As he entered the cave, an unpleasant mixed smell rushed into his nose. It was a blend of medicinal scents, dampness, mildew, and blood.
Xiao Yan's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he quickened his pace and walked straight into the cave.
The cave's interior was not very spacious, and it was somewhat dim.
It did not even look like a place where anyone lived. It seemed more like an ordinary cave that had been abandoned for many years.
Moss grew thickly across the rock walls. In the center of the cave stood a stone bed that looked as if it had grown directly out of the ground.
An old woman in a plain black dress lay on it. Her features were not as aged as those of the Great Elder and the others, but her hair was exceptionally pale and dry. There were indeed many wrinkles on her cheeks, and the vitality within her body was far from vigorous. Although Xiao Yan could still discern a trace of lingering charm in her slightly weathered features, his heart sank to the bottom.
If the Great Elder and the others looked old because they had deliberately allowed their appearances to change with the passing years, while their life force remained relatively tenacious, then Senior Hua Yu was precisely the opposite.
Based on Xiao Yan's perception, the vitality within Hua Yu could support her for at most another eight or ten years. Moreover, with each passing year, her appearance would change drastically and grow increasingly aged. Within three years, she would probably look as old as the Great Elder and the others. After that, she would rapidly develop toward the appearance of someone on the verge of death.
Furthermore, Xiao Yan could clearly see that the old woman's legs beneath her black dress were