# Chapter 1342: Death's Fall
The thunder sea dispersed, but the surging blood and trembling hearts of the crowd could not calm down even the slightest bit. They felt that every cell and every hair on their bodies had fallen into an abyss of terror, a kind of trembling they had never experienced even in nightmares.
As the residual lightning gradually faded, the world fell into utter silence, without a single sound. Even the bloodthirst and killing intent that had been floating in the air were swallowed by the thunder sea, dissipating by half.
Yun Che lay prostrate on the ground, motionless and silent. The Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword, drenched in blood and the source of countless nightmares, had left his hand and lay silently by his side.
This time, not only his aura, but even his very existence had become so faint that it could barely be detected.
However, in the terrifying stillness, none of the Star Guards dared to approach him for a long time, nor did a single person take a step forward. Under the nightmares Yun Che had repeatedly created, they had completely become birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring. They feared that this demon was merely resting briefly, as before, and that once they approached, he would immediately awaken and drag them into the abyss of death.
"Finally... it's over." Tianyuan Star God Tu Mi closed his eyes and let out a long breath. As his mind settled slightly, he realized that his pale hair and beard were drenched in cold sweat.
At his level, he could naturally sense that the world-destroying purple thunder sea was Yun Che's final power. This time, he had completely exhausted his last ounce of strength.
"..." Xing Shendi's face twitched, and his hands clenched tightly.
"His life aura and soul aura have both become extremely weak simultaneously. It seems that this power, which defies all reason, came at the cost of his own life and soul. When power exceeds the limit one can bear, the first thing to be damaged is the profound veins. It's very likely... his profound veins are already ruined. Even if our King wished to keep him alive, it would be impossible." Tianyuan Star God said slowly.
"Let... him... die!" Xing Shendi said in a low voice. How much he had initially wanted to keep Yun Che alive, now he wanted him dead just as much.
"Fortunately, the ritual had only just begun. This accident won't affect the main proceedings." Tianyuan Star God said. If the ritual had reached the critical step of extracting and fusing power, with the Star Gods and elders so distracted, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Destroy him." Tianyuan Star God ordered. "He has completely exhausted his power, and might already be dead. Obliterate his body, leaving no trace behind!"
"Yes."
All the Star Guards acknowledged in unison... but then an awkward scene occurred. One breath... two breaths... three breaths... The Star Guards exchanged glances, yet not a single person stepped forward.
"I'll do it!" Just as Xing Shendi was about to erupt in fury, a figure stepped forward and soared into the air. It was none other than the Tiangang Star Guard Commander. As the Star Guard Commander, even against his better judgment, he had to go first.
He still bore the wounds from Yun Che's sword strike that had sent him flying. Possessing the power of a ninth-level Divine Sovereign, his gaze was firm, but deep within, the light in his eyes was clearly wavering. He had only moved forward a little, but it seemed he no longer had the courage to approach further. With a flash of profound light in his hand, he prepared to strike at Yun Che from afar.
The moment his profound light condensed, he suddenly saw that Yun Che, far in the distance... the remnant of his left arm moved slightly.
It was an extremely light movement, but it made the Tiangang Star Guard Commander's entire body tremble, nearly scaring the soul out of him. He almost instantly plummeted backward at the fastest speed of his life, retreating to a position even farther than before, and the profound light in his hand dissipated completely.
Before his startled soul could settle, he realized how shameful and embarrassing his reaction and actions were. But no one cast a contemptuous or mocking gaze at him, because everyone's attention was focused on Yun Che, and each person's face bore the same look of terror.
Because Yun Che really was moving.
His left arm slowly rose, clawing at the ground in front of him, then dragged his body forward a little with difficulty. Then, his arm reached out again, clawing again... little by little, inch by inch, like an aged man on the verge of his final breath, using his remaining arm to crawl forward...
And the direction he was crawling toward... was unmistakably where Mo Li and Cai Zhi were.
Yun Che's world had become a gray darkness.
No light, no sound, no feeling of pain, no sense of his own existence. He didn't know where he was, and he couldn't see where Mo Li was, but his feelings, his final shred of thought and will, guided him to crawl toward that unknown direction.
The world became even quieter. Not only was there no sound, even time seemed to have completely stopped. Everyone, every gaze, was fixed there, staring blankly at Yun Che. No one spoke, no one approached...
Yun Che crawled very, very slowly. Every time he raised his arm, it seemed to require all the strength left in his body, yet he could only move a few inches. Each movement seemed to be his final limit, but he would always manage to lift his arm again.
The world maintained a strange silence and stillness. An indescribable feeling filled everyone's chest, spreading an unspeakable sadness and discomfort.
They all understood that the direction Yun Che was crawling toward was the barrier sealing Mo Li.
And when the threat disappeared and their minds calmed, they suddenly remembered that the demon before them had never had any deep-seated hatred with them. He had come today for only one reason... Mo Li.
For their Star God Realm's Tiansha Xingshen.
And for her... he had not hesitated to bathe Star God City in blood and sacrifice everything.
Her biological father wanted her dead for his own sake.
But he was willing to die for her.
A contrast that was deeply piercing, bitterly ironic, and incredibly painful.
The faith they had always held was fiercely touched by an intangible force, trembling silently under that touch... unable to stop for a long time.
Mo Li stared fixedly at Yun Che, without calling out, without tears, not even a trace of expression. She just gazed blankly as he approached bit by bit, unwilling to let Yun Che leave her sight for even the smallest instant.
In the silent world, the flow of time seemed extremely slow. A distance that seemed infinitely far, a distance that everyone thought impossible to cross, was being shortened like a miracle under his single arm and his undying will.
Even stranger, throughout the long time, not a single person attacked Yun Che. Whether it was because of fear under the shadow of terror, or...
