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Additionally, Chen Xuan encountered some unforeseen situations during the actual containment process.

For instance, flesh cannot be compressed indefinitely.

It wasn’t noticeable when containing two or three people, but when the number exceeded ten, along with the blood and flesh of hunted demons and beasts, he could no longer maintain his original physique. These extra chunks of flesh protruded on the surface, resembling massive tumors. His weight increased rapidly, leaving deep impressions in the ground, and in damp places, his feet would sink to the ankle, making walking a difficult task.

This was information his flesh instincts hadn’t told him; only through experience did he learn.

If things continued like this, once he had contained all the residents of Baihe Village, he feared he’d have turned into a hideous mountain of flesh, entirely unrecognizable as human.

Chen Xuan clearly couldn’t accept such a horrifying image.

The Lord of Flesh and Blood could evoke mystery and fear, but not revulsion.

After contemplating deeply, he came up with a temporary solution: hiding the main body and leaving only a shell to act independently.

Chen Xuan dispersed his body into numerous fine tendrils, burrowing underground and reconnecting them at a depth of two to three hundred meters, resembling a giant "web." He then replicated a body identical to his own, controlled by his spirit, addressing both the compression and weight issues simultaneously.

Of course, this approach wasn’t without its drawbacks.

Firstly, human skin isn’t suited for prolonged underground exposure; moisture softens the keratin layer, and insects would treat it as food and chew away. Thus, Chen Xuan had to use extra Thought Power to construct his defenses, ossifying the outer skin, a process known as layering armor, by using tougher chitin layers to protect the body.

Fortunately, the formula for chitin was easy to obtain; catching several crabs by the stream and consuming them provided a sample that could be reconstituted.

Secondly, Chen Xuan could only control one body at a time; occupying his shell meant he couldn’t use birds to fly around. He’d have to first extract his soul, then reshape it into a bird.

Lastly, he found that even with a replicant, the contained villagers would see a face with exposed muscles and blood vessels, as if reminding everyone that this body was hosting the soul of the Lord of Flesh and Blood.

Having solved the expansion issue, he could finally proceed to expand his territory, continuously channeling harvested flesh underground.

Within a week, Chen Xuan had essentially "registered" half the residents of Baihe Village.

Among them were four who, out of sheer terror, chose to flee the village. Little did they know, once undergoing reconstitution, their bodies formed an inseparable bond with Chen Xuan, with an invisible thread connecting them to the forbidden main body, no matter how far apart they were.

Chen Xuan was fully aware of their movements, and his simple response was to recontain the escapees. This didn’t mean death but rather a form of preservation; their flesh and soul were stored separately, entering a dreamless slumber until the next awakening.

To outsiders, it appeared as though these people had vanished into thin air.

Escaping Baihe Village was akin to absconding, and all four were solitary widowers with no wives or daughters to care for, allowing them to leave cleanly without many neighbors taking notice.

Another dusk fell upon the village.

At this time, the quiet would temporarily retreat from the village, as the people who had labored throughout the day pushed their carts, bringing chopped wood back to the village, followed by rising smoke as the women cooked hearty dinners for the exhausted men to enjoy. Friendly neighbors would visit each other, gathering in courtyards to chat and dine, a rare moment of leisure in a day.

Since the Pei State government had started recruiting young villagers from Baihe Village, things hadn’t been great.

The depletion of labor for woodcutting meant a steep decline in a household’s income; without money from selling charcoal, they couldn’t exchange for tools, clothes, or even food. In less than half a month, the vitality at dusk had entirely vanished, with sadness and despair weighing down everyone’s heart, uncertain of how long they could endure.

However, one week after Chen Xuan’s arrival, the situation visibly improved.

"Wow, Old Ma, how many logs are you carrying?" someone joked at the village entrance, "Eight logs?"

"What count is this? Ten logs!" Ma Dashu panted as he held two arms high, with several logs on each shoulder, and shouted without turning back, "Talk about being as good as ever, I’m as good as ever!"

"Impressive, but I saw Old Li carrying twelve logs back."

"Is that even comparable? He carries hollow logs, with little to no burning power!" Ma Dashu sneered.

Another chimed in, "Did you see Lady Qiu? She carried fifteen logs just now!"

"Old Ma, you’re getting outperformed by your big sister!"

"How could that be?" Ma Dashu exclaimed anxiously, "I’ll count them right now; you’re definitely mistaken!"

The village entrance was filled with cheerful laughter.

Similar scenes played out across Baihe Village. The mere fact that villagers’ strength had grown significantly completely reversed the village’s decline—it restored local residents’ productivity to its original level, with a surplus after trading charcoal for food, reigniting hope among the people.

If any other cultivator passed through here, they’d undoubtedly be shocked, witnessing these people not only possessing Spiritual Qi but also mastering heart methods sought by loose cultivators, yet they resort to selling labor, chopping wood, and burning charcoal, truly squandering their gifts!

But the mastermind didn’t care one bit; to Chen Xuan, having villagers notice their increased strength was more effective than any missionary method.

Being strong meant survival here, so whoever made them stronger was who they followed.

Even if physical fitness was merely the basic function of the heart method.

Chen Xuan noticed today’s Spiritual Qi harvest had significantly increased, roughly equivalent to absorbing half a small demon, a progress that delighted him. The villagers hadn’t yet been fully contained, and those who received the Purifying Heart Technique numbered less than twenty-five.

By using the acquired Spiritual Qi to create heart methods and distributing them among the people, enhancing their Spiritual Qi attraction, this cycle perfectly matched his expectations and even surpassed them.

Returning to the Ma Family’s backyard, Ma Qiuniang was chopping firewood and boiling water. Upon seeing him, she immediately stood up, hastily wiped her hands on her clothes, and respectfully bowed her head to him, "Lord Xuan."

"Hmm." Chen Xuan nodded and tossed out two wild boars, "Have Ma Shun share them with the villagers and neighbors, the best parts sent to the Wang, Liu, Tang, and Chen families."

The four households he mentioned were among the most grateful to the Lord of Flesh and Blood—though fear and gratitude could both serve as sources of faith, currently, the latter provided significantly more Spiritual Qi than the former.

"I can handle this small matter myself." She moved to lift the wild boars.

"Let Ma Shun do it." Chen Xuan repeated.

Qiuniang shivered, appearing frightened, "Yes! I apologize, Lord."

Chen Xuan secretly sighed, realizing his image truly fit that of a villain. He softened his tone slightly, "I’m not letting you do it because I have other plans for you; let’s discuss it in the room."