Crossing Over: The Strongest Mage

"I remember what I told you," Zhang Feng said, turning and walking away. Watching Zhang Feng's retreating figure, Yan Huo began to ponder. "Why has Zhang Feng been acting so strangely today? He was fine at first, but when he started talking about the Liu family, he suddenly changed. Could it be that he discovered something he doesn't want to tell me?"

The *"Tian Yuan Five Elements Formation"* had originally been a powerful formation practiced by Chongyangzi, which later he simplified into a version that even early-stage cultivators could use, though its power and effectiveness had diminished a hundredfold. Now, the *"Tian Yuan Five Elements Formation"* could only be used for *"concealment"*.

It could hide one from the heavens or hide an individual's presence. The more spiritual energy one infused into the formation, the better the concealment effect. When used in battle, if the opponent's cultivation wasn't significantly stronger than the user's, it was hard for them to detect the one hidden. Chongyangzi didn't want the legacy he left behind to be easily extinguished, which is why he had placed the *"Tian Yuan Five Elements Formation"* on yellow paper. The large formation required five spiritual talismans, while the small formation could work with just one.

The talismans were simple to make—just use cinnabar to draw the formation on yellow paper. The key was infusing it with true spiritual power. A year ago, Yan Huo had started learning to make talismans. He had made both large and small ones, and had also practiced how to use them.

That night, Yan Huo lay in bed, wide awake. While reflecting on the things Zhang Feng had said earlier, he also kept his ears alert to the movements coming from Xiuning's room. Anything within 500 meters of him was detectable to his senses.

He heard the sound of Xiuning entering the room. Yan Huo took out a small talisman from his pocket, infused it with true energy, and muttered, "Tai Shang Lao Jun, urgent as ordered, Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, five directions, come to assist. Hide!" The talisman enveloped Yan Huo, and he vanished from sight.

He gently nudged the door lock to Xiuning's room open with a small wooden stick and quietly entered. Xiuning, completely unaware of his presence, lit the oil lamp on the table. A piece of paper was placed clearly on the table, and Xiuning picked it up to read.

"Ah! Who put this note here?" Xiuning cried out in shock. Her strong reaction startled Yan Huo.

"Why is Xiuning sister reacting so strongly after reading the note?" Yan Huo wondered. It was only after hearing Xiuning's next words that his heart sank.

"The fact that Young Master Yan Huo is faking his death and hiding in the mountain villa should only be known by me, the master, and the madam! How could anyone else have found out? Could it be that my father's secret of burning my body and hiding me has been leaked?"

"Ah!" Confused and agitated, Yan Huo suddenly lost control of the formation. His body, still dressed in ordinary clothes, appeared right in front of Xiuning.

"Ah!" Xiuning was startled, not understanding how Yan Huo had appeared in front of her so suddenly. But her mind wasn't focused on that at the moment. When she saw Yan Huo's eyes fixed on her, she understood that the worst thing she had feared had finally come true.

"Ha-ha! I understand now, everything is clear! Zhang Feng, ha-ha! I'm a fake dead man, my father never treated me as his son, he probably considered me dead a long time ago! And he hid me in this remote villa, keeping me a secret. What do I mean to him? Am I even his son? Why would he do this to me? Tell me!" Yan Huo muttered repeatedly, a sense of betrayal and heartbreak overwhelming him.

"Yan Huo, it's not like that, let me explain, things aren't as you think." 

"Shut up! At this point, you still want to deceive me with sweet words!" Yan Huo shouted angrily. 

"Hahaha! Good job, Liu Yiqing! Good job, Liu Yiqing! You've deceived me so deeply, you've lied to me for over ten years. I've always wondered why my father kept me here. Good job, Xiuning! I thought you treated me kindly because you pitied me, but in the end, you're just another liar, an accomplice. 

It's one thing for Liu Yiqing to deceive me, but you, who have lived with me for over ten years, sharing such a strong bond, never told me a single thing!" 

"Master, I…" Xiuning didn't know how to explain. 

"Master, Xiuning is just a small person, there are things… sobbing!" Xiuning knelt and cried, pleading with Yan Huo. 

"A servant! A servant! Have I ever treated you like a servant? I've always treated you as my sister." Yan Huo thought back to the times spent with Xiuning, and his nose tingled, tears welling up in his eyes. 

However, Yan Huo still forced himself to hold back the tears.

"Yan Huo, forgive me, okay? Xiuning had no choice." 

"Another 'no choice'? You say my mother couldn't visit me because she had no choice, and now you say you had no choice either. Looks like Liu Yiqing treats you all very well! Tell me, why did Liu Yiqing make me fake my death? Why did he hide me here?" Yan Huo shouted in anger. 

"Master, if you must blame someone, blame Xiuning. Please don't hold it against your father or mother. It's all Xiuning's fault, all Xiuning's fault." 

Xiuning knelt on the ground, crying and pleading. But Yan Huo's heart was filled with rage, and he no longer cared for her pleas. He questioned himself in agony: "Was I born a mistake? If I was a mistake, why did they even bother having me? Looks like asking them is useless. If they were going to tell me, they would've done so by now. I have to investigate this myself."

Although Yan Huo couldn't bring himself to force Xiuning to speak, he knew he had to leave the mountain to find the truth. "But how can I investigate if I stay here? Right! I have to find a way to leave the mountain. I must leave without alerting them. That way, I can uncover the truth."

He quickly devised a plan.

The Biyue Manor was located on the back mountain. At the far left of the mountain, about a hundred paces away from the manor, there was a sheer cliff, so steep it seemed bottomless. No one had ever dared to go near it. It was the dead of night, with a bright full moon in the sky. 

Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream echoed in the air: 

"Yan Huo, don't!" 

Without hesitation, a figure leapt off the cliff.

"Yan Huo!" 

Looking at the bottomless abyss, Xiuning cried out in desperation. Her voice echoed throughout the mountain, but Yan Huo was nowhere to be seen. 

"Haha, it's my fault, I killed him. It's my fault, I killed him! Yan Huo!!!" 

Xiuning's cries echoed from behind, but Yan Huo was already leaping down the cliff. His cultivation had grown significantly over the past two years. The cliff, thousands of meters tall, was no obstacle for him, and he reached the bottom in just a few leaps.

Xiuning's voice continued to echo, her heartbroken cries tearing through the silence of the night.