[Sacred Geometry: Your fifth Enlightenment Trial, the Purgatory-level trial, is expected to commence in 8 hours. Please make preparations.]
The notification from the Sacred Geometry was reflected on the car window glass.
Mo Xuanyu was somewhat surprised. The Sacred Geometry actually notified him of the trial’s start time this time; usually, it just threw him directly into the instance.
This sudden kindness felt like the calm before the storm, not something to be taken lightly.
Mo Xuanyu returned home and pushed the door open. Hearing the noise early and lying in wait by the doorway, the Alaskan Malamute immediately pounced on him.
“You behaved well today.” Mo Xuanyu smiled faintly and rubbed its chin.
“Awoo awoo~”
Haar burrowed vigorously into his arms. It had been very obedient today and hadn’t torn up the house or chewed the sofa.
Mo Xuanyu didn’t change his shoes. Instead, he took the dog leash and collar from the nearby cabinet, put them on Haar, and said softly, “Let’s go, time for a walk.”
“Woof woof!” Haar was overjoyed, happily sprinting along the way like a gleeful gas cylinder.
Mo Xuanyu walked Haar all the way, finally arriving at the park near the villa district. He sat on a bench and took out his phone to send a message.
Soon, a handsome, vibrant young man ran into the park. Upon seeing Mo Xuanyu, he immediately waved.
This young man was Rong Qin, Mo Xuanyu’s high school classmate. He had excellent grades and had maintained a good friendship with Mo Xuanyu even after starting university.
“Good to see you again, Haar!” As soon as Rong Qin saw Haar, he immediately grabbed the dog’s head and gave it a thorough rubbing, making it so impatient that it whined and tried to躲开.
Only then did Rong Qin retract his hand contentedly, giving Mo Xuanyu an apologetic smile before asking with concern,
“Xuanyu, are you really going to give Haar away? It will be very sad, won’t it?”
As a friend, Rong Qin knew that Mo Xuanyu had raised Haar since it was a puppy, and they shared a deep bond. How could he just decide to stop raising it like that?
“Sorry, I forgot to tell you.” Mo Xuanyu recalled that Rong Qin was usually busy with work-study and didn’t have time to follow gossip news. He offered an apologetic smile and said softly,
“I might be getting married.”
Rong Qin had always found Mo Xuanyu’s voice particularly pleasant. When he spoke softly beside you, it was as gentle and melodious as a flowing clear spring, washing all your worries away.
But this statement, at this moment, caused him to freeze in place, his mind reeling.
He found it hard to believe, “Getting married?! With whom?!”
Mo Xuanyu tapped on his phone and showed Rong Qin the engagement announcement jointly published by the Yan and Mo families. Because this matter would affect the stock prices of both groups, it had to be publicly disclosed.
The clever Rong Qin instantly understood the situation and sat down on the bench, momentarily unable to accept it.
“You refused Yan Geng more than ten times before, right?! He actually used this kind of reason to pester you…”
“This guy is just too disgusting!” Rong Qin said indignantly.
To be frank, he also had some feelings for Mo Xuanyu. It would be more accurate to say that in school, Mo Xuanyu had always been the white moonlight in many people’s hearts.
Whenever Valentine’s Day approached, chocolates and love letters could fill an entire dorm room.
Of course, Rong Qin also knew that Mo Xuanyu couldn’t defy the decisions of his family and the group, which made him feel even more dissatisfied and angry.
This feeling of being unable to do anything, only able to watch helplessly, was hard to bear.
Mo Xuanyu remained calm. “So, if I entrust Haar to your care, I would feel much more at ease.”
After realizing he was tied to the Sacred Geometry’s “pirate ship,” Mo Xuanyu had been worried that Haar would have no one to care for him if he died inside one day.
After all, people in his family obviously wouldn’t care about a dog’s fate, and besides, Haar wasn’t some expensive breed; he was just a stray puppy Mo Xuanyu had found at school.
Therefore, he had long started thinking of ways to place Haar, screening several potential owners for it, and finally chose Rong Qin, who had a good personality and a sense of responsibility.
