Chapter 49
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Chapter 49: Origami Art, Grandmaster-level
Mu Lin did not explicitly refuse protection, instead inviting Chu Lingluo to sit beside him. He continued crafting the fairy tale garden while chatting with her.
Through their conversation, Mu Lin discovered Yan Yunyu had spread the claim that "I’m inherently good yet envied for my talents." Though unaware of Yan Yunyu’s extreme fixation on claiming first place, his sharp instincts warned him of hidden schemes.
He cautiously advised the gentle girl: "Ahem. Blind trust brings danger in the realm of cultivation. You should temper this nature."
Chu Lingluo looked bewildered. "Change myself? But my parents always praised my pure heart, saying it aids cultivation."
"…".
Mu Lin suddenly slapped his own face.
"Master Mu! Are you cursed?"
"Just punishing my presumptuousness."
He now realized their fundamental difference. Without family backing, Mu Lin needed constant vigilance and strategic alliances to survive. But Chu Lingluo, as a noble lady from the powerful Chu family, faced no such dangers – even Yan Yunyu’s competition manifested through indirect manipulation rather than open confrontation.
Unknown to Mu Lin, Yan Yunyu monitored their interactions closely. While encouraging their friendship to distract Chu Lingluo, she maintained strict boundaries – harmless companionship was acceptable, but any actual harm to Chu Lingluo would bring disastrous consequences.
…
Though ignorant of these schemes, Mu Lin understood Chu Lingluo required no excessive caution. Maintaining her pure heart caused no harm.
As for battlefield suitability?
"Who decreed Chu Lingluo must fight?" Mu Lin mused. "Even with the Taoist Palace’s mandatory conscription, the Chu family’s influence could easily secure her a safe logistical position."
…
Abandoning further advice, Mu Lin focused on crafting. But halfway through, he froze completely.
After tea-time duration, he awoke from his trance. Displeasure twisted his features as he surveyed his origami creations. With sudden decisiveness, he snapped his fingers – flames erupted, reducing the paper animals to ashes.
"Eep!!"
Chu Lingluo’s eyes welled with tears. "D-do you hate making these for me?"
Her trembling voice stabbed Mu Lin with guilt. "No! I just…improved my technique. The next version will be better."
This is not a lie; paper folding was inherently easier than painting or calligraphy.
Yesterday, Mu Lin had the Substitute Paper Figure practice for him throughout the night.
Combined with his previous creations, this training finally elevated his paper folding skills from 4th Level Master to 5th Level Grandmaster.
【Paper Folding, 5th Level Grandmaster (1/108000), Traits: Grandmaster’s Work, Lifelike, Soul Resonance】
Upon reaching Grandmaster level, Mu Lin immediately checked the proficiency panel. Seeing numbers still progressing beyond the 5th level brought him both relief and frustration.
Relief came from knowing the 5th Level Grandmaster represented completion, yet the continuing proficiency meant his other techniques could surpass perfection. The frustration stemmed from the realization that advancing beyond this stage would be like forging a new path – a hundred times harder than following established methods, as shown by the rising value.
“Good news: progress remains possible. Bad news: it’ll be brutally difficult.”
After this reflection, Mu Lin examined his new Grandmaster traits.
Grandmaster’s Work simply enhanced the artistic quality of his creations. Soul Resonance, however, marked the true breakthrough.
Early stages of paper folding, painting, sculpture, or calligraphy focused on beauty and realism. But at Master and Grandmaster levels, these became mere foundations rather than ultimate goals.
The true pinnacle lay in channeling emotions, thoughts, and worldly observations through skilled craftsmanship to achieve spiritual connection with viewers. Masterpieces like the Mona Lisa’s smile achieved this in his previous life.
Now capable of Soul Resonance, Mu Lin folded a Grandmaster-level animal and made a discovery. In his non-magical past, appreciating such art required specialized knowledge – hence “highbrow works find few admirers”. But here, mental energy held real power.
His folded panda radiated an aura that tugged at viewers’ souls. Ordinary people gazing at it would enter a dazed state, imagining the creature springing to life with playful antics.
“Mental energy’s truly wondrous… I wonder how much this Soul Resonance reduces my paper figure’s magical powers cost.”
While Mu Lin pondered spell mechanics, Chu Lingluo stood beside him utterly enchanted by the chubby panda.
“Adorable…”
She finally tore her eyes away, regarding Mu Lin with deepened respect. ‘To advance so quickly in paper folding… Cousin was right – you’re truly gifted.’
Noticing Mu Lin stop after crafting two small animals, his brow furrowed in thought, she guessed: ‘The upcoming assessment worries him…’
Though innocent, Chu Lingluo wasn’t naive. She knew this evaluation meant everything for a commoner like Mu Lin. He clearly prioritized training over building her Fairy Tale Garden.
Her kind nature compelled action. Leaning closer, she whispered: “Master Mu, focus on your training first. The paper folding can wait.”
To ease his conscience, she added: “Besides, I want to learn paper folding myself. Going slower means more time learning from you.”
This effectively dispelled Mu Lin’s concerns.
“Thank you for understanding, Miss Chu. Actually, I can balance both tasks – I just feared it might seem rude. As for lessons… ask me anything about paper folding, painting, or calligraphy.”
Producing White Paper, he folded two soul-resonant paper figures. After painting them and inscribing true names with birth dates, he blew hard.
Whoosh! Infused with vitality of the living, the figures instantly expanded to human size. Their perfect resemblance didn’t surprise him, but the energy savings did: 50% less Energy Cost, 70% reduced soul drain thanks to their Possessing Form and Spirit and Soul Resonance traits.
This dramatically improved his endurance. Moreover, Soul Resonance offered two additional advantages…
