Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Chapter 1273: Chapter 494: Recruitment

"The myriad things of heaven and earth can all be cut."

This is the first sentence in the "Taixu Cutting Form Book".

The handwriting in the book is slender, with strokes as crisp and precise as a blade’s cut.

Ning Zhuo stared at this line of text, feeling slightly dazed—within the words seemed to hide a detached calmness overlooking all beings, as if the writer could wield a ruler as a knife to cut through everything in the world.

Ning Zhuo first skimmed through the book to ascertain the contents of the "Taixu Cutting Form Book".

The skills of cutting taught in the book are divided into seven categories.

They are: straight cut, curved cut, layered cut, internal cut, void cut, intent cut, and fate cut.

There is no hierarchy among the seven categories, and there are strong connections between them.

Profound and intricate!

"No wonder it’s authored by a master of the Refining Void Level," Ning Zhuo marveled.

He studied it briefly and began to practice.

Ning Zhuo took out a stack of white paper and placed it in front of him.

"A steady heart leads to straight lines; a steady hand results in even cuts."

Ning Zhuo muttered the mantra, and his right hand, holding the ruler, slowly lowered, the edge aligned with the paper’s edge.

He took a deep breath and gently pushed his wrist.

The ruler’s edge grazed the paper, leaving a shallow trace—yet it was squiggly, like the trail of a crawling worm.

Ning Zhuo frowned slightly.

He clearly felt his wrist was steady and his gaze straight, so why was the line so crooked?

"Again."

Another sheet was laid out. Ning Zhuo adjusted his breathing; this time, he deliberately slowed down, almost inching the ruler’s edge bit by bit.

The line was still skewed, though slightly better than the first.

"Again."

The third sheet, fourth sheet, fifth sheet...

After 30 minutes, over twenty sheets of scrap paper surrounded Ning Zhuo. Each had slanted line marks, some even breaking midway as if the ruler’s edge had suddenly jumped.

Ning Zhuo paused, staring at the replica ruler in his hand, deep in thought.

"Each time I push the ruler’s edge, I can clearly feel the minute bumps on the paper’s surface, the fibers’ grain direction, even the slightest changes in the paper’s tension. These sensations are so vivid, so clear that he can almost "see" every moment the ruler’s edge makes contact with the paper."

"But the problem is here—I’m feeling too much."

There’s no way around this.

Ning Zhuo’s current Refining Realm allows him to have such acute senses.

"Or rather, I’m too focused on these minute sensations, losing sight of the whole. I shouldn’t let the countless details overwhelm me."

He picked up the replica ruler again but didn’t rush to cut. Instead, he closed his eyes, first imagining a straight line—a straight, unbent line.

Then, he imagined the ruler’s edge gliding along this line, from start to finish, in one continuous motion.

"A steady heart leads to straight lines."

He understood.

The so-called "steady heart" does not refer to moral integrity but to focusing on the "line" itself, undistracted by other thoughts. The direction, length, and position of the line—these are what the mind should focus on. As for the paper’s texture, the ruler’s touch, the subtle wrist movements, are mere details.

Ning Zhuo suddenly saw the light.

He opened his eyes and pushed the ruler continuously.

The ruler’s edge silently glided over.

A straight line mark extended from the head to the tail of the paper, precisely down the middle.

A smile appeared on Ning Zhuo’s lips.

He held up the paper to the light. The line trace was even in depth, consistent in width, with no tremors or jumps.

"It’s done."

Straight lines, horizontal lines, vertical lines, diagonal lines... He cut hundreds of sheets, each as straight as a taut ink line. The replica ruler in his hand became increasingly obedient, almost an extension of his arm.

Eventually, he no longer needed to visualize the line in advance; with just a thought, the ruler’s edge would automatically draw the line he envisioned.

Ning Zhuo began to attempt curved cuts.

Curved lines are much more difficult than straight lines. Straight lines require only one direction, while curved lines require constant angle adjustments in motion. Moreover, these adjustments must be continuous and smooth, without any pause or corner.

The first curve was as distorted as a worm divided into segments.

The second was slightly better but still showed signs of splicing.

The third, fourth, fifth...

Ning Zhuo’s frown grew deeper. Practicing curves was more than ten times harder than straight lines, and he seemed to return to the initial state—feeling too much, losing sight of the whole.

"It’s not right."

He stopped and closed his eyes to think.

The difference between curves and straight lines is not just the change in shape.

Straight lines are static: the start, direction, and end are fixed, and the line is determined.

But curves are dynamic: the direction changes every moment, and the mind must follow this change without any delay.

"Therefore, grasp the rhythm within."

"The strength of starting the cut, the timing of the turn, the lingering of stopping. It’s like playing the guqin, not plucking each note individually, but letting the fingers flow naturally with the melody."

Understanding this, Ning Zhuo continued to train.

Shortly after.

The ruler’s edge roamed.

A smooth arc appeared on the paper, crafted in one continuous motion, without any abrupt transition.

Ning Zhuo smiled.

He continued practicing; arcs, waves, spirals... various curves became more adept in his hands. Eventually, he could even cut a simple plum blossom on paper: five petals full and round, with slender, lively stamens.

After two hours, a stack of discarded paper accumulated around Ning Zhuo, totaling several hundred sheets.

His spirit grew dim, and his body slightly swayed, having reached its limit.

Though the time was short, Ning Zhuo gained a lot. His learning speed had far surpassed ordinary people!

On one hand, Ning Zhuo had accumulated cultivation knowledge, allowing him to grasp the cutting skills quickly and easily through analogy.