# 1849
Chapter 1849: 22's Ambush
"I'm not doing anything." Lin Qiye spoke calmly. "Didn't you want to enter the Temporal Maze? Go ahead."
Number 22 stared at him for a moment, then stepped forward toward the Temporal Maze's entrance. The others followed closely behind.
He arrived at the river of moonlight, its pristine glow illuminating the grotesque stitched-together body with startling clarity. In the woman's chest cavity, Number 22's eyes flickered with ruthlessness.
"Even if you're the Supreme Commander of the Night Watch, here, you're all alone. If you want to play the mantis stalking the cicada, you'd better have the skills for it..."
His words trailed off as Number 22 stepped into the moonlight, his form sinking into the river and vanishing. His followers entered one after another, and soon the entire ice field fell into deathly silence.
Clad in a crimson cloak, Lin Qiye stood alone before the labyrinth entrance, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Whether you have the skills or not, you'll find out soon enough."
...
Temporal Maze.
"Your Holiness, are we really not leaving?"
Before a gray river, the group gathered at the shore. Kubera asked carefully.
Number 22's eyes locked onto the moonlight reflections on the river's surface, like a patient hunter waiting for his prey to appear...
"Why would we leave?" Number 22 coldly laughed. "He's powerful, but he hasn't reached the Supreme God level, and he's alone. If we set up an ambush beforehand, even if he doesn't die, he'll be severely wounded... He wants us to be his path-clearing chess pieces, so naturally he must be prepared for a counter-kill. Back then at the King's Treasury, he got the better of me, but now, the situation has changed..."
Number 22 grabbed the Royal Scepter at his chest and thrust it downward. The heavy staff's base pierced directly through his body and slammed into the earth!
Boom—!
Golden ripples swept across the land once more. Dense golden currents streamed from all the followers, flowing entirely into Number 22's body.
Their divine power was completely drained again, yet none of them raised any objection, as if such plundering was long习惯了. After all, they couldn't be bothered to fight anyway. As long as they provided divine power to the Holy Sovereign, he would naturally handle the enemies.
Simply put, they were just a group of "power banks" for Number 22 to use at any time. Standing by and enjoying victory was effortless—what wasn't to like?
After absorbing the combined divine power of over a dozen gods once more, Number 22's aura reached a terrifying level. Gripping the King's Treasure Sword, he watched the moonlight on the river intently.
By his calculations, Lin Qiye should arrive soon.
One second, two seconds, three seconds... one minute, five minutes, ten minutes.
Number 22 had steeled himself to wait by the river for ten full minutes, yet Lin Qiye still showed no signs of appearing!
The gathered divine power had already dispersed involuntarily. Number 22's aura suddenly collapsed like a deflated balloon, returning to its original state... His energy had faded, but his anger had only grown.
"Damn it..." Number 22 growled through gritted teeth.
Why hadn't he appeared?
Had he seen through his intentions? Or was his goal not this Temporal Maze at all?
Impossible... Even this labyrinth had been secretly guided to them by Lin Qiye. He definitely intended to use them as path-clearing pioneers ahead of him. If that was the case, he absolutely couldn't fail to enter.
He must have seen through the ambush and was deliberately stalling outside.
Number 22's mind raced, quickly reaching a conclusion. He coldly smiled and activated the Royal Scepter once more, plundering the gods' divine power again.
He wanted to use this method to force Lin Qiye to abandon his ambush and walk into the maze directly. If he lost patience and walked in himself, he'd still be falling into Lin Qiye's trap... But Number 22 had always prided himself as a hunter skilled in patience. He had plenty of it to spare.
Time passed. The gods' divine power was plundered by Number 22 repeatedly, then forcibly reset each time. Every time the effect expired, Number 22 would immediately drive the Royal Scepter again. He had to keep himself in peak condition at all times to confidently inflict a devastating blow on Lin Qiye.
Number 22 had enough patience, but the others didn't... They simply waited by the river, watching Number 22 drain their divine power again and again, finding it unbearably boring!
Just as the group had started yawning, a deep crimson afterimage suddenly flashed across the moonlight!
Number 22's eyes narrowed sharply!
Without hesitation, the King's Treasure Sword in his hand ruthlessly slashed toward the river's surface!
Boom—!!
Vast divine power poured into the blade's glow, instantly cleaving the river in two. Surging divine aftershocks erupted toward the heavens, illuminating a corner of the dim sky!
This strike directly startled the other Divine Desire Paradise members awake. They stared in astonishment at the churning tide of divine power. Between the swirling dust, a deep crimson cloak spun wildly in the gale!
Number 22 gripped his sword, and seeing this scene, his heart immediately sank!
Because that was merely a cloak...
Almost simultaneously, Number 22 had already reacted. He lightning-fast swung the King's Treasure Sword behind him. A figure emerged from the void, and an even more terrifying golden sword glow came crashing down!
The King's Treasure Sword collided with Ame-no-Murakumo. Surging divine power exploded into a ring in mid-air, and Number 22's form was struck like a meteor, blasted back down to earth!
Boom—!!!
The earth quaked. Vast dust rose into the sky.
Under the dim moonlight, Lin Qiye in black combat gear gripped White Slash in one hand and Ame-no-Murakumo in the other, calmly gazing down at everyone. Six colossal wings that blotted out the sky slowly unfurled from his back...
"Your patience is indeed exceptional. I've delayed for so long, yet you're still here setting an ambush." Lin Qiye slowly spoke. "Fortunately, I've prepared as well."
Though Lin Qiye had only clashed with Number 22 once, the man's forbearance and ruthlessness had left a deep impression. If it were any other normal person, who would seriously wait here for hours?
So before entering the maze, Lin Qiye had still been cautious. He sent his cloak into the moonlight first, then traveled through the void to follow. It was precisely for this reason that he directly avoided Number 22's strongest charged strike.
Number 22's bloated body rose from the ruins. He stared at the six-winged figure in the sky, his eyes filled with fury and venom.
His ambush had failed.
Just as he prepared to speak, a golden domain expanded from beneath the six-winged figure's feet!
Searing divine power poured into Ame-no-Murakumo, like a sun perpetually on the verge of eruption. The Seraph's divine might pressed down upon everyone's hearts. Several Lesser Gods with relatively weaker power couldn't control the trembling of their bodies.
In the sky, Lin Qiye's momentum had risen to its peak. His eyes, brimming with killing intent, locked onto the crowd below as he calmly spoke:
"Would you prefer to be chased and scattered by me... or walk in on your own?"