At first, Xiao Yan thought that Xiao Feng was just putting on a show, using him to boost his own reputation. However, he didn't expect that Xiao Feng would remain consistent for three years.
If it weren't for Xiao Feng's constant encouragement, Xiao Yan would have doubted his ability to persevere in his cultivation.
But the better Xiao Feng treated him, the more guilty Xiao Yan felt.
Every time he remembered how disrespectful he had been to his brother in the past, Xiao Yan would wake up in the middle of the night and give himself a few slaps.
"Brother, I..."
Xiao Yan walked up to Xiao Feng, wanting to say something, but found his throat blocked with emotion.
"Xiao Yan, you don't need to feel guilty."
Xiao Feng patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, comforting him in a gentle tone, "Your dedication to cultivation over the years has been seen by me and father. What happened is not your fault."
"Mm!"
Seeing Xiao Yan on the verge of tears, Xiao Xun'er looked at Xiao Feng with eyes full of admiration.
Brother Feng is so gentle~
In fact, Xiao Feng's heartfelt care for Xiao Yan wasn't just because he was his brother; it was also because he wanted to secure his own future.
The reason Xiao Yan's Dou Qi mysteriously disappeared was due to the antics of Yao Lao, who was residing in the Bone Flame Ring.
Although in the original story, Yao Lao claimed that he unintentionally absorbed Xiao Yan's Dou Qi, Xiao Feng believed that he was deliberately testing Xiao Yan.
After all, Yao Lao had been a peak Dou Zun strongman. The little bit of Dou Qi in Xiao Yan's body was far from enough to sustain him.
Even if Yao Lao had unintentionally absorbed Xiao Yan's Dou Qi, how could he have left him with the strength of a third stage Dou Disciple?
Isn't that clearly controlling his progress?
Thus, Yao Lao was probably testing Xiao Yan on purpose to avoid teaching another ungrateful student.
To be honest, Xiao Feng had considered taking the Bone Flame Ring for himself. Since it was their mother's relic, no one would find it strange if he did.
However, Xiao Feng's talent for cultivation was far inferior to Xiao Yan's, and his Dou Qi attribute was wind, making it unsuitable for practicing the Flame Art or becoming an alchemist.
Xiao Feng eventually gave up the idea of seizing the Bone Flame Ring and decided to let Xiao Yan become the Flame Emperor as in the original story.
It's important to note that Xiao Feng and Xiao Yan were twins. Their bloodline was closer than that of parents and children.
In the original story, after Xiao Yan broke through to Dou God, his daughter Xiao Xiao activated her Dou God bloodline and soon reached the level of an eight-stars Dou Saint.
Given Xiao Feng and Xiao Yan's relationship, if Xiao Yan broke through to Dou God, Xiao Feng could likely reach the peak of a nine-stars Dou Saint.
In a way, the stronger Xiao Yan became, the stronger Xiao Feng would be. That's why he was so dedicated to helping Xiao Yan.
If Xiao Feng didn't know that Xiao Yan would become a Dou God, he would have taught his disrespectful brother a harsh lesson!
"Next, Xiao Mei!"
Hearing the tester's call, a young girl quickly ran out from the crowd, lifting her skirt as she stepped onto the testing platform.
The girl looked about fourteen or fifteen, with charming features, already showing signs of becoming a beauty.
Although Xiao Mei's looks and temperament couldn't compare to Xiao Xun'er's, she wasn't already claimed like Xiao Xun'er, making her the dream girl of many Xiao clan disciples.
"Xiao Mei, Dou Disciple: Seven-stage! Level: High!"
The tester's voice quickly rang out again, bringing a proud smile to the girl's delicate face.
After stepping down from the platform with a smile, Xiao Mei walked directly towards Xiao Feng and the others.
When Xiao Yan's talent was still intact, Xiao Mei was the closest to him, always by his side. According to the original story, Xiao Mei should have gradually distanced herself from Xiao Yan after his downfall.
But whether it was due to the protagonist's aura or Xiao Feng's butterfly effect, Xiao Mei maintained a friendly relationship with Xiao Yan.
This was understandable. In the original story, the Xiao clan disliked Xiao Yan mainly because Xiao Zhan favored him and spent a lot of resources on him.
For instance, when Xiao Yan first auctioned the Foundation Elixir, Xiao Zhan bought it for a high price of forty thousand gold coins.
It's important to note that a third-rate family like the Xiao Clan had an annual profit of about ten thousand gold coins.
If Xiao Yan's talent was intact, even if Xiao Zhan spent all the Xiao clan's resources on him, people would only complain a bit without finding it unreasonable.
After all, with Xiao Yan's talent, he could potentially lead the Xiao clan to rise again.
But with his talent gone, Xiao Zhan's actions seemed excessive.
Now, with Xiao Feng's presence, things were different.
Xiao Zhan didn't give resources directly to Xiao Yan but to Xiao Feng.
Whether Xiao Feng shared those resources with Xiao Yan wasn't directly tied to Clan Leader Xiao Zhan.
While Xiao Zhan and Xiao Feng's actions were similar, their implications were entirely different.
As the clan leader, Xiao Zhan wasting resources on Xiao Yan was seen as favoritism and abuse of power.
But Xiao Feng sharing resources with Xiao Yan showed loyalty and brotherly love, making others feel relieved.
If Xiao Feng wouldn't even care for his own brother, how could anyone expect him to repay the clan in the future?
"Brother Xiao Feng, Brother Xiao Yan."
Xiao Mei walked up to Xiao Feng and Xiao Yan with a smile, greeted them, then skillfully linked arms with Xiao Xun'er, chatting happily.
In the original story, Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er both liked Xiao Yan at first and were rivals, so their relationship wasn't good.
Now, with Xiao Xun'er being taken by Xiao Feng, the two girls had no conflict of interest. Being of similar age, they became close friends.
"Next, Xiao Xun'er!"
In the bustling crowd, the tester's voice rang out again.
Amidst the curious gazes, Xiao Xun'er gracefully walked to the platform.
"Whoosh!"
As Xiao Xun'er gently placed her jade-like hand on the magic stone, it emitted a dazzling golden light.
The tester smiled, nodded, and loudly announced, "Xiao Xun'er, Dou Disciple: Nine stars! Level: High!"