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The four of them saw a vertical crack open up on Chen Xuan’s face, stretching from his forehead to his chin, with both roaming eyes swallowed by this fissure.

This terrifying sight made them involuntarily shiver, but at least no one screamed.

Lord Xuan... should be smiling, right? Ma Shun thought.

But no matter what, the family was at least still alive... at least, they looked alive.

The fire in the kitchen was lit, followed by boiling water and adding meat. The seasonings were pitifully sparse, with only a bit of salt and a few bay leaves.

Yet as the scent of meat wafted in, the sound of swallowing filled the room.

"Is this... really deer meat..." Ma Dashu murmured, "The last time I ate it was when Hunter Zhang’s son got married."

"It’s a pity all the trees at the foot of the mountain have been cut down, and the deer are all gone," Luo Xinghua nodded in agreement, "Thanks to... the true man’s blessing, we can taste meat again..."

Why does it feel like the gratitude for treating them to a meal of venison is on the same level as healing a broken leg? Chen Xuan stroked his chin, thinking that if he had known, he would have caught more wild boars and deer from the mountaintop.

"Master, this portion is for you first," Ma Qiuniang carefully carried a porcelain bowl to the table and respectfully placed it before him.

She was obviously afraid of him, but her curiosity outweighed that fear.

Moreover, when she first saw him, she immediately reacted, pushing Ma Shun into the house while treating him like a guest, thus avoiding causing a commotion that might attract the neighbors’ attention and finding a reasonable excuse to invite him inside. Her judgment was indeed sharp.

If it were someone less astute, upon seeing a stranger appear, the first reaction would likely be to block the door and ask for clarification before seeking confirmation with a brother. Chen Xuan didn’t mind, but if it dragged on, it might easily arouse suspicion among other families.

Chen Xuan thought she must have seen a lot of the world.

The bowl contained the most prime part of the deer, the ribs near the abdomen. The soup was quite clear, with a few oil beads floating on the surface.

Then Ma Qiuniang brought over a bowl of staple food, with yellow-brown grains that looked like brown rice. This should be their main food.

Of course, typically, eating boiled dry brown rice at every meal would still be a luxury for a family with no main labor force. If not for entertaining a distinguished guest, they would have added more water to make the rice into mush or porridge.

Compared to the fresh and delicious venison, the appeal of the two was naturally not on the same level.

"I won’t eat this," Chen Xuan said coldly.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t hungry, but he indeed didn’t need to eat. Beneath the covering of his body surface, he had neither heart nor stomach, with all flesh and blood coalescing, ready to transform into various forms at his will.

At these words, the atmosphere tensed again.

After all, it’s said that demons eat people.

"I feed on the spiritual qi of Heaven and Earth," he added, "These mundane things are unworthy of entering my mouth."

Finally, they understood him.

The dish full of venison quickly filled the four’s bowls.

At this moment, Chen Xuan felt a thread of spiritual qi surge into his body.

Oh? Has it taken effect so quickly?

He tasted it carefully and discovered this thread of thought power came from Ma Qiuniang.

Chen Xuan couldn’t help but smile. It seemed his choice was right—his current spiritual qi was quite limited, so apart from giving Ma Shun a living dead and the Purifying Heart Technique, he could only replicate two more Purifying Heart Techniques, implanting them into Ma Qiuniang and Ma Dashu.

This crystal seed, containing ability information and subtle spiritual qi, would connect to the nervous system, subtly influencing the person. This process was akin to the awakening of an Ability User. If unreminded, some Ability Users might not even realize they actually possess an ability years after awakening.

But once they comprehend the presence of the ability, they can naturally use it, as simple as breathing and walking, as if they were innate talents.

Of course, this wasn’t the main point.

The key was the Purifying Heart Technique.

It’s the introductory heart method for disciples of the Lotus Cloud Sect. Learning it means stepping into the cultivation threshold, essentially becoming a cultivator.

If the believers of the Lord of Flesh and Blood were just ordinary people, the number might have to reach thousands or even tens of thousands to attract spiritual qi for a gathering phenomenon.

But with cultivators, things are completely different—even a novice cultivator can naturally absorb spiritual qi. When cultivators become curious, grateful, or resolutely follow the Lord of Flesh and Blood, a portion of the spiritual qi garnered can be used by Chen Xuan.

Moreover, there was a more extreme method of extraction. That is to remelt these cultivators once they achieved something small, reclaiming the spiritual qi-rich flesh for personal use, just as one would treat a Demon Fiend. However, this method clearly doesn’t align with long-term interests, and Chen Xuan knew the difference between a single meal and consistent nourishment.

The situation now was as Chen Xuan anticipated; someone had already remembered him deeply. No matter whether this emotion was fear or joy, curiosity or reverence, it could empower him.

"Knock knock knock."

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door outside.

The four people froze in their actions.

"Old Ma, what’s that delicious smell? Let me have a taste too!"

Chen Xuan glanced at Ma Dashu and immediately heard his inner voice: Damn you, Old Guan, is this the time to be greedy for food? If I let you in, you’ll wet your pants in fear!

"Hey, don’t ignore me. I know you’re there; I can see the light through the windows! It’s not like I’m eating for free. I have a bottle of wine, which pairs perfectly with meat!"

Even without an explanation, Chen Xuan could tell that this person knocking likely had a good relationship with the Ma Family, hence Ma Dashu’s timid behavior.

This might be a good opportunity to test loyalty.

"You know what to do," Chen Xuan said softly and then vanished from view.

Ma Dashu and the others looked at each other, puzzled.

Knowing what to do? But he really didn’t know!

After two seconds of silence, Ma Qiuniang was the first to stand up and head to the door.

The other three were shocked, exclaiming simultaneously.

"Qiuniang?"

"Sister?"

"We should let Uncle Guan in. He’s a friend of Dad’s, not a bad person," Ma Qiuniang said.

"Is this really okay?" Luo Xinghua muttered in a lowered voice, "I mean, he knows about Dashu’s injured leg..."

"Right, when he finds out about Dad’s healed leg, he’ll definitely ask persistent questions, allowing us to introduce him to Lord Xuan." She nodded, "Uncle Guan often complains about aching his back, right? This way, he can receive Lord Xuan’s gift too."

"But we still don’t know..." Ma Dashu hesitated for a moment before continuing, "... the Upper Immortal’s intentions."

"No, Lord Xuan has already told us. He wants to achieve the ultimate fusion. We’ve received his kindness, and we should do our utmost to assist him."

Ma Shun looked stunned, as if seeing his elder sister anew. "Do you know what the ultimate fusion is?"

"I guess... it’s what Lord Xuan did to us." Ma Qiuniang’s hand was already on the door latch. "Though I don’t quite understand, it clearly seems like a good thing. Ah Shun, haven’t you noticed we’ve become slightly different from before?"

"Huh?" Ma Shun looked baffled, "Different how—" he stopped abruptly, suddenly realizing that his sister’s words were spoken in a very low voice. In the past, he couldn’t possibly have heard so clearly.

"What are you two muttering about?" Luo Xinghua asked, puzzled.

"Nothing. Didn’t Lord Xuan say the more people who receive the gift, the stronger the power we share?" Ma Qiuniang unlocked the latch. "So this is what we should do."

As the door opened, she greeted the guest outside with a warm smile, "Good evening, Uncle Guan!"