Today was the time they agreed upon to hand Haar over, while he himself would throw himself into the hellish trial of the Sacred Geometry.
Whether he could come back alive was uncertain.
“Alright… I understand, Xuanyu.”
Rong Qin nodded, doing his utmost to suppress the anger in his heart, and promised Mo Xuanyu that he would definitely take good care of Haar.
“Mm, I believe you.” Mo Xuanyu handed the leash to him and offered a smile.
Under the setting sun’s afterglow in the afternoon, Rong Qin would never forget this extremely gentle smile, dreamlike and illusory, as if a thorn was forever lodged in his heart.
Mo Xuanyu squatted down, rubbed Haar’s head, and instructed, “Be good when you go to someone else’s home, or you might not get food.”
Haar seemed to realize his own situation as well, letting out a few sad whimpers, licking the back of Mo Xuanyu’s hand unwilling to leave, stubbornly pushing his dog head into Mo Xuanyu’s embrace.
But fortunately, he didn’t make a fuss. After being comforted by Mo Xuanyu with a few words, he drooped his tail and, following his new owner Rong Qin, left the park, looking back every few steps, reluctant to part.
It was clear that both the person and the dog were very unwilling and very sad.
Mo Xuanyu stood under the shade of a tree, watching their figures disappear at the street corner, the faint smile on his lips fading away.
9 p.m.
In a Continental Hotel under the Yan Group, an unprecedentedly grand banquet was being held, with countless businessmen and politicians toasting and chatting there.
Mo Xuanyu entered the banquet hall through a side door. As one of the protagonists of tonight’s banquet and a famously renowned healing-type in the Empire’s circles, he still attracted everyone’s attention; it was impossible to stay low-key.
“Why isn’t he wearing formal attire? Is he trying to make a laughingstock of himself?” Mo Xuanyu’s father frowned slightly upon seeing him and questioned the butler beside him.
The butler said惶恐, “I delivered the custom-made formal wear to Xuanyu yesterday.”
Mo Xuanyu was wearing a dark brown windbreaker today, suitable for dates and shopping, but it did seem somewhat out of place in this setting, as if he simply didn’t care about this engagement.
And in reality, he hadn’t come today for the engagement at all.
He only came to ask Yan Geng one question.
Before his father could come over with a cold expression to criticize him, Mo Xuanyu turned and left the main venue, heading deeper inside.
Along the way, he politely declined many attempts at conversation. He arrived at the corridor deep within the hall and gently knocked on a door.
The door was opened from the inside. The person who opened it was the Yan family’s young master, still in high school. Upon seeing Mo Xuanyu, he immediately beamed,
“It’s Brother Xuanyu! You’re finally here, we’ve been waiting for you for so long.”
Inside the luxurious private room, six people sat on the sofa and chairs.
They were all young direct descendants of the Yan and Mo families, and the handsome man being surrounded like the moon among stars in the very center was Yan Geng.
He held a black jewelry box in his hand. Seeing Mo Xuanyu arrive, he said indifferently to the others,
“Everyone, please step out for now.”
The people around, understanding the situation, stood up and left. One man, passing by Mo Xuanyu, patted his shoulder and reminded,
“Be careful not to make Yan Geng angry. The survival of the group depends on him.”
He was the eldest son of the Mo family and the future heir to the largest shareholding of the Mo Group. If anyone was most panicked about the group’s bankruptcy, it was definitely him.
After all, anyone would find it hard to accept seeing their future commercial empire destroyed.
Mo Xuanyu paid no attention to his words. There was no affection between him and this half-brother.
Yan Geng suddenly stood up. He was very tall, with black hair, brown eyes, and deep, handsome features.
He came to Mo Xuanyu’s side, closed the private room door, then opened the jewelry box in his hand and presented it to Mo Xuanyu:
“I brought this back from Hillert City. I thought you might like it.”
“As our engagement ring.”
It was a pair of exquisite sapphire rings, originating from the world-famous gem city, Hillert.
