin." The 22nd replied leisurely. "You're the one who could destroy Olympus with a flip of your hand. My little achievements are nothing before you."
Just as Lin Qiye was about to respond, his brow twitched. He turned to look behind him.
Upon the shimmering icy river, both the masked girl he'd rescued earlier and the Demon Wolf Fenrir had vanished without a trace. Only ripples continued to spread across the pristine river surface.
Seeing this, Lin Qiye seemed to have realized something, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
"No wonder..."
"Seems like she didn't appreciate your kindness." The 22nd sneered.
"Kindness? You're wrong... She simply beat you all to finding the entrance to the Temporal Maze." Lin Qiye shook his head.
Hearing these words, the 22nd's expression changed. "What did you say?"
"Haven't you noticed? This world clearly has no moon, yet a reflection of the moon still appears on the river's surface." Lin Qiye pointed to the shimmering ice. "That means... the time in this area is still stuck in the distant past."
When they first arrived, the river had been frozen solid under ice, so no one had noticed anything unusual. It was only when they shattered the ice layers during the battle that the entrance was fully revealed.
Seeing that the annoying God of Trickery had already entered the Temporal Maze first, the 22nd's expression turned grim. He wanted to lead everyone into the maze immediately, but Lin Qiye stood right by the entrance, making them extremely wary.
Seeing this, Lin Qiye simply stepped back a dozen paces, opening the path generously, and even made a "please" gesture.
Lin Qiye's behavior left the 22nd and his group bewildered. He furrowed his brow, staring at Lin Qiye, and spoke in a low voice:
"What exactly are you trying to do?"