# Chapter 257: Death Within Reach
That roar carried an extremely terrifying pressure and penetrating power, spreading throughout every corner of the Heavenly Lake Secret Realm, making it extremely difficult for the ten great powers.
Under the giant beast's earth-shaking punch, Yun Che had suffered extremely severe injuries, but he had no time to regulate his breathing before forcibly sustaining "Cloud-Sealing Sun-Locking." "Cloud-Sealing Sun-Locking" was not an ordinary profound art—it was a berserk technique belonging to the Evil God! Although it was a berserk in terms of defensive power, it was by no means an ordinary defensive barrier, but a life-saving technique to be activated in an extremely short moment. For every breath "Cloud-Sealing Sun-Locking" was maintained, the profound energy consumed was equivalent to executing a single "Falling Moon and Sinking Star."
From the moment they were shaken into the air to the moment they were completely sucked into the giant beast's belly, almost thirty breaths of time had passed. Throughout this period, "Cloud-Sealing Sun-Locking" had been continuously sustained—otherwise, both he and Xia Qingyue would have already perished. And maintaining it for thirty breaths was a consumption so enormous that it was unimaginable to ordinary people, especially when this consumption occurred while Yun Che was in a state of severe injury.
Now, finally settled, his internal injuries had worsened several times over. As for his profound energy, it was completely exhausted, not a single trace remaining.
With severe internal injuries and no profound energy left to resist the cold, the terrifying low temperature here was stripping Yun Che of his vitality every second. He felt his body so cold that it was as if thousands of needles were piercing him. Soon, this cold sensation gradually disappeared, causing him to lose all perception of his body.
He smelled the scent of death—for the first time, he was so close to death that it was within reach, touchable.
Xia Qingyue took her hand off Yun Che, her gaze becoming chaotic. "Yun Che, you..."
"Qingyue... don't speak... listen to me..."
Yun Che's breathing had become extremely faint. The temperature here had frozen his hands, feet, and body stiff in this short time. His eyes were already devoid of any color. He could still speak only by relying on his powerful willpower to hold on—but he knew that this final consciousness could dissipate at any moment.
Death had come too swiftly and suddenly.
"Qingyue... good... you're fine... I should... die soon... after I die... don't... worry about me... you are not afraid of the cold... maybe it's possible... to escape from here... even if this... beast... is terrifying... you must... use all your strength... to escape..."
"Yun Che! Don't say anymore! You won't die so easily... If we leave, we leave together! You won't die!"
This disaster had come too suddenly, catching her completely off guard. Yun Che's internal injuries were extremely severe—his internal organs were almost shattered, and the life force in his body was faint and precarious. She knew why he was so severely injured, and she knew why he was so weak now. When they were shaken into the air, he had taken the impact with his back downward, bearing all the force while leaving her completely unharmed. During the process of being sucked into the beast's mouth and falling all the way here, that rushing force had been terrifying—even if she had erected the toughest ice crystal defense, it would have been impossible to withstand. But the barrier that had been protecting them all along had completely blocked all impacts... That was undoubtedly an extremely tough defensive barrier, and such an astonishing defensive barrier would naturally come with a tremendous consumption.
But Yun Che could no longer hear her voice at all. His eyes were still half-open, but no light could be seen. His limbs, body, cheeks, hair... were all covered with a thin layer of ice. Beneath the ice was a cold body whose life force was about to be completely exhausted.
"Qingyue..." he murmured softly. "If there is a next life... will you be my wife again... okay... because... in this life... I haven't completely conquered you... I... am unwilling..."
Xia Qingyue's body trembled, and her gaze suddenly blurred.
At that moment, Yun Che's eyes also lost their last trace of focus and radiance. His entire body was motionless, with only an extremely faint sound escaping his throat...