That night, Zhu Ziyang and Ma Xiaotao sat by Sea God Lake, chatting through the night.
"Sister Xiaotao, tell me about your experiences over the years," Zhu Ziyang asked with a smile.
"Mm!" Ma Xiaotao snuggled against Zhu Ziyang, a thoughtful expression on her pretty face, and slowly began to recount her experiences. Through her narration, Zhu Ziyang learned about the events and opportunities Ma Xiaotao had encountered.
It turned out that Ma Xiaotao had received the God Position inheritance of the God of Fire Element, also known as the Fire God, one of the Seven Elemental Main Divinities in the God Realm, a First-Rank Divinity who controls the Law of Fire. For Ma Xiaotao to receive His recognition and inheritance, one had to go back to three years ago, when she and Fifth Huan'er entered Red Minister Mountain to hunt for a spirit ring.
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Three years ago, deep within Red Minister Mountain.
"Sister Xiaotao, Sister Xiaotao, I want that Sky Sun Fire Ape!" Fifth Huan'er's small face was flushed with excitement, and she pointed at the huge ape with reddish-brown fur in front of Ma Xiaotao, shouting.
"Are you sure?" Ma Xiaotao, however, showed a worried expression and said, "This Sky Sun Fire Ape has a cultivation of seventy thousand years. Can you really do it? It might be safer to choose this forty-thousand-year Blazing Fire Swift Dragon instead."
As Ma Xiaotao spoke, she even extended her delicate foot and kicked the red-scaled earth dragon on the other side of her, which was subdued by Ma Xiaotao. The Blazing Fire Swift Dragon made no movement, nor did it dare to.
"It's fine! It's fine!" Fifth Huan'er, however, insisted on her opinion. She said, "I know my own strength. Besides, the Sky Sun Fire Ape is a power-type Spirit Beast, which is more suitable for my Spirit than this Blazing Fire Swift Dragon."
"Since you've decided, I won't try to dissuade you anymore," Ma Xiaotao said upon hearing Fifth Huan'er's words. "Begin."
Fifth Huan'er walked up to the Sky Sun Fire Ape and swiftly dealt with it. A black spirit ring appeared, and the girl unhesitatingly sat down cross-legged to absorb this black spirit ring. As the girl acted, a phantom appeared behind her: a dragon's head, a lion's body, a dragon's tail, a lion's claws, covered in dragon scales, treading on blazing fire, with prominent dragon horns and sharp dragon eyes. This was precisely the girl's Spirit, Suanni!
Appearing alongside the Suanni phantom were Fifth Huan'er's five spirit rings: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black—a very standard spirit ring configuration. At this moment, as the girl absorbed the Sky Sun Fire Ape's spirit ring, the sixth black spirit ring was slowly taking its place.
Ma Xiaotao watched the girl absorb the spirit ring so smoothly, and she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, then felt a surge of envy. She sighed with emotion, this girl's talent was much better than hers.
The Suanni Spirit was born with ultimate fire, coupled with the blessing of true dragon bloodline, its power was formidable. Compared to her acquired ultimate fire, whether in terms of potential or combat power, it was a cut above. At least, if she and Fifth Huan'er were at the same realm, Ma Xiaotao was not confident of victory.
Fifth Huan'er quickly finished absorbing and refining the sixth spirit ring. Ma Xiaotao was happy and prepared to take the girl down the mountain, intending to leave the Red Minister Mountain area and continue their journey. However, their plans were disrupted by the sudden eruption of Red Minister Mountain.
Red Minister Mountain was an active volcano, and its eruption was actually within Ma Xiaotao and Fifth Huan'er's expectations, so the two were well prepared. They were not harmed by the spewing lava and immediately found a cave, rushing into it to avoid the subsequent volcanic eruptions.
It was in this inconspicuous, nameless cave that Ma Xiaotao and Fifth Huan'er discovered a temple: the Fire God Temple.
"Sister Xiaotao, where is this?" Fifth Huan'er looked at the unique world deep inside the cave, her face full of shock and confusion, and asked Ma Xiaotao.
"I'm not sure either. Let's go check it out first!" Ma Xiaotao looked at the magnificent hall that suddenly appeared in the spacious cave ahead. She was also very confused, but her curiosity overcame her fear of the unknown, and she decided to approach and investigate.
Ma Xiaotao went first, followed by Fifth Huan'er. The two quickly entered the hall area, only a hundred meters from the hall's main door. They simultaneously felt an inexplicable tremor, and then saw the hall's main door on the nine steps slowly open backward, as if welcoming their arrival.
"This..." Both were stunned, but as they were both extremely bold, after exchanging glances, they didn't hesitate. They immediately sped up and rushed through the open door, entering the interior of the hall.
