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"Greetings, Grandma!" Gao Xueting's expression turned solemn, and she cupped her fists toward the figure.
Yang Kai and the others quickly looked toward the newcomer and discovered that Grandma You was remarkably short — she barely reached Yang Kai's chest. Her back was hunched, she leaned on a walking cane, and her entire body seemed frail and wavering, as if a strong wind might topple her.
As for Grandma You's face, the word "ugly" hardly did it justice. It was pockmarked and ravaged by time, covered in countless wrinkles, dotted with liver spots — she looked like she could keel over at any moment.
Yet her pair of murky green eyes burned with startling intensity. Meeting that gaze made everyone's skin crawl.
Her appearance and that look — the first word that came to mind was "monstrous."
The timid Murong Xiaoxiao had already gone a shade paler, and even Yang Kai and the other men wore expressions of visible discomfort.
But with the elder standing before them, they didn't dare skip the pleasantries. They quickly cupped their fists and called out in unison: "Greetings, Senior!"
Grandma You gave a slight nod without much acknowledgment. She simply swept her gaze over them, and at the same time, a wave of divine sense so suffocating it made it hard to breathe passed over their bodies.
Yang Kai was stunned, staring at the old woman before him in shock.
He had discovered that her divine sense was inconceivably powerful — it was in no way inferior to that of Aunt Feng, whom he had encountered before.
And Aunt Feng was a Third Stage Emperor Transcendent, a figure on par with Wen Zishan in strength.
But the energy fluctuations radiating from Grandma You didn't seem to reach the Third Stage Emperor Transcendent level. By Yang Kai's estimation, she was likely only at the First Stage!
In other words, although this old woman's cultivation was merely at the First Stage Emperor Transcendent level, her divine sense was comparable to that of a Third Stage. Whether this was due to extraordinary natural talent or from spending so many years guarding the Shenyou Mirror, he couldn't say.
Yang Kai privately believed the latter was far more likely, because according to Wen Zishan, the greatest function of the Shenyou Mirror was to enhance a warrior's divine sense.
She had guarded it here for years, and must have reaped tremendous benefits from the treasure.
"Oh?" After her divine sense swept over everyone, Grandma You suddenly fixed her gaze on Yang Kai, as if she had noticed something. She let out a raspy, cackling laugh. "This little one is interesting…"
Gao Xueting glanced at Yang Kai, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, but she said nothing.
Grandma You made no further comment about Yang Kai after that remark. She simply continued in her grating voice: "The rest of them are passable, I suppose!"
Gao Xueting cupped her fists. "Then I'll trouble you, Grandma, to send them into the Shenyou Mirror."
"Hmph! That little brat Wen Zishan, always ordering this old woman around!" Grandma You suddenly cursed upon hearing this.
Yang Kai and the others were dumbfounded, staring at the old woman before them with utter disbelief.
Wen Zishan was the Master of the Azure Sun Divine Temple, after all. Since Grandma You had been stationed here to guard the restricted area, she was presumably a member of the Temple as well. For a Temple warrior to speak so disrespectfully — to call the Temple Master a "little brat" right to everyone's faces…
Something was very wrong with this picture no matter how you looked at it.
After her outburst, Grandma You whipped her head around and fixed them with a sharp, raptor-like glare. "What? He's got this old woman locked up in here, and I can't call him a name? Do you have a problem with that?"
Everyone shook their heads vigorously, feeling that this single exchange contained far, far too much information…
Meanwhile, Gao Xueting's brows were drawn tight. She spoke up: "Grandma, you're only here because of the wager you made with the Temple Master. There's no need to…"
"What do you know?!" Grandma You's temper was indeed terrible — after cursing Wen Zishan, she now turned her fury on Gao Xueting, her expression growing agitated. "Back then, you were nothing but a little brat yourself. What could you possibly know? That bastard Wen Zishan — if this old woman weren't weaker than him, I'd have torn him to shreds long ago…"
She seemed to have recalled something deeply unpleasant and launched into a tirade, cursing nonstop while thumping her cane against the ground — bang, bang, bang — the sound echoing through the entire cavern.
Yang Kai and the others stood rooted to the spot, watching in terror, terrified that this old woman might lose her mind and attack them.
Given that her divine sense was comparable to a Third Stage Emperor Transcendent, if she suddenly struck, Gao Xueting might not be able to keep them safe.
Fortunately, though Grandma You was in a towering rage, she hadn't lost all reason. After a stretch of cursing, she suddenly fell silent, standing in place and gasping for breath, as though the tirade had exhausted her.
Gao Xueting's expression was grim as well. She held back her impatience and didn't dare interrupt rashly. Only after the old woman finished did she say: "Grandma, perhaps you could send them in first."
"I know!" the old woman snapped irritably. She turned to look at Gao Xueting. "Are you going in yourself this time?"
Gao Xueting replied: "Yes, I am."