After hearing the words of the Fire God, it seemed that the idea of letting Ma Hongjun take the God Trial ahead of schedule could only be postponed. Now that he knew this, Tianlin would definitely not let Ma Hongjun go to Sea God Island anymore.

Rather than pursuing a brief moment of rapid strength, it was better to let him train step by step until he became a Titled Douluo before considering it. After all, his foundation was far inferior to Tianlin, Qian Renxue, and others. A single Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower was far from enough to make up for that.

However, with this decision, Ma Hongjun might not be able to participate in the high-level battles of the upcoming continental wars. Without the trials of Sea God Island, his level would inevitably fall behind the others.

"Oh well, who told me to be the boss? The one at the very front should always be me. At worst, I'll just have that fatty handle logistics in the future," Tianlin said helplessly.

"Are you worried that the trial-taker's strength isn't enough?" Apparently seeing through Tianlin's concern, the Fire God asked, "How is this guy's temperament?"

"Temperament? Slightly above average, I suppose. In the past, he was controlled by evil fire and had a terrible temperament. These last few years, with strict teachers supervising him, he's improved, but to say he's reached the point of unyielding perseverance—there's still a way to go," Tianlin answered truthfully.

Upon hearing this, the Fire God shook his head in disappointment. "Then there's nothing that can be done. I did have a method that could allow his strength to soar, but the prerequisite is an extremely strong temperament."

"Please, Fire God, speak plainly," Tianlin requested. If there was a way, he still wanted to try.

"In fact, this space was created by me back when I was in the God Realm. The original purpose wasn't for God inheritance, but to seal the demonic flame of heaven and earth!" The Fire God spread his palm, revealing a jet-black flame. Unlike a normal, radiant flame, this one filled people with dread at a glance, and from the bottom of one's heart, a feeling of nausea and fear arose.

Demonic Flame Melting Gold—Tianlin had heard of this legend before. The 'gold' in question wasn't ordinary metal; even the ultimate metal would be reduced to ink under the burning of this flame.

Compared to this demonic flame, the evil fire that once tormented Ma Hongjun was like a petty thief compared to a crazed murderer.

"If your friend has a tenacious temperament, I can let him train in the place where I sealed the demonic flame. With my help, I guarantee there would be no risk to his life. After a year, no matter what, his strength would be greatly improved," the Fire God said calmly.

His words made it sound as if the demonic flame was all benefit for Ma Hongjun, but Tianlin knew it couldn't be that simple—surely a but was coming.

"But this demonic flame can stir up the negative emotions in people's hearts. It's easy for someone to fall completely into darkness. If your friend has a strong temperament and can resist his own negative desires, he can definitely achieve the qualifications to become a first-rank god. But if not, he'll become an unparalleled demon, a hundred times scarier than your so-called evil soul masters. At that time, if he fully masters the demonic flame, even you, Tianlin, will have difficulty stopping him."

As expected, the Fire God revealed a terrifying downside—in simple terms, being corrupted makes you ten times stronger.

"Righteousness leads to godhood, rebellion leads to demonhood—a real gamble, and one we can't afford to lose," Tianlin said with a bitter smile. "Sorry, Senior Fire God, I really have no confidence in Hongjun's temperament this time. Please forgive me for refusing your proposal."

"Sword Brother, I don't think Hongjun would necessarily fail," Ning Rongrong said, holding Tianlin's hand. "Just like how I want to become stronger for Sword Brother, Fatty also has someone he cares about now. When people care for someone, they can unleash infinite strength. When we get back, why don't we tell Fatty and Xiangxiang about this and let them decide for themselves?"

"You're right. His future should be decided by himself," Tianlin realized. He couldn't prepare a broad avenue for every person. He could only point the way, but how they walked it was up to them.

After bidding farewell to the Fire God, Tianlin and Ning Rongrong returned to the Extreme North. Now that they had achieved all their goals there, it was time to head back.

At Ning Rongrong's strong insistence, Tianlin didn't choose sword flight this time but ran back together with her.

With their current strength, even without going all out, they could get home in about seven or eight days.

But Tianlin knew the real reason: Ning Rongrong just wanted to spend more time together. He had already told her that upon returning, he would send her to Sea God Island to officially begin the Sea God trials.

He didn't plan to go with her; once she left, they wouldn't see each other for several years. That made her cherish every remaining moment.

…

Seven days later, they arrived at a small town in the Balak Kingdom. As their farewell drew closer, they found themselves deliberately slowing their pace.

In their hearts, they both knew that this display of lovers' reluctance was somewhat sentimental. Once they became gods, there would be plenty of time to spend together. What was a few years apart? But knowing was one thing; doing was another.

Actually, Tianlin should have been able to handle it. With his Shu Mountain cultivation arts, he should have had a detached mindset. Unfortunately, he was only someone who practiced the Shu Mountain sword arts, not a true cultivator.

His techniques came from the Nuwa Empress' lineage, which emphasized love in the heart—a philosophy utterly at odds with the Daoist pursuit of clarity and detachment. So, although he knew the Shu Mountain internal arts, he had never really practiced them. They didn't suit his current self.

He didn't have the detached mindset of a cultivator, let alone the ambition he now harbored to unify the continent. If he cultivated rashly, he risked going astray.

"Sword Brother, in two days at most, we'll be home. When we get there, do I have to go to Sea God Island right away?" Ning Rongrong buried her head in Tianlin's chest and asked.

"Yes, we've already wasted quite a bit of time these days. After that, you need to take some people to train together as soon as possible. I've already written to the Emperor Battle members, asking them to gather at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I'll select some to go with you. If Sister Yan and Yiran accompany you, you'll have more support." Tianlin gently stroked the back of her head. "Don't be sad. Once you become stronger, we'll see each other again soon."

"Mm!" Ning Rongrong nodded, not saying much.

Seeing she was still reluctant, Tianlin suddenly said, "Rongrong, when we get back, let's have a simple wedding ceremony first!"