In Lucius’s original understanding, the Salvation Church was actually a force led by the powerful Esper named Steven, who had gathered a group of other Espers around him.
Whether Steven was merely an Esper or one of the earliest reincarnators from the Primordial God Space, the nature of his power should still fall within the scope of X-Factor.
However, Professor Luther’s recent research had overturned this assumption.
“A new form of power? What does this mean…” he murmured, looking toward Professor Luther.
“It’s not certain yet…” Professor Luther pushed up his glasses. “I believe my theory is flawless. This power might simply be another manifestation of the X-Factor.”
“Fine, then this means the enemy is even more valuable, right?”
Lucius put both hands into his pants pockets: “I’ve already mobilized all the federal elites here. According to intelligence, Pope Steven also intends to visit the capital. The Kingdom of Golden Oak cannot remain neutral either—their Black Society has recruited many reincarnators. Especially Shadow King Oliver must be temporarily transferred here to serve as the front line!”
Even though Chevalier, who had caused chaos throughout the Pandorn Empire, was only on par with Oliver and Charles within the Primordial God Space.
Lucius had every reason to believe that even if this opponent was slightly inferior to Pope Steven, the difference wouldn’t be significant.
Combined with his own forces, defeating or even capturing the enemy wasn’t impossible.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, a sudden, violent earthquake struck, causing Lucius’s expression to change rapidly: “What’s going on? How could there be an earthquake here?”
This research facility was located within a military base of the Kingdom, with comprehensive protective measures. Even a direct missile strike wouldn’t have caused much damage.
Moreover, the capital of Golden Oak Kingdom was definitely not located in an earthquake zone.
“Prepare for defense!”
He immediately sensed something was wrong: “Request reinforcements from the Kingdom!”
Admittedly, he still harbored a bit of wishful thinking: “Even if the enemy dares to be bold, they wouldn’t dare to attack a military base directly, right?”
Crash! Crash!
Unfortunately, even this small wish of his seemed ridiculous amidst the violent tremors.
The next moment, amidst the earth-shattering collapse, walls shattered, the ground split open, and a massive crack appeared directly on the ceiling of the research facility, revealing the bright sunlight and blue sky above.
Boom! Boom!
In the clear sky, a black dot rapidly emerged from midair. As it drew closer, it turned out to be a figure walking slowly through the air, as if taking a stroll, like a god descending.
“Verily I say unto thee, whosoever believeth in me shall be redeemed!”
A mighty voice resounded, and the research facility was completely torn apart, exposing the laboratory to Wu Ming’s sight.
With a slight wave of his hand, a sharp sound rang in Lucius’s ears. Immediately, all the researchers inside the lab were blown away by an invisible force. Chains shattered, and Coloe watched in astonishment as he suddenly floated into the air and flew toward Wu Ming.
“Holiness, the Pope!”
Seeing such a miraculous scene, Coloe was moved to the brink of tears.
“You’ve done well. Return first. I will handle everything here!”
Wu Ming gently comforted him with a smile. With a wave of his hand, a golden glow enveloped Pastor Coloe, rapidly healing his wounds before sending him away.
“Lucius, you’ve been looking for me all along, right? Now, I’m here!”
After finishing all that, Wu Ming slowly descended, gazing at Lucius, who was barely maintaining his stance on the ground.
Lucius looked at Professor Luther, buried under the rubble and half-conscious, a bitter taste creeping onto his lips.
He had originally planned to go after a tiger, only to provoke a prehistoric Tyrannosaurus Rex. That was probably the feeling he had now.
He could never have imagined the enemy’s response would be so intense, their methods so direct, and most crucially, their power so utterly irresistible!
“Identify yourself! Drop your weapons immediately!”
Fortunately, he had chosen this location for the research facility with care, which did provide some benefit.
Although the earthquake caused temporary chaos within the Kingdom’s military base, the well-trained soldiers quickly responded, raising their rifles and aiming at the figure in midair.
“Verily I say unto thee, those who stand before my majesty shall be tested by their will!”
A wave of divine force surged outward, radiating from Wu Ming as the epicenter.
Swish!
The soldiers who had surrounded him immediately collapsed like cut grass, their eyes rolling back as they fell into the deepest unconsciousness.
Divine mercy is boundless! Divine majesty is like a prison!
The majesty of a god was never something ordinary mortals could face. With this mental suppression alone, Wu Ming was more than capable of overwhelming any Esper below Level 3, making it impossible for them even to approach him.
