As Xiao Feng's explanation came to an end, the eyes of Xiao Ding and Xiao Li slowly opened.
After nearly ten hours of rest and recovery, the medicinal effects of the healing pills had finally stabilized their conditions. Although their faces were still somewhat pale and their snow-white hair remained unchanged, their injuries had recovered by more than half.
The moment they saw Xiao Feng standing nearby, the tension in their hearts immediately disappeared.
"Third Brother!"
Xiao Li sat up excitedly while Xiao Ding also revealed a relieved smile.
Seeing that both of them had finally awakened, everyone present secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Xiao Feng stepped forward and helped them sit properly.
"How are you feeling?"
"Much better," Xiao Ding replied.
"The injuries are mostly healed. We thought we were finished this time."
Xiao Li laughed loudly.
"I knew it. As long as we could reach you, we definitely wouldn't die."
Hearing this, Xiao Feng shook his head helplessly.
"You two are really reckless."
Soon afterward, the brothers began asking questions about what had happened after they lost consciousness.
Xiao Feng patiently explained everything.
He told them about their injuries, how Xiao Yi Xian had checked them for poison, how Su Qian had personally arrived, and how everyone had been waiting for them to wake up.
Only after hearing everything did the two finally relax completely.
Suddenly, Xiao Li seemed to remember something.
"Oh right!"
He quickly opened his storage ring and took out two ancient scrolls along with three jade boxes.
"These are for you."
Xiao Feng accepted them but did not immediately examine them. Instead, he casually placed them beside him.
"What exactly happened?" he asked.
Seeing everyone's curiosity, Xiao Ding took a deep breath before beginning their story.
"After being ambushed, Xiao Li and I were forced to flee."
"The enemies were too strong and had prepared for us beforehand."
"We suffered heavy injuries while escaping and eventually found a hidden cave deep inside a mountain range."
"At first we thought it was merely a temporary hiding place."
"But after exploring further, we discovered it was actually the remains of an ancient expert."
Xiao Li continued excitedly.
"Inside that cave we found several treasures."
"Unfortunately, the enemies eventually found our location."
"We had no way to escape."
"So we made a decision."
Everyone already knew what that decision was.
The Devouring Life Pill.
Xiao Ding nodded.
"We found pills just like those inside one of the jade boxes."
"At that time we had no other choice."
"If we didn't take them, we would die."
"If we did take them, at least we could fight back."
"So we swallowed them."
The room became silent.
Everyone understood the desperation behind that decision.
Xiao Li scratched his head and laughed.
"Even though we knew the pills would leave us with only three years of lifespan, we weren't too worried."
"After all, we know our little brother."
"We believed you would eventually find a solution."
Hearing that, Xiao Feng could only rub his forehead.
He truly didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The trust his brothers placed in him was almost unreasonable.
Xiao Ding then pointed toward the scrolls.
"One of those scrolls contains the Devouring Life Pill recipe."
"The three jade boxes contain the remaining Devouring Life Pills."
"As for the second scroll..."
He grinned mysteriously.
"We'll talk about that later."
Xiao Li laughed loudly.
"So tell me, Third Brother."
"Our adventure wasn't bad, right?"
"When we return home, we can proudly tell Father and Xiao Yan about it."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone present revealed strange expressions.
Lin Xiuya looked away.
Han Yue remained silent.
Fire Elder Huo coughed lightly.
Even Su Qian's lips twitched.
Seeing their reactions, Xiao Li became confused.
"What?"
"What happened?"
Finally, Su Qian could not hold it anymore.
"Hahaha!"
His laughter echoed throughout the courtyard.
"You two fools."
"While you were sleeping, Xiao Feng not only figured out the cause of your condition..."
"He already found a solution."
The smiles on Xiao Ding's and Xiao Li's faces froze.
"What?"
"You found a solution already?"
Both brothers stared at Xiao Feng as if looking at a monster.
They knew their younger brother was talented.
But this was simply ridiculous.
A side effect that had troubled countless people for generations had been analyzed and solved within a single day.
Seeing their shocked expressions, Xiao Feng shrugged helplessly.
"It isn't completely solved yet."
"But as long as you break through to Dou Huang within three years, your lifespan will recover."
"And if necessary, I can refine the Deep Green Longevity Pill to extend your lifespan by another ten years."
"That will give you plenty of time."
After hearing the complete explanation, the two brothers finally understood.
For the first time since taking the Devouring Life Pills, they truly felt relieved.
Xiao Li immediately laughed.
"Hahaha! Then what's there to worry about?"
"We'll just become Dou Huangs."
Xiao Ding nodded confidently.
"Exactly."
"With Earth Rank cultivation techniques waiting for us and your support, reaching Dou Huang is no longer impossible."
Seeing their optimistic attitudes, everyone finally relaxed.
The tense atmosphere that had hung over the courtyard for the entire day gradually disappeared.
For the first time since their arrival, genuine smiles appeared on everyone's faces.
