Chapter 482: Conversation with the Pope

“Boss, is this your wife?” As everyone was chatting and laughing, and Rod was feeling somewhat relieved, a sudden remark made him blush furiously and silenced the entire room.
Instantly, everyone’s gaze turned to Rod, who was stared at curiously, as if waiting for an answer.
Sognar and John looked at Rod with amused expressions, then at Ada standing beside him. More importantly, they saw the displeasure on Lucy and the other women’s faces, showing signs of schadenfreude.
Needless to say, Sognar understood what was going on. Even John, a newcomer, had picked up a lot in just a few days—let alone Viski and the others. They worriedly watched the women behind them; if those girls lost control now, no one could stop them. They secretly worried deeply for Jerome.
Ada, the person involved, was face red, but there was a shy smile on her lips. At least, Jerome’s words made her feel comfortable.
“What’s the matter? No way, boss… Are these all your wives?” Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Jerome finally noticed the beautiful women behind Ada and asked Rod hesitantly, in disbelief.
This remark made Sognar and the others burst into laughter. It was rare to see Rod in such a predicament.
On the contrary, this remark made Lilith, Lucy, and Nightingale’s expressions slightly better—at least they weren’t ignored. Women were indeed strange creatures.
“Boss… you’re too… Oh God, just strike me down with lightning! Why don’t I have such luck?” Seeing Rod’s embarrassed look and him not denying his words, Jerome started shouting loudly, looking up at the stars in despair. This made everyone feel even more uncomfortable.
“Alright, you idiot! If you knew, why would you ask?” Rod complained, clearly annoyed, as if afraid others would find out.
His words caused laughter throughout the room, and they saw a hint of excitement in the women’s eyes. It was the first time Rod had faced this issue so openly. Although he hadn’t said anything, it was obvious he had agreed, which stirred excitement in the women’s hearts.
The next moment, everyone looked at Rod and the women with suggestive eyes, especially Bit and Chelly, his former comrades, who made Rod feel extremely uncomfortable.

“Alright, let’s go. Stop standing here; let’s go inside and sit down!” Embarrassed Rod could only change the subject. Fortunately, after days of continuous travel, these people were also extremely tired and needed a good rest. Under Rod’s guidance, the seven or eight of them were arranged in several empty rooms in the side courtyard. That night, the group talked heart to heart until dawn before parting. Having gone through so much over the past few years, Rod was deeply moved as they shared their experiences. It wasn’t until the first light of dawn appeared that they finally went to rest, driven by exhaustion. Over those few days, Rod seemed to find again the life he had in Blaze City during his time with the Windy Mercenaries. The group spent several days exploring Autumn Water City, experiencing the atmosphere they hadn’t felt in ages. News of the ceasefire had reached every corner of the continent, and everyone began to cheer and rejoice—war had finally stopped, which was undoubtedly the best news for them. Normal life was returning, free from the scourge of war. Not only the common people but also the nations breathed a sigh of relief, especially the Lance Empire and the Meidis Empire, the two largest victims who finally got a chance to rest. Now, on the continent, perhaps the most talked-about person was Rod—once hunted by the entire continent, he had now become the ruler of the Dark Source, the cornerstone of the continent, standing at the pinnacle of history, evoking deep admiration. Bianuo had also returned. Everyone returned to Autumn Water City at this time. While outsiders thought the city had settled down, they didn’t realize that an even more important event was approaching. With the end of the continental wars, the Divine Demon War officially entered history and became part of their lives. The Wolf King and the ancestors of the trolls had been busy preparing the venue these past few days, ready to hold what was called the conference. With everything ready, the conference would begin the next day. Rod and the others went to rest, feeling a hint of heaviness in their hearts. The members of the Windy Mercenaries were unaware of this matter, so Rod kept them away, not wanting them to know—after all, their strength was still too weak, and he didn’t want them involved in these conflicts.

That night, the Pope finally managed to find Rod. After so many days, perhaps due to the change in his identity, he felt unaccustomed and didn’t know how to face Rod. After a few days of adjustment, he barely managed to adapt.