“No matter how advanced machines are, they ultimately require human operation. Although the humans in this world have climbed quite high on the technology tree, even reaching the power of nuclear weapons, their essence remains flesh and blood.”
In a world without Espers, even kings, emperors, or presidents were essentially ordinary people—needing to eat and drink, bleeding and dying when injured.
Even in ancient times, emperors were described as sons of Heaven, with their divinity constantly emphasized. Yet, once people regained their senses and dared to rebel, they could still be struck down with a brick, leaving blood dripping from their foreheads.
This was the greatest equality in the world—no matter how brilliant one’s wisdom or immense one’s authority, one could never escape birth, aging, sickness, and death.
The army before Wu Ming was no different.
Although their weapons were powerful, they still required soldiers to operate them. Under Wu Ming’s mental pressure, unless every soldier was replaced with high-level reincarnators, they posed no real threat.
Bang! Bang!
Great chaos erupted from the military camp.
Tanks operated by unconscious personnel were rampaging, while nearby, several hovering aircraft without pilots drifted further and further away like broken kites, beginning to descend.
“Is this the power of an Esper?”
Lucius knelt on one knee but stubbornly kept his back straight, lifting his head.
As someone who frequently interacted with Espers, he naturally benefited from them, gaining far superior physical abilities compared to ordinary people. Now, protected by an artifact and relying on his firm willpower, he had managed to remain conscious.
“Level 5? Or even higher?”
His fists clenched so tightly they nearly drew blood: “A person like this is indeed a tremendous threat to the Federation—and all forms of order!”
“Threat? Wrong! My Lord is a being who cherishes peace and rarely unleashes wrath…”
Wu Ming’s eyes narrowed slightly: “But you, Lucius, have kidnapped one of my Lord’s pastors. Such an act is a provocation against the entire Church!”
“I declare you guilty!”
He raised his right hand and solemnly announced: “From this day forth, your body and soul shall endure eternal torment—ceaseless and endless. After your death, your soul shall descend into hell!”
“Ahh!”
As Wu Ming’s words fell, Lucius let out a scream of agony.
Numerous large blisters and tumors immediately appeared on his body, densely packed, some oozing pus and blood, looking horrifying.
Wu Ming glanced briefly at several other directions, smiled faintly, and vanished into the high sky.
…
“He detected me!”
Shadow King Oliver had been hiding outside the base. Now, he emerged from the shadows, his face filled with extreme terror: “Pope Steven? I’ve never even heard of this person within the Primordial God Space… and even X-Level enhancements probably can’t compare to him! Single-handedly resisting an entire army—this is practically divine power!”
He deeply regretted his rash decision to assist that idiot Lucius, getting involved with such a massive troublemaker.
This was also one of the reasons Wu Ming chose to reveal his power now.
Ordinary Espers would be coveted and spied upon, while powerful Espers would earn hostility. Yet everything had its limits. What about power that transcended all order?
That would likely earn nothing but reverence!
In this increasingly chaotic world, to better accomplish his plans and provide at least some protection for his family and friends, it was necessary to appropriately display his strength.
…
The events of that day were immediately covered up by the Kingdom of Golden Oak. The military base was placed under strict quarantine, officially attributed to a natural disaster, with no information leaking out.
Yet in secret, the earthquake and its impact continued to ripple through the underground circles.
After viewing the top-secret footage, many high-ranking officials of the Kingdom couldn’t sleep at night. Divine miracles not only demonstrated Pope Steven’s extreme non-human power, but testimonies from other reincarnators further proved his power didn’t originate from the Primordial God Space. Could this mean the existence of a real god?
The Kingdom’s attitude toward the Salvation Church had already been wavering, but now, with apparent signs of a true god, many nobles immediately discarded their dignity, requesting audiences with Pope Steven to pledge their loyalty.
Wu Ming’s influence extended far beyond this.
The very next day after he displayed his divine might, all Salvation Church pastors began frequently performing divine miracles in front of their followers—comforting minds, curing diseases, and so on—abandoning their previous cautious approach and openly showcasing their strength, causing the Salvation Church’s reputation to soar dramatically.
Indeed, such power drew the attention of the entire world.
Over a thousand Espers! And Pope Steven, whose strength was so extreme he could no longer be considered human!
The rulers were stunned to realize that, at least in the realm of the supernatural, the Salvation Church now possessed the strength to rival a major nation.
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