As soon as the two entered the hall, a crimson-gold light instantly shot out from deep within the hall, landing precisely on both girls. Both were startled and subconsciously released their spirit power to resist, only to find that their bodies seemed to be bound by the red light, making it impossible to use their spirit power.
Ma Xiaotao's face instantly turned ashen, filled with panic and despair. But before she could grieve, the crimson-gold light enveloped them both and brought them to the depths of the hall. A majestic and handsome statue appeared before them. The statue was enormous, seated on a marble-carved throne, in a wild and unrestrained posture, like a king. One hand held a crimson crystal ball, and the crimson-gold light that bound Ma Xiaotao and Fifth Huan'er shot out from this crystal ball.
Ma Xiaotao was shocked by the statue's grandeur, but her mind followed the red light into a mystical space. In that space, Ma Xiaotao saw a person completely enveloped in red light. Although she couldn't see the specific appearance, she keenly realized that this figure was related to the statue in the hall!
"Who are you? Where is this?" Ma Xiaotao asked with a solemn expression.
"I am the Fire God, the controller of the Law of Fire. This is my temple," a steady, masculine voice came from the figure, speaking words that almost made Ma Xiaotao freeze.
"F-Fire God?!" Ma Xiaotao stared blankly at the figure, whose height, weight, good or evil, beauty or ugliness she couldn't discern, and exclaimed.
"You are good. Are you willing to become my Dependents, inherit my God Position, and succeed as the Main God of Fire?" The Fire God did not mind Ma Xiaotao's stupor and spoke to himself.
"What do you mean?" Ma Xiaotao felt her brain had crashed, and everything seemed to become illusory and unreal.
"In short, do you want to inherit the Fire God God Position and become the new Fire God?" The Fire God was quite patient and explained directly.
"You mean... you want me to inherit the Fire God God Position?" Ma Xiaotao finally recovered from her crash, but still felt it was unreal. She said, "Now?"
"Of course not now!" The Fire God's voice showed a hint of helplessness, saying, "You need to complete nine trials to finally inherit the Fire God Position. How about it, are you willing to accept the trials!"
"Willing! I am willing!" Although Ma Xiaotao was not clear about what the so-called trials were, she eagerly agreed. As a student of Shrek Academy, and especially as someone whose ancestors had produced a Divinity, she naturally understood what a God Position meant.
"Very good!" The Fire God's tone carried a hint of joy, saying, "Close your eyes, feel the Light of the Fire God, and then you will receive information about the God Position trials, as well as the content of the first trial of the Fire God's Nine Trials!"
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaotao immediately complied, not noticing the Fire God's phantom disappearing, nor hearing the Fire God's last murmur: "...I hope you won't repeat the mistakes of your disappointing ancestor!"
While Ma Xiaotao was undergoing the God Position trials, in the God Realm, the Seven Elements Heaven, Water Fire Temple.
"How is it? Did the child accept?" A stunning goddess in a sky-blue dress looked at a majestic god in fiery-red armor with concern.
"How could a mortal refuse to become a Divinity?" The God chuckled, "Now I only hope that Ma Xiaotao won't be like her ancestor, the Phoenix God Ma Hongjun, and make me happy for nothing."
These two Divinities, a man and a woman, were undoubtedly the Fire God and Water God, husband and wife, among the Seven Elemental Main Divinities.
"Speaking of Ma Hongjun, A'Huo, won't your actions displease the Sea God?" The Water God said with some worry.
"Hmph!" The Fire God snorted coldly and said, "Displeased? What does my inheritance of a God Position have to do with him? Not to mention that inheriting a God Position is our own business as Divinities, simply by listening to the Old God King's words and giving that Ma Hongjun the chance to inherit the Fire God Position, I have already done them a great favor."
"That's true, but he is still a God King after all. If he really holds a grudge, you might not be able to pass on the God Position as you wish!" The Water God worried.
"Don't worry, A'Shui," The Fire God looked at the worry on his wife's face, embraced her, and comforted her, "This time, the Sea God is not the only one paying attention to Douluo Continent. I learned from Darkness that Lord Life and Lord Destruction are also paying attention to Douluo Continent!"
"What! Has something big happened?" The Water God was very surprised and said.
"The inheritor of Lord Death has appeared," The Fire God said with a slight smile on his face, "That Ma Xiaotao is very close to that Death God Position inheritor, so, as long as she lives up to expectations, my God Position is almost certain to be passed on!"
"Really!" The Water God's pretty face also showed deep surprise and said, "This is truly wonderful!"
"Right! I think it's great too!" The Fire God said with a smile, "Once I pass on the God Position to that Ma Xiaotao, and then ask Lord Life God King to help you remove your God Position, we, husband and wife, can leave this God Realm, roam the starry sky, be free and unconstrained, and no longer suffer the indignation of these newcomers!"
"Mm!" The Water God listened to the Fire God's words and couldn't help but fantasize.