The reason Yan Geng had taken a liking to this gemstone back then was because it was as clear and beautiful as Mo Xuanyu’s eyes, and he had spared no expense to acquire it at auction.
Yan Geng’s deep affection for Mo Xuanyu was famous among the younger generation.
He had pursued him from middle school all through university, was rejected every time, yet never gave up, unfailingly sending gifts and flowers on every holiday.
This deep affection could move heaven and earth, but it just couldn’t move Mo Xuanyu.
Mo Xuanyu didn’t even glance at the ring. Instead, he looked directly into Yan Geng’s eyes and asked calmly,
“The problems with the Mo Group, you anticipated them a long time ago, didn’t you?”
“…” The room fell into a brief silence.
When the Mo Group initially faced a small-scale crisis in a tourist city, many people didn’t take it seriously.
Including Mo Xuanyu’s father, eldest brother, and others, everyone thought it was just a minor crisis that would be resolved quickly.
Only Mo Xuanyu, upon learning the news at the time, went to the records room and searched through files.
He found a major hidden danger in a merger and acquisition document led by the Yan Group from three years ago. It involved many complexities, but simply put, it was a huge landmine planted within the Mo Group.
He had reported this matter to the board members at the time, but the result was like a stone sinking into the sea; clearly, they didn’t believe Mo Xuanyu’s judgment.
Although Mo Xuanyu’s healing-type ability had brought prosperity to the family and the group, due to his young age, he only officially joined the group’s board of directors during his university years.
“How did you come to this conclusion?” Yan Geng was silent for a moment before closing the jewelry box.
Mo Xuanyu took out that acquisition document from his coat. Yan Geng took it, glanced at it briefly, and then threw it on the ground.
He took a step closer to Mo Xuanyu,
“I was indeed involved in this matter, but after all, it was your father who made the decision himself back then. No one forced him to sign.”
Yan Geng was right. He had merely seen the future trend and conveniently set up a seemingly high-return pitfall in front of the Mo Group, guiding them to jump in.
The ones who actually made the decisions were still the Mo family members.
So, if anyone was to blame, it was that the Mo family members were a bunch of incompetents.
After becoming a giant enterprise with the help of Mo Xuanyu’s ability, they lacked the capability to maintain their leading position, became bloated and corrupt, and fell headfirst into the pit, unable to climb out.
“There’s a saying that goes well: when a person’s ability doesn’t match their wealth, that wealth will soon return to the market in another way.”
“In order to save the group, they didn’t hesitate to sell you out, not treating you as family at all.”
“So in my opinion, they simply don’t deserve to have you.”
Yan Geng’s voice was low. He leaned close to Mo Xuanyu, his eyes filled with deep affection, yet also carrying an intense, extreme possessiveness.
“Sorry, Xuanyu. I know you don’t love me, so I can only use this method to keep you by my side.”
“I swear, I will take good care of you.”
“You also won’t have to use your ability for those good-for-nothings anymore.”
After countless failed confessions and gestures of goodwill, Yan Geng had summarized a wealth of experience.
Mo Xuanyu was like the eternal, unattainable white moonlight. He seemed very close to you, as if just one confession away from taking the next step.
But in reality, this step was like an unbridgeable chasm, difficult to cross. Trying to conquer him through emotion was a fool’s dream.
Yan Geng even felt that no one in this world could truly enter Mo Xuanyu’s heart; he simply wouldn’t fall in love with anyone.
After recognizing this early on, Yan Geng gave up on pursuing him through normal means and began scheming in the shadows.
Now, his goal was achieved.
He wanted to keep Mo Xuanyu by his side forever. Even if the other was unwilling, it didn’t matter; time would smooth everything over.
In his view, he was saving Mo Xuanyu, pulling him out of the quagmire of being used by his family.
“A very boring method.”
Mo Xuanyu suddenly shook his head slightly.
This person, Yan Geng, seemed deeply affectionate and gentle on the surface, but in his bones, he was full of a crazy possessiveness that absolutely forbade anything from being beyond his control.