No one knew how much time had passed. No one noticed how long it had been. Amid the constant blurring of their vision, Yun Che had crawled to within a hundred feet of the barrier where Mo Li was. His broken arm, too horrific to look at directly, continued to reach out and claw at the ground, little by little... ninety-nine feet... ninety feet... sixty feet... thirty feet...
Until he was within arm's reach.
Cai Zhi pressed her lips tightly with her hand, stubbornly not making a sound. Yun Che, the one she had either teased or cheerfully called "brother-in-law," the one her sister had forcibly betrothed to her in front of their mother's spirit tablet, how extraordinary and handsome he had been... but now, before her, his clothes were completely shredded, every part of his body smeared with dried, thick blood, covered in gaping wounds, with bones exposed everywhere... not a single intact spot, not even a place that was barely presentable.
He was a thousand times, ten thousand times more horrifying than a hellish fiend crawling out of a pool of blood.
"Sis... ter's... husband..." she murmured softly. She never knew that someone in this world would go to such lengths for another person, for her sister.
He was the "idiot" her sister kept mentioning over and over. There could never be another idiot greater than him in this world.
Yun Che's arm touched a cold barrier. His body finally stopped. His arm struggled to rise, clawing at the barrier blocking him, hoping to tear it open.
Mo Li gently reached out her hand. Her small, fair palm pressed against the exposed finger bones and blood-caked, horrifying hand, separated by the colorless, formless barrier... but they could never touch.
"Mo... Li..." Yun Che's voice was fainter than a mosquito's buzz, raspier than sandpaper rubbing. He could no longer see, but he could clearly feel that Mo Li was beside him. "I wanted... to make them all... be buried with you... but... I... can't... do it... anymore..."
"I... can't... do... any... thing..."
"..." Mo Li shook her head very gently. "It doesn't matter. Having you with me is enough."
He could no longer hear any sound, but in his heart, Mo Li's words echoed, every word crystal clear. The hand touching the barrier slowly clenched. The approach of death was more real than ever before. "Mo... Li... If there is a next life... will we... meet again?"
"Yes." Mo Li smiled, nodding very gently but with absolute determination. "In the next life, whether you are a human or a demon... a blade of grass or a beast... I will definitely find you."
"..." The corner of Yun Che's mouth twitched slightly, as if he were smiling. But at that moment, the hand pressed against the barrier slowly slid down.
Their voices, one as faint as dying smoke, the other as ethereal as thin mist, were heard clearly by everyone present, all of whom were Divine Lords or Divine Sovereigns. One by one, the Star Guards lowered their heads, their hearts unable to settle. Inside the barrier, Tianyao Star God, Tianxuan Star God... They turned their faces away, their hearts filled with an unspeakable pain.
He was clearly the intruder. He had clearly disrupted the ritual, killed so many Star Guards, and even killed an elder... Yet they felt, with such vivid clarity, that they themselves were the unforgivable sinners.
The abnormal shift in atmosphere made Xing Shendi's expression change repeatedly. Finally, he roared: "What are you all doing... Kill him now!!"
The rage of a Divine Emperor exploded like countless thunderbolts in the minds of the Star Guards. The Tiangang Star Guard Commander, who had lost all face earlier, hurriedly charged out again... But this time, he still did not dare to approach. He grabbed the Star God Spear and hurled it with a flash of starlight.
The Star God Spear pierced through a hundred miles of space, striking directly into Yun Che's back, piercing through his body and deeply embedding into the ground below. The starlight that burst forth instantly split Yun Che's body with a dozen cracks.
Yun Che did not struggle, did not cry out in pain... He didn't even feel anything. It was just that death seemed to approach a little faster.
"Ah... Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law!!" Cai Zhi slammed heavily against the barrier. She finally burst into loud cries, crying with heart-wrenching despair, her small hands desperately pounding the barrier, but her suppressed power could not damage the barrier in the slightest.
"..." Mo Li remained silent and wordless, just watching him quietly.
Seeing that his attack had succeeded and Yun Che showed no reaction, the Tiangang Star Guard Commander's eyes widened. His heart settled completely, and he shouted loudly as he charged straight ahead. The Star Guards behind him all followed suit. In an instant, countless spears, swords, and starlight frantically locked onto Yun Che.
Clang!
A flash of vermilion light passed by, and Hong'er appeared at Yun Che's side. She threw herself onto Yun Che, grabbing his arm. Before she could even speak, she burst into heart-wrenching sobs: "Master... what's wrong with you... Waa... waa waa waa... Get up... Get up now..."
Hong'er was connected to Yun Che's soul. Usually never sad and never worried, she had always seemed carefree. But now, feeling Yun Che's soul about to dissipate, a sadness and fear she had never known poured out all her tears.
Hong... Er...
Go... quickly...
Yun Che could no longer make a sound. This call was his final thought.
But the "contract" between him and Hong'er came from the "Soul-Life Star Shift" forcibly imposed by Mo Li. He couldn't even actively dissolve it.
His final soul sound drifted into Hong'er's heart, and in response, she cried even more heartbreakingly: "Wuwuwu... No... Hong'er won't go! Hong'er only wants her master... Wuwu... Master, get up quickly... Hong'er will listen to you from now on... won't be greedy anymore, won't deliberately make you angry anymore... Master... get up quickly..."
Swoosh!!
Another Star God Spear shot through the air, piercing Yun Che's body. The force of its explosion snapped his body in two. The next instant, countless star rays madly rained down...
"Mas..."
Hong'er's final cry dissipated into the air. Amid the chaotic falling starlight, Yun Che's powerless, broken body was crushed into countless fragments. Hong'er also dissolved in the final vermilion glow, vanishing between heaven and earth.