Baiyang explained to Xiao Xun, "All the factories are working overtime to produce the parts you pictured. Some require continuous high-temperature treatment, so they can only be heated by burning wood and a black mineral that burns continuously."
Xiao Xun heard this and exclaimed, "A black mineral that burns continuously? Isn't that just coal! Humph, living backward like this."
He had Baiyang lead everyone to the surface. The streets were sparsely populated, and every household had its lights off. Only the roaring and banging sounds from the distant factories indicated that this was not a 'ghost town.'
At that moment, patrol officers with a group of people walked towards them. Visibility was less than ten meters. It had just rained; without the rain, visibility would have been even lower.
The patrol officer, seeing a group of people from afar, assumed they were lazy workers. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Xiao Xun and immediately saluted him.
"Your Highness..."
Xiao Xun nodded at him, "There aren't many people on the streets recently."
"Everyone is busy with production and doesn't have time to go out."
"Do you know where His Majesty is right now?"
"Under normal circumstances, she should be inspecting the factories."
"After inspecting the factories, where will she go?"
The patrol officer answered every question. "She'll basically return to the palace. Now, even His Majesty's castle has been converted into a processing plant."
Xiao Xun, with the Twelve Angels, arrived at the Fire Shield Divine King's Palace. The guards were all wearing gas masks.
Upon seeing Xiao Xun through the glass, they quickly let him pass.
When Xiao Xun appeared in the executive hall, Sailepeisi was stunned. "You, how did you get back?"
Xiao Xun rushed over and hugged her. "Wife, I won't allow you to leave me."
Mu Jiahe gently patted Xiao Xun's back. "Okay, I won't leave again. Wherever you go, I'll go. Alright?"
Xiao Xun nodded heavily. "It's a deal."
Mu Jiahe took off the ring and put it back on Xiao Xun. "Now, are you relieved?"
Seeing the recovered spatial ring, Xiao Xun curiously asked, "What couldn't you tell me clearly that made you burn down the villa?"
Mu Jiahe sighed. "I didn't want to, and I couldn't bear to, but I have to put aside personal affections now. These people are waiting for me to save them."
Xiao Xun grasped Mu Jiahe's hand. "I heard Nero disappeared?"
Mu Jiahe nodded. "That's something that happened suddenly today. It's likely that a more important matter required his attention, which is why he stopped.
Xiao Xun began to ponder. "What could be more important than destroying a planet?"
Mu Jiahe replied, "Perhaps someone attacked his stronghold, and he went to reinforce it, or it could be something else. Since he's given us a respite, we must seize this opportunity. We might actually turn the tide."
Xiao Xun looked at the fervent Mu Jiahe, feeling no joy from their reunion.
"I heard the Undead have three elders whose strength should not be underestimated?"
"How should I put it? Before, the Four Demon Kings each occupied a territory and continuously expanded. Now, it's unified and planned by three elders, but it's still the same people. Nothing to worry about."
Seeing that Mu Jiahe was fine, he was relieved.
Life is unpredictable, and Xiao Xun did not tell Mu Jiahe about founding the church.
Upon returning, he specifically sought out Zeppelin.
"His Highness Swain, you're back!"
Xiao Xun nodded. "How is the preparation of what I asked you to prepare?"
"Half of it has been deployed."
"Very good. I have one more thing to ask you to do."
"Please instruct me."
"I need twelve sets of armor, three for women and nine for men. What's particularly important is that these twelve sets of armor must have some space left on the back for wings."
Zeppelin had remembered Xiao Xun's request. Upon hearing about wings, he asked in surprise, "Your Highness, are you making armor for devils?"
"Who says only devils have wings? My subordinates are angels."
Zeppelin didn't know what angels were but dared not say more. "Yes, Your Highness. I will arrange it as soon as possible."
As Xiao Xun left Zeppelin's laboratory, he saw a bakery's back kitchen still lit. A child with a very infectious smile was playing there, about eleven or twelve years old, with reddish-brown hair and strikingly beautiful blue eyes.
Baiyang whispered to Xiao Xun, "Sir, this child has a Light element source. If given guidance and diligent practice, he can become a Light Element God."
Xiao Xun looked at the boy and thought, a Light Element God? I don't care for it, but this child is very useful.
So he walked over. "Little friend, what's your name?"
"Claire, sir."
Xiao Xun patted his hair. "Where are your parents?"
"My mother owns this bakery."
Just then, a woman rushed out and pulled Claire behind her. "Your Highness Swain, did he offend you? I apologize on his behalf."
Xiao Xun waved his hand. "No, you've misunderstood. Is he your son?"
The woman nodded. "Yes."
"And the child's father?"
"He turned into a zombie during the city defense and I killed him."
Xiao Xun said "my apologies," and the woman became extremely solicitous.
"It's like this, I want to train a successor, and your son is very suitable. I want to take him with me, but from now on, you will have no relation. However, if you hand your son over to me, you will receive thirty silver coins. I guarantee his future will be bright."
The woman tightly protected Claire. "No, I am the child's mother. He is my life, and I will not allow anyone to take him from me, not even you."
Xiao Xun tilted his head back at the woman. Capricorn and Taurus walked over. One forcibly dragged Claire away, while the other began to cast a hypnosis spell on the woman: she had never given birth to a son.
Xiao Xun had Baiyang escort everyone back to the Temple of Time. He looked at the boy in front of him. "Do you hate me?"
Claire shouted, "I don't hate you!"
Xiao Xun nodded. "From today onwards, you are the first Pope of the church."
Claire asked Xiao Xun curiously, "What is a Pope?"
"A Pope is the emperor of a sect. Your mission is to preach."
"Then what is preaching?"
Xiao Xun explained in his own way: "Preaching is when you instill your thoughts and beliefs into another person, making them believe what you say, and making them use you as a standard for everything they do. That is preaching."
"But I have no thoughts right now."
Xiao Xun took off the cross from his neck and hung it on Claire's. "From now on, you will have them. Everything you say is thought. Your sect is the church, and they will believe in the Divine Emperor, believe in the angels."
Saying this, he looked at the people behind him. "Let our Pope see what angels are."
The twelve people uniformly threw up their robes and then broke free of their restraints with their wings.
A great radiance shone upon the twelve. White feathers drifted down from the sky, and one landed in Claire's palm.
"Remember, use your abilities to spread the doctrine and gain followers."
Claire said ambitiously, "Do I need to conquer new territories?"