The Broken Engagement

"Speaker."

"Her Holiness Holy Spirit has arrived."

A respectful voice sounded from outside the door, breaking the silence on the top floor.

Chen Yu slowly withdrew the aura circulating around him, and the divine light in his deep eyes gradually faded.

He rose to his feet and walked toward the door.

The door was pushed open from outside.

Secretary-General Pan Wen respectfully stepped aside. Chen Yu gave a slight nod and walked straight out of the cultivation room.

He headed down the corridor toward his private office, his footsteps steady and powerful.

This was the top floor of the Ming Capital Parliament Building.

The entire floor was his exclusive office area, and beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows stretched Ming Capital's bustling skyline.

As the current Speaker of the Sun Moon Federation, he was also one of the only three Peak Quasi-Gods on the Douluo Continent.

Chen Yu held a position of immense importance on this continent.

The other two figures on par with him—

One was the master of the War God Temple, Vast Sea Douluo Chen Xinjie. The other was the Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion, Sky-Propping Douluo Yun Ming.

He pushed open the office door.

Chen Yu's gaze fell upon the sofa.

A woman sat there.

She wore a simple, elegant long dress, her long hair falling smoothly over her shoulders. Every gesture she made exuded intelligence and grace.

Her face was stunningly beautiful, her brows and eyes gentle, with a faint smile resting on her lips. Her entire presence gave people a sense of reassurance.

She was Holy Spirit Douluo Ya Li, the Federation's First Healing Soul Master—and also Chen Yu's fiancée.

The two of them were both members of the Federation. One was the Speaker, while the other was the Federation's First Healing Soul Master.

When she saw Chen Yu enter, Ya Li raised her head. Her gaze was gentle as she softly said,

"Brother Yu."

Chen Yu nodded slightly and sat down across from her, his expression calm.

"Sorry."

"I happened to gain some insight, so I went into seclusion for a while."

Ya Li shook her head and gently said,

"It's fine."

Chen Yu spoke.

"Pan Wen told me you were looking for me."

"Did something happen?"

"Or are you short on resources?"

Ya Li shook her head. "I'm not."

She was telling the truth.

As the fiancée of the Federation Council Chairman, the resources and support she received were of the highest tier in the Federation.

Whether it was rare medicinal herbs or all manner of precious treasures beneficial to cultivation—

As long as she needed them...

She could use them without reason or restriction.

Over the years, Chen Yu had never allowed her to lack even the slightest amount of resources.

Chen Yu nodded and did not ask further.

But at that moment...

Ya Li's expression suddenly changed.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her eyes began to wander, no longer daring to look at Chen Yu.

Her fingers unconsciously twisted together. Her lips moved faintly, as though she wanted to say something but found it difficult to speak.

Seeing her like this, Chen Yu felt a faint trace of doubt arise in his heart.

But he did not press her urgently. He simply waited quietly for her to speak on her own.

The office fell silent for a moment.

Ya Li took a deep breath, closed her eyes, then opened them again.

Her hands clenched tightly, as though she had made an enormous decision.

Finally, she raised her head and looked directly into Chen Yu's eyes, saying each word distinctly.

"Brother Yu, let's break up."

The moment those words left her mouth, Chen Yu's gaze changed abruptly.

His pupils narrowed slightly, and a trace of disbelief surfaced on his once-composed face.

He had not expected that after this period of seclusion, Ya Li would give him such a "surprise."

He did not speak immediately. He merely stared at Ya Li for several seconds as the warmth in his eyes gradually vanished.

Then Chen Yu said flatly,

"Why?"

His voice was calm—so calm that it was somewhat unsettling.

And after saying those words, Ya Li seemed to have untied some knot in her heart.

She no longer avoided his gaze, no longer hesitated, and poured out every word that had been bottled up inside her.

"Brother Yu, you're always in seclusion. You can't stay by my side."

"But Yun Ming is different."

"He can take me to see the sea. He can take me to watch the sunrise."

"Only when I'm with him..."

"Can I feel that I'm still alive!"

Chen Yu smiled.

There was no warmth in that smile.

At the same time, his gaze grew colder and colder.

He stared at Ya Li. There was disappointment in his eyes, mockery, and an indescribable pain.

He remembered many things.

He and Ya Li had come from the same slum.

Back then, they had both been young. Barren land, dilapidated houses, days when they had a meal one day and none the next.

All the way here, he had always cared for and protected Ya Li as an older brother and elder.

He knew very well that with Ya Li's unique Prayer Angel ability...

If she had not had sufficient strength protecting her—

She would inevitably have been taken away by certain Federation organizations.

Then she would have become a tool in the hands of certain people.

Because of that...

He understood the importance of power better than anyone.

He cultivated desperately, desperately forcing himself to grow stronger.

He brought Ya Li through countless hardships, and in the end, they were taken in as disciples by a major figure in the Federation military.

And under the shelter of his wings, Ya Li began her own cultivation as a Prayer Angel...

Cultivating, then saving people.

But every time Ya Li saved someone, she had to expend her own life force.

Each use of the Prayer Angel's ability consumed her own origin.

Because of that, Chen Yu could only cultivate desperately and climb desperately upward.

He fought for power and profit. He planned every step with care.

Step by step, he rose from an orphan in the slums to the position of Federation Council Chairman.

All so Ya Li would have enough resources to cultivate, enough resources to make up for the life force she had lost.

Of course...

Since he alone bore all of Ya Li's cultivation expenses, Ya Li enjoyed tremendous autonomy within the Federation.

She could choose to take missions and save people according to her own wishes, without worrying about being pressured by the words "what the Federation has given."

He had held up the sky for her, allowing her to freely become the person she wanted to be.

At the beginning...

Chen Yu had not had any feelings for Ya Li.

He had only regarded her as a younger sister, someone he needed to protect.

It was only because...

Before his master passed away, he had hoped Chen Yu would start a family.

The old man had lain in bed, weak and fading, his eyes full of concern for his disciple.

And at that time, Ya Li had stepped forward herself, blushing as she said she was willing to start a family with him.

All these years, Ya Li had shared everything he possessed.

She enjoyed supreme status and power without having to shoulder any responsibility.

Because the responsibility...

Had all been borne by him alone.

And now...

Ya Li was telling him they should break up?

No.

Was she treating him like some fool to be used?

Chen Yu looked coldly at Ya Li and said directly,

"Ya Li, I told you back then that my cultivation was different from yours."

"I need long periods of seclusion."

"You agreed to that yourself."

Ya Li's eyes reddened slightly, and there was a trace of grievance in her voice.

"But I just want a lover!"

"Someone who can always stay by my side, accompany me, and love me."