Chapter 79: Knocking at the Gate

"What a terrifying Dao technique—devouring everything, until even the heavens and earth themselves are consumed," Lin Fan thought, trembling with fear. At last, he truly understood the dreadful reputation of the legendary Three Thousand Daos, which had already transcended creation and possessed unfathomable power.

"Devour for me!" Lin Fan roared, his eyes wide open as his hands conjured divine patterns. Above his head, a massive vortex appeared. Whirlwinds howled, and in that moment, the house where Lin Fan stood was destroyed, dust swirling in the air. Soon after, the old woman's little world began to tremble, facing an unprecedented crisis, nearly shattering.

"What power is this? This is the Three Thousand Daos!" The old woman appeared, unleashing her great mystical abilities to stabilize all directions. Only then did her little world, on the verge of breaking apart, regain its calm. She also channeled vast energy for Lin Fan to absorb.

"Has the legendary Three Thousand Daos reappeared in the mortal world? Could the ancient races be returning? No, it’s not yet time for that. Then what is with this youngster? Such power is exceedingly rare yet remarkably advanced; this Dao would not rank low even among the ancients." Her gaze sparkled, and a river of time flickered before her eyes. She hailed from an ancient clan, not part of the Jin Empire, and only those from such places possessed her insight.

"The power of the Demon Emperor, the Three Thousand Daos, and a sacred source that obscures my perceptions—what secrets are hidden within you? If not for the appearance of that sacred source, I would have dissected you for study." Her aged voice was chilling, making one's scalp tingle. She appeared kindly, but only to the Yi sisters; toward Lin Fan, she regarded him as no more than an ant.

"Thank you, senior," Lin Fan replied. After half a moment, he awakened, fully aware of what had transpired outside; his earlier loss of control had simply been beyond his ability to manage.

"What mystical technique were you cultivating just now?" the old woman asked, her gaze penetrating as though she could see through all creation.

"I am not sure. I don’t know what happened, but I suspect it must be related to these crystals," Lin Fan answered calmly, his expression unchanged, having already prepared his explanation. He produced a Demon God Crystal and set it before her.

"This is the power of an emperor-level expert. It seems you are not lying. Let this matter rest. Your breakthrough took over a month; I do not wish to be disturbed. You may leave." The old woman issued her command to depart. She was, after all, somewhat apprehensive of Lin Fan and unwilling for him to linger. The events just now had nearly caused her own cultivation realm to falter.

She was not truly an emperor yet; if her little world suffered severe damage, it could drag her down with it. Dropping a realm was one thing, but the greater cost would be losing any chance to ever reach emperorhood again.

"My apologies for disturbing you. I brought the Yi sisters here, and now it is time to leave. I wonder, how are the sisters faring?" Lin Fan bowed deeply. He welcomed her dismissal, for during those moments, he had sensed several instances of murderous intent directed at him; for reasons unknown, she had refrained from attacking. The feeling of his life being in another's hands was one he despised, so he was eager to depart as soon as possible.

"Rest assured. With my intervention, everything is fine. They have recovered, and their cultivation has even advanced," the old woman nodded, saying little more. For Lin Fan, that was enough.

"Then I am reassured. I will take my leave, and I ask that you bid farewell to the young lady for me." Lin Fan clasped his hands in a respectful gesture. Though he felt no affection for the old woman, he performed the necessary courtesies, leaving her no cause to find fault.

"Very well," the old woman responded, though whether she would pass on his words was uncertain.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion shook the little world, cracks appearing across the heavens—a prelude to its collapse. Someone was attacking with great mystical power, their terrifying force sweeping down with unrivaled destruction.

Lin Fan shuddered, nearly falling. He looked up, his face pale with fear.

A nine-segment whip, like a pillar propping up the sky, crashed down, shrouded in chaotic energy, spanning thousands of feet. It was the source of the attack. A figure emerged—the deity of the Nine-Segment Whip.

"Die!" a thunderous shout rang out. The deity of the Nine-Segment Whip struck, unleashing divine radiance that enveloped the heavens, fiercely suppressing all. From the distant sky it descended, shattering all things, sundering the void, even opening a black hole—power beyond the realm of earth and sky, at the level of a titled emperor.

"How dare you! Get out!" The old woman's expression changed drastically. She struck back, her cane thrusting toward the heavens, its sharp brilliance illuminating all. This was a half-step emperor unleashing her full might, terrifying beyond measure.

Her bent cane transformed into a giant dragon, roaring forward, shattering the divine light of the Nine-Segment Whip. Yet the dragon itself was torn apart, scattering into countless rays of divine light.

"What is the meaning of this? Are you forcing me to ascend?" the old woman retorted, radiating a fearsome pressure. She was pushing herself to the utmost, standing at the pinnacle.

The Nine-Segment Whip was, after all, a true ancestral artifact. Fully awakened, it rivaled emperor-level power, not inferior to the old woman, perhaps even stronger.

"Surrender the sisters. I know your origins, but this is the Jin Empire, not your domain," declared the deity of the Nine-Segment Whip, powerful and domineering. The Yi clan had paid a great price to awaken it, and now it demanded results.

"So you know I am from the Five Metals Sea, yet you dare attack? If my old master were enraged, the entire Jin Empire would vanish; your little ancestral artifact is insignificant." The old woman snorted coldly, undaunted, her backing formidable.

"Infinite Sea? Too bad this is the Jin Empire. Even if the giants of Infinite Sea came here, they must lie low. Don’t think it’s still ten thousand years ago—your era has passed," the Nine-Segment Whip sneered, its existence spanning unimaginable ages, privy to many secrets, and not particularly afraid of the legendary Infinite Sea.

"Let’s see if your confidence lasts. I wonder what power the Yi clan used to make you act," the old woman cried, soaring skyward, her entire body glowing as she unleashed terrifying power against the heavens.

She struck again and again, the firmament splitting, the earth sinking, chaos engulfing all. It was a great clash, life-and-death, with both sides resolved to kill.

"So terrifying—is this the battle between emperors? It’s overwhelming! But what is this Infinite Sea they speak of?" Lin Fan steadied himself, seeing only two beams of light attacking each other, no clear figures.

"Young one, take the Yi sisters and leave. I fear I cannot hold out much longer," a voice suddenly whispered in Lin Fan's ear.