Being with Yan Geng, he would恨不得 check how many messages you sent on your phone every day, which web pages you browsed, and go through them one by one.
“If you did this purely to acquire the Mo Group, I might think more highly of you. But the truth is, you did all this just to make me… marry you.”
“I’m disappointed in you, Yan Geng.”
Mo Xuanyu’s voice held a hint of coldness. He turned his head away, avoiding Yan Geng’s attempt to lean in for a kiss, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window in the room.
Hearing this, Yan Geng was stunned. The whites of his eyes were tinged with red threads.
Of course he knew doing this would cause Mo Xuanyu to dislike him, which was why he hadn’t slept for three days and three nights.
But if he couldn’t have the other, he would be even more miserable.
He only wanted to keep the person by his side forever, no matter how despicable the method, and no matter how Mo Xuanyu viewed him.
Thinking of this, Yan Geng’s gaze also turned cold. He said, “Given the current situation, only I can save you all, so you have no choice.”
Aside from Yan Geng, there really was no one else willing to take on the Mo Group’s mess.
The Yan Group had always kept a low profile. On the surface, it seemed ordinary, but its true foundation lay in heavy industry; it was the world’s most powerful arms dealer.
The several major wars between the Old Empire and the Federation, and the New Empire’s War of Independence, had all allowed the arms dealers behind the scenes to make enormous profits, wielding extremely terrifying influence.
This was Yan Geng’s confidence.
With this thought, the malicious desire in his heart gradually expanded.
He couldn’t help but anticipate the scene of Mo Xuanyu, after认清 reality, with red-rimmed eyes, yet having no choice but to rely on his embrace.
That was the image Yan Geng had dreamed of day and night, his utmost desire.
But his threat didn’t work. Mo Xuanyu just looked back at him with those light blue eyes, watching him calmly, making Yan Geng’s heart grow numb.
He suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his heart, as if Mo Xuanyu was moving further and further away from him at this moment.
Hah, how could that be! He had absolutely no right to refuse him!
“Perhaps I should thank you. I used to think the Mo family was a decent place, but recently I’ve seen their foolish nature clearly.”
“And if you’re merely expecting me to play this boring love-struck game with you, then you’ll be disappointed too.”
Mo Xuanyu’s voice was flat, and the way he looked at Yan Geng was like looking at a stranger.
Their past friendship lay in pieces at this moment.
The sense of crisis in Yan Geng’s heart climbed to its peak. His emotions grew somewhat焦躁 as he walked towards Mo Xuanyu, hoping to alleviate the anxiety in his heart by grabbing hold of him.
But just as Yan Geng’s fingertips touched the fabric on Mo Xuanyu’s shoulder, his fingers actually passed right through it!
It happened without any warning. Yan Geng stood frozen in place. As he processed what happened, the emotions in his eyes gradually spiraled out of control…
Mo Xuanyu had disappeared…
He had abandoned everyone!
…
[Welcome to the Sacred Geometry, Divine Chosen.]
Looking around, all was darkness, except for the golden text flickering with a faint light before his eyes.
Mo Xuanyu knew very well that after his sudden disappearance, the Mo and Yan families would certainly be thrown into chaos.
But unfortunately, moral coercion was useless against him; he owed nothing to others.
Mo Xuanyu curiously observed his surroundings, then looked up and asked, puzzled, “Aren’t we entering the instance directly?”
[Sacred Geometry: The fifth Enlightenment Trial is extremely difficult. Given your current strength, the survival rate is zero.]
[Therefore, the Sacred Geometry will now preliminarily awaken your Divine Frame and acquire your Divine Frame Talent, after which the fifth trial will commence.]
Hearing this, Mo Xuanyu felt some anticipation in his heart. As a natural psychic ability awakener, and a special healing-type at that, the Divine Frame Talent he awakened shouldn’t be bad, right?
“How do we begin?”
He pinched the button on his collar with his fingertips: “Do I need to take my clothes off?”