Chapter 7

Walking into Yinhai University, Yin Xiu headed towards the direction of the cedar tree. Although it was early, there were already quite a few people out for their morning exercises. As he walked, Yin Xiu saw people running on the playground, playing basketball on the courts, and even someone practicing with a pair of nunchucks in a corner...

A moment later, Yin Xiu arrived at the cedar tree. After eighty years, the tree had grown much taller and more robust than he remembered. Standing in front of the cedar tree, he could faintly see the character 'Wu' (武) carved on one side.

The 'Wu' character was actually carved by Yin Xiu when he was young. This was why, after using his spiritual sense to investigate yesterday, he could immediately confirm that this was the cedar tree from his family's courtyard back then.

After nearly a century, the growth of the tree had made the 'Wu' character less clear. Besides the faint 'Wu' character, the marks left by Yin Xiu's martial arts practice on the tree trunk were still vaguely visible.

When he was young, Yin Xiu used to practice his martial arts under this cedar tree every day, using it as a wooden dummy.

Standing quietly in front of the cedar tree, Yin Xiu looked at the faint marks on the tree, feeling a bit dazed, as if he could see his younger self practicing under the tree...

With Yin Xiu's cultivation and state of mind, perhaps only these things could touch him.

"Phew, eighty years, it feels like just a moment. The world has changed so much, even the marks on the tree have become so faint," Yin Xiu sighed softly. He couldn't help but step forward and gently touch the marks he had left on the tree, a trace of nostalgia flashing in his eyes...

'Clap! Clap, clap...'

Suddenly, a familiar sound came from not far away. Yin Xiu couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound. He saw a girl in a practice uniform practicing martial arts in a corner, using a wooden dummy.

The girl had a ponytail hanging down her back. Her movements in striking the wooden dummy were quite solid, clearly the result of years of practice. Moreover, each strike was a solid hit on the wooden dummy. If she hadn't practiced for many years, an ordinary person wouldn't be able to endure the pain in their arms from such strikes.

"Interesting, I didn't expect to find someone practicing martial arts in this school," Yin Xiu said with a slight smile after watching for a moment. He then walked to a pavilion not far from the girl and stood quietly, watching her practice...

"Not bad. From her appearance, she seems to be a student here, and to reach this level at around twenty years old is quite good."

Yin Xiu naturally used the standards of ordinary people to measure. Otherwise, by the standards of the cultivation world, the girl wouldn't even be considered a beginner.

After a while, the girl seemed to notice someone watching her and paused her movements slightly, glancing in Yin Xiu's direction. Seeing that Yin Xiu was indeed watching her practice, the girl didn't pay much attention and quickly returned her gaze to her practice.

Being watched while practicing was nothing new to her. People often stopped to watch her out of curiosity, so she didn't mind at all. Or rather, she was used to it.

Yin Xiu naturally noticed the girl's glance but continued to watch her practice calmly, seemingly unconcerned about whether it might annoy her.

After about twenty minutes, the girl stopped, breathing slightly heavily. When she noticed that Yin Xiu was still standing in the pavilion watching her, she was slightly surprised.

But it was only a slight surprise. After the initial shock, she walked to an open space, stood firmly, took a few deep breaths to calm her slightly disordered breathing, and then began practicing again...

Watching for a while, Yin Xiu felt a bit nostalgic for the days when he practiced at home. His gaze fell on the wooden dummy nearby, and with a thought, he lightly patted Xiao Man, who was perched on his shoulder, and walked over to the wooden dummy.

Xiao Man, understanding Yin Xiu's gesture, obediently slipped down and hid in his pocket.

Standing in front of the wooden dummy, Yin Xiu couldn't help but gently touch the dummy's arms, a wave of nostalgia flashing in his eyes. He could almost see himself as a young boy practicing in front of the wooden dummy.

Without thinking, Yin Xiu's hands began to move. Although he had rarely practiced with a wooden dummy since breaking through the Foundation Building stage and entering the Qi Cultivation stage, after nearly a century, his body instinctively performed the familiar dummy techniques...

*Clap! Clap, clap!*

Yin Xiu didn't use even a fraction of his strength; otherwise, the wooden dummy would have shattered with a single strike.

As his hands and arms struck the wooden dummy, a series of dull sounds echoed. The sudden noise made the girl practicing in the open space slightly startled, and she stopped her movements, turning to look curiously.

When she saw Yin Xiu practicing in front of the wooden dummy, a look of surprise flashed in her bright eyes. She hadn't expected that the 'boy' who had been watching her practice would also be a martial artist.

Of course, the surprise Yin Xiu brought her didn't stop there.

At first, Yin Xiu's movements were not fast, just steady and unhurried. However, after a short while, the girl noticed that his movements gradually sped up, becoming more and more fluid and graceful, like a gentle breeze.

Yin Xiu's hands seemed to be caressing the wind, moving with a natural and effortless grace, completely free of any stiffness or artificiality, as if he had transcended the ordinary and reached a level of enjoyment and artistry.

This left a deep impression on the girl, causing a strong shock that stirred her heart, making it hard to calm down.

At this moment, Yin Xiu was gradually immersed in his practice, his thoughts seemingly returning to his youth. His eyes closed involuntarily, and his movements followed his feelings, his hands moving faster and faster, even leaving afterimages, as if countless hands were striking the wooden dummy simultaneously.

*Clap, clap, clap, clap...*

The continuous sounds were like a string of firecrackers.

However, in the girl's eyes, Yin Xiu's movements didn't give her any sense of urgency or pressure. On the contrary, he still gave her a feeling of fluid grace, like a gentle breeze, even with his hands leaving countless afterimages.

The girl's eyes were wide open, her bright eyes filled with shock and an indescribable light.

She had never seen anyone practice the wooden dummy techniques to such a level. Without a trace of stiffness or artificiality, there was a special sense of natural harmony and integration with the surroundings.

"Too amazing! Who is he...?"

The girl's wide eyes stared at Yin Xiu in a daze, muttering to herself.