The crisis was not over.
But at least now, there was hope.
Xiao Li let out a long breath and leaned back in his chair.
"Haa..."
The tension that had weighed on his heart for days finally eased.
Looking at everyone present, he laughed bitterly.
"Who would've thought? That attack that nearly killed us actually ended up giving us a huge fortune."
He shook his head helplessly.
"So all we need to do now is break through to Dou Huang. That's all."
Beside him, Xiao Ding also felt relieved.
Although neither of them feared death, if there was a chance to continue living and become even stronger, who would willingly throw that opportunity away?
Everyone nodded in agreement.
With Xiao Feng's preparations and support, the road ahead was no longer hopeless.
After allowing the atmosphere to calm down, Xiao Feng asked,
"What are your current cultivation levels?"
Xiao Li answered first.
"I'm only at the Initial One-Star Dou King level."
Hearing the word "only," everyone couldn't help but smile.
A newly advanced Dou King was already considered a powerful figure in most regions.
Xiao Ding then replied,
"I'm slightly better. I have already stabilized at the peak of One-Star Dou King and can vaguely feel a breakthrough approaching. With a few days of cultivation, I should be able to reach Two-Star Dou King."
Xiao Feng nodded.
At the same time, he carefully examined both of their conditions once more.
Soon, he noticed something.
Although both had consumed the Devouring Life Pill and suffered the same side effects, Xiao Ding's vitality was clearly stronger than Xiao Li's.
The difference wasn't enormous, but it was noticeable.
Seeing Xiao Feng's thoughtful expression, Fire Elder Huo asked,
"What is it?"
Xiao Feng explained his observations.
After listening, Xiao Ding thought for a moment.
"Could it be because of my Wood Attribute Dou Qi?"
Everyone immediately fell into thought.
After several minutes of discussion, they arrived at the most likely conclusion.
Wood Attribute cultivators naturally possessed stronger life force and recovery capabilities than ordinary cultivators.
Although it couldn't completely offset the Devouring Life Pill's side effects, it had likely reduced the burden on Xiao Ding's body somewhat.
"That should be the reason."
Su Qian nodded.
"Wood Attribute energy is naturally connected to vitality."
Xiao Feng also agreed.
However, just as everyone relaxed, Xiao Feng suddenly frowned.
Seeing this, Xiao Li immediately became nervous.
"What happened now?"
Xiao Feng rubbed his forehead.
"We have a problem."
Everyone's expressions became serious again.
"What problem?"
Xiao Feng looked toward the two brothers.
"The cultivation techniques."
Xiao Li blinked.
"My Lightning Attribute technique is fine, right?"
Xiao Feng nodded.
"Your situation is manageable."
"The Earth Rank Mid-Level Lightning Attribute technique I prepared for you is enough to support your cultivation for a long time."
Hearing this, Xiao Li relaxed.
But Xiao Feng then turned toward Xiao Ding.
"The problem is Elder Brother."
Everyone looked at Xiao Ding.
"What about me?"
Xiao Feng sighed.
"When I originally prepared cultivation techniques, I only had an Earth Rank Low-Level Wood Attribute technique suitable for you."
"At the time, I thought you would still need years to reach the Dou King realm."
"Who knew you would directly become a Dou King?"
The room immediately became silent.
Xiao Ding frowned slightly.
"Do you have a higher-ranked Wood Attribute technique?"
Xiao Feng shook his head.
"No."
That single word surprised everyone.
Even Xiao Ding was stunned.
Xiao Feng thought for a moment before speaking.
"Actually, Elder Brother, there isn't much need to worry."
"The Earth Rank Low-Level Wood Attribute cultivation technique I gave you is already enough to support your cultivation all the way to the Dou Zong realm."
Hearing this, everyone present relaxed slightly.
Earth Rank techniques were already treasures that countless Dou Huang experts would fight over.
Being able to cultivate all the way to Dou Zong with one technique was already an incredible opportunity.
Xiao Feng continued,
"Of course, if we could obtain an Earth Rank Mid-Level or even High-Level Wood Attribute technique in the future, it would be much better."
"It would increase your cultivation speed, strengthen your Dou Qi foundation, and make future breakthroughs easier."
"But for now, there is absolutely no urgency."
Xiao Ding nodded in understanding.
"As long as it can support me to the Dou Zong realm, that's more than enough."
A smile appeared on Xiao Feng's face.
"Exactly."
"Right now, your biggest problem isn't your cultivation technique."
"It's your lifespan."
"First become a Dou Huang, solve the Devouring Life Pill's side effects, and recover your vitality."
"After that, we'll think about finding a better Wood Attribute technique."
Hearing this, Xiao Ding laughed.
"Then I'll leave that matter to you."
Xiao Feng immediately rolled his eyes.
"Why does everyone always leave these problems to me?"
Xiao Li burst into laughter.
"Because every time we encounter a problem, you somehow already have half the solution prepared."
