What created the "Adobe licensing pop-up rule" in firewall?

You're asking where the firewall rule came from, but you've also partly answered it yourself.

That rule came from an older version of GenP or a Monkrus release, back when firewall rules were still a standard method for blocking Adobe connections. At the time, using the Popup Blocker option would create an Outbound Windows Defender firewall rule to stop certain endpoints from being reached. This approach was later dropped in favour of hosts file entries, which provided a simpler and more flexible block. From then on, the Popup Blocker button only updated hosts file entries, while some users maintained them manually via third-party tools or by scheduling GenP's command-line flag.

In current GenP builds, neither firewall rules nor hosts file modifications are required. You can safely remove any remaining Adobe-related entries from both without affecting functionality. The firewall and hosts file options remain in the Pop-up Tools tab, but they're now intended mainly for users who prefer legacy blocking methods over WinTrust, or for those running older versions that can't use WinTrust.

However, if you've manually used the Firewall Rule option in the Pop-up Tools tab yourself, that could also explain the firewall entry. In current builds, this feature no longer creates a general Adobe firewall rule like the ones used in older versions; instead, it adds separate Outbound rules for each app's own .exe file, such as Photoshop.exe. This means the kind of single, broad Adobe rule you're referring to would only come from older GenP versions or from a Monkrus release, not from the current Pop-up Tools firewall option.

If you've ever used the Monkrus method, the (prepatched with GenP files and methods) installers also used to add a similar Outbound firewall rule automatically. Since the rule was still on your system, it likely means remnants from older setups hadn't been cleared until now, something that "Guide #4 – Full Clean" is specifically designed to address.

As for GenP reporting that you're using a third-party firewall or antivirus when you're not, that's due to how it checks your system. GenP queries Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) for your antivirus status, and WMI can retain stale data from previously installed security software. GenP simply reports whatever WMI returns; if outdated entries exist, that's what you'll see instead of your current setup.

This isn't a fault in GenP, it's simply how Microsoft stores and reports that information. Even users who have only ever run Windows Defender can encounter this if WMI retains old security software records. In your case, if WMI lists only Defender yet GenP still flagged something else, the query result was inaccurate. Sometimes users later recall having another antivirus or firewall installed in the past, but even if that's not the case, WMI can still occasionally misreport, and GenP can only display the data it receives from your system's own WMI.

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You're asking where the firewall rule came from, but you've also partly answered it yourself.
That rule came from an older version of GenP or a Monkrus release, back when firewall rules were still a standard method for blocking Adobe connections. At the time, using the Popup Blocker option would create an Outbound Windows Defender firewall rule to stop certain endpoints from being reached. This approach was later dropped in favour of hosts file entries, which provided a simpler and more flexible block. From then on, the Popup Blocker button only updated hosts file entries, while some users maintained them manually via third-party tools or by scheduling GenP's command-line flag.
In current GenP builds, neither firewall rules nor hosts file modifications are required. You can safely remove any remaining Adobe-related entries from both without affecting functionality. The firewall and hosts file options remain in the Pop-up Tools tab, but they're now intended mainly for users who prefer legacy blocking methods over WinTrust, or for those running older versions that can't use WinTrust.
However, if you've manually used the Firewall Rule option in the Pop-up Tools tab yourself, that could also explain the firewall entry. In current builds, this feature no longer creates a general Adobe firewall rule like the ones used in older versions; instead, it adds separate Outbound rules for each app's own .exe file, such as Photoshop.exe. This means the kind of single, broad Adobe rule you're referring to would only come from older GenP versions or from a Monkrus release, not from the current Pop-up Tools firewall option.
If you've ever used the Monkrus method, the (prepatched with GenP files and methods) installers also used to add a similar Outbound firewall rule automatically. Since the rule was still on your system, it likely means remnants from older setups hadn't been cleared until now, something that "Guide #4 – Full Clean" is specifically designed to address.
As for GenP reporting that you're using a third-party firewall or antivirus when you're not, that's due to how it checks your system. GenP queries Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) for your antivirus status, and WMI can retain stale data from previously installed security software. GenP simply reports whatever WMI returns; if outdated entries exist, that's what you'll see instead of your current setup.
This isn't a fault in GenP, it's simply how Microsoft stores and reports that information. Even users who have only ever run Windows Defender can encounter this if WMI retains old security software records. In your case, if WMI lists only Defender yet GenP still flagged something else, the query result was inaccurate. Sometimes users later recall having another antivirus or firewall installed in the past, but even if that's not the case, WMI can still occasionally misreport, and GenP can only display the data it receives from your system's own WMI.