When they arrived at the villa where the Pope and others were staying, several church bishops had already been sent away by the Pope, leaving only the two of them in the room.

“The Gate of Gods and Demons has opened, and the war between gods and demons has begun. My church has experienced the last great war between gods and demons!” The Pope sighed as he looked at Rod.

Rod was aware of this. The trolls had long told him that the church, as a participant in the last war between gods and demons, was a considerable force. Perhaps, aside from the Eight Ancient Families, the Light Church held a prominent position. Back then, the church had two divine generals’ divinities—a God of Light and a God of War! Additionally, there were six divine gods’ divinities, which was definitely impressive for the forces on the continent.

At that time, they were just an ordinary organization, not even truly a church, similar in nature to the current Mage Guilds and Warrior Associations.

It wasn’t until those two divine generals appeared that they transformed into the Light Church, worshipping the God of Light and the God of War, claiming to be messengers of the gods. Over hundreds of thousands of years, their development far exceeded everyone’s expectations, reaching such a level, which was truly astonishing. Today, the Light Church holds a pivotal position on the continent, even comparable to any empire, showing just how influential it is.

“Yes, the demon souls are returning!” Rod didn’t feel the need to hide much from the Pope. Anyone could be possessed by demon souls, but the Light Church had the lowest chance of it. This was due to the combat energy and magical attributes they practiced.

The light energy was the force that demon souls detested and feared the most. Therefore, they would never try to possess people like them. Just recovering their strength and converting energy would take those creatures a long time, a futile effort they wouldn’t undertake. So Rod didn’t need to worry that the Pope was in trouble.

“I feel the call of the Heavenly Dao, I feel the summons of divine divinities!” The Pope said to Rod, his expression serious yet tinged with excitement.

“That’s good. Obtaining divine divinities quickly will enhance our strength!” Rod said with a smile after thinking for a moment.

It’s not surprising—given the Pope’s strength, at the middle stage of the Yangxuan realm, he can compete with figures like the Wolf Emperor, and even fighting him himself wouldn’t yield much advantage. More importantly, if they encounter demon souls, their combat strength might even surpass his own, as their energy is inherently a counter to demon souls. This is their advantage, and it’s also why the Light God King was able to achieve such a high status in the divine realm.

“Two or three people on this continent have sensed it. We plan to obtain divine statuses together after this matter is resolved. By then, we hope the Source of Darkness can offer some advice!” After thinking for a moment, the Pope said with a wry smile. They indeed needed the help of the Source of Darkness. Judging from those who had come this time, it might not be obvious to others, but he and a few others could sense it clearly. At least six people here had already obtained divine statuses, making them incredibly powerful. The sudden sense of energy coming from the direction of the Source of Darkness some time ago must have been them obtaining their divine statuses.

Moreover, it’s certain that the number of divine statuses held by the Source of Darkness is far more than this—there must still be people remaining within it. If they could inherit some experience, it would undoubtedly be beneficial for them.

“No problem. We’ll discuss it thoroughly after the meeting ends!” Rod replied readily. For him, this was a good thing—more divine statuses meant greater strength on their side. Why not take it?

“How do you plan to handle this situation? I am that Demon Marshal!” Finally, the Pope brought the conversation to its most critical point.

“How do you know?” Rod’s expression turned serious as he asked in a deep voice. He wasn’t expecting the Pope to know about this. After all, he hadn’t even noticed it himself, especially from such close range. Could it be that the Pope was even stronger than him? Rod was puzzled.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t reached that level yet. I only know about this because the previous generation of the Light God left some words and the church has some special methods. What the Light God left for our church was that the moment the Gate between Gods and Demons opens is also the moment the Demon Lord escapes. Meanwhile, our church has special ways to detect such things. That’s how I realized that the Demon Lord has indeed appeared this time, and unless something goes wrong, he should be on our continent. Otherwise, you Dark Source wouldn’t have rushed here so quickly to hold this meeting!” The Pope said with a bitter smile upon seeing Rod’s expression.