Even Su Qian and Fire Elder Huo couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Over the years, Xiao Feng had solved so many impossible situations that everyone had subconsciously begun treating him as a walking solution manual.
Seeing everyone's expressions, Xiao Feng could only sigh helplessly.
"Fine."
"If I happen to find a stronger Wood Attribute cultivation technique in the future, Elder Brother will naturally get the first choice."
Xiao Ding smiled warmly.
"Then I have nothing to complain about."
For him, having an Earth Rank Low-Level Wood Attribute technique that could reach the Dou Zong realm was already a fortune beyond imagination. A stronger technique would simply be an additional blessing rather than a necessity.
Since you're asking for story continuation/editing, here's a cleaned-up and expanded version in novel style:
After everyone had finally relaxed, Xiao Feng's attention returned to the remaining scroll.
He looked toward Xiao Ding and asked curiously,
"Then what about the second scroll?"
The moment those words were spoken, everyone became interested.
After all, the Devouring Life Pill recipe alone was already an incredible treasure. Naturally, they wanted to know what kind of inheritance could be stored alongside it.
Seeing everyone's curious expressions, Xiao Ding did not beat around the bush.
"This scroll contains a puppet creation technique."
"A puppet technique?"
Even Fire Elder Huo raised an eyebrow.
Xiao Ding nodded.
"It is called the Blood Puppet Art."
"According to the scroll, one can use the corpses of powerful cultivators as the foundation and refine them into battle puppets."
"The minimum requirement is a Dou Grand Master corpse, while the highest recorded successful refinement is a peak Dou Zong corpse."
The room immediately became quiet.
Battle puppets were extremely rare on the continent.
Even many large factions did not possess such techniques.
Xiao Ding continued.
"After the puppet is successfully created, a Magical Beast Core is placed within its body as an energy source."
"It can absorb and store Dou Qi from others."
"Under certain circumstances, the puppet can even use some of the Dou Skills that the original owner mastered during their lifetime."
Hearing this, everyone revealed surprised expressions.
Such a puppet would be an excellent guardian for a clan or faction.
However, Xiao Ding soon frowned.
"There is one major drawback."
"The refinement process specifically requires human blood as one of the core ingredients."
"The scroll clearly states that Magical Beast blood cannot perfectly replace it."
The atmosphere immediately became somewhat awkward.
Even Su Qian frowned slightly.
Although the technique was powerful, many people would naturally feel uncomfortable using large amounts of human blood during refinement.
At that moment, Xiao Feng suddenly asked an unexpected question.
"Can it evolve?"
Everyone looked toward him.
Xiao Ding blinked.
"Evolve?"
"Yes."
"Can the puppet continue growing stronger after being refined through special methods?"
For a moment, Xiao Ding carefully searched through his memories before shaking his head.
"No."
"The puppet's upper limit is determined by the corpse used during refinement."
"At best, if the materials are exceptional, it can reach the cultivation level the original owner possessed before death."
"If the materials are poor, it may even be weaker than the original corpse."
Hearing that answer, the anticipation in Xiao Feng's eyes immediately disappeared.
His shoulders visibly slumped.
"What happened?" Xiao Li asked.
Xiao Feng sighed.
"I thought it might be something similar to an evolving puppet."
"If it could continuously grow stronger, then it would be truly valuable."
Now that he understood the limitations, his interest immediately decreased.
The technique was still useful.
Very useful, in fact.
It could become a powerful defensive asset for the Xiao Family or Fire City.
However, it was far from the treasure he had initially imagined.
Creating a Dou Zong puppet would require an enormous amount of resources, corpses, Magical Beast Cores, and time.
The cost-to-benefit ratio simply wasn't attractive enough for him.
As he thought about it, another memory surfaced in his mind.
The Demon flame Sect.
More specifically, the puppet techniques and artificial flame research hidden within their inheritance.
A faint light flashed through Xiao Feng's eyes.
Compared to this Blood Puppet Art, the techniques possessed by the demon flame Sect were far more tempting.
If he could obtain those inheritances, he could potentially create stronger bodyguards for the Xiao Family and Fire City.
More importantly, there was the possibility of researching artificial flames.
Of course, they would never compare to true Heavenly Flames.
However, Xiao Feng wasn't aiming for that.
Even if an artificial flame possessed only ten or twenty percent of a Heavenly Flame's cultivation-enhancing effects, it would already be a heaven-defying treasure for ordinary cultivators.
Imagine every elite member of Fire City possessing a controllable artificial flame.
Imagine the cultivation speed of the Xiao Family increasing by several times.
Just thinking about it made Xiao Feng's heart itch.
Perhaps after settling the current matters, he and Zi Yan should pay the demon flame Sect a little visit.
Naturally...
A completely friendly and peaceful visit.
At least, that was what Xiao Feng told himself.
Meanwhile, everyone watching his changing expressions suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.
They had seen that look before.
Every single time Xiao Feng revealed that expression, someone somewhere usually ended up losing a treasured inheritance.