Crossing Over: The Strongest Mage

Yan Huo muttered the poem written beneath the painting, his voice filled with curiosity.

"An intriguing poem, an intriguing painting."

The painting depicted a solitary peak surrounded by mist, with the mountain floating amidst vast, rolling seas. Yan Huo had not noticed anything unusual at first. Just as he was about to leave, something made him turn around sharply and take another look at the inscription at the very bottom of the painting. The artist's name was clearly written there.

Yan Huo quickly glanced at the other nine paintings, and to his surprise, each one bore the same name. His heart raced with excitement as he realized that these paintings were all created by the same person. After confirming that he hadn't made a mistake, Yan Huo burst into laughter and, without hesitation, rushed upstairs.

No matter how many floors were left, even if they reached the heavens, Yan Huo was determined to climb them all.

All of his earlier concerns, all of the sense of danger he had felt, vanished the moment he saw the artist's name. Now, he was more eager than ever to meet this person. Every painting in the tower bore three small characters in the bottom-right corner: *Zhong Yang Zi*.

"Haha! These paintings were all made by Senior Zhong Yang Zi! This must be the place where Senior Zhong Yang Zi once lived! Perhaps he's even residing at the top of this stone tower!" The more Yan Huo thought about it, the more excited he became.

By the time Yan Huo reached the sixtieth floor, he finally reached the top of the tower. There were no more stairs leading further up.

Strangely enough, the top floor, which should have been the smallest, was actually larger than all the other floors combined. Yan Huo didn't have time to think about this oddity. He was only focused on meeting Senior Zhong Yang Zi.

"Senior Zhong Yang Zi! Senior Zhong Yang Zi! Are you here? I, Liu Yan Huo, have come to pay my respects! I am here to thank you for your teachings and your guidance in passing down your methods."

Not daring to enter rashly, Yan Huo knelt on the stairs and called out sincerely. He waited for a long time, but there was no response. He called again, but still, no one answered.

"Could it be that Senior Zhong Yang Zi is meditating?" Yan Huo wondered aloud. "Should I wait here, or…? But if he's meditating, it could take some time."

Unable to restrain his curiosity, Yan Huo decided to take a bold step. The room was empty, save for a stone statue in the middle. There were no paintings, no decorations—nothing but the statue and a small incense table, which was adorned with offerings of cakes and incense sticks. It appeared that someone had been taking care of this place. But who? Yan Huo didn't feel the need to investigate further. Whoever treated Senior Zhong Yang Zi like a deity was most likely a fellow disciple.

"Senior Zhong Yang Zi, even though I cannot see you in person, I, Yan Huo, pay my respects and thank you for your guidance that has given me a new lease on life."

Yan Huo walked up to the statue, knelt before it, and bowed deeply. After offering his first bow, he prepared to perform the second one when, just as his forehead was about to touch the floor, he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. A flash of white light filled his vision.

When Yan Huo raised his head again, he was no longer in the room with the stone statue. Instead, he found himself in a completely different, vast white world.

"What is this place? I was just bowing before Senior Zhong Yang Zi's statue. Why am I here?" Yan Huo's mind was filled with confusion.

As Yan Huo was lost in thought, a kind voice suddenly echoed from afar.

"Hehe! Little one, you'd be better off bowing to me in person rather than to my statue."

Suddenly, in front of Yan Huo, appeared the figure of Chongyangzi, identical to the statue, wearing golden-edged white robes and exuding an immortal aura.

Yan Huo quickly realized what was happening and, excitedly, bowed, saying, "Senior, please accept my bow."

"Hehe! We are not ordinary people; there's no need for such mortal rituals," Chongyangzi smiled and said.

"No! Senior has bestowed upon me the divine art and saved my life. If it weren't for the few pages of cultivation techniques you left behind, I might have been a pitiful child lost in the mountains. Such great kindness, how can I not bow?" Yan Huo bowed deeply.

"Alright, get up." Chongyangzi said with a smile.

"It's surprising that the cultivation technique left in this world was found by you. Haha! Truly fateful!" Chongyangzi continued. "However, those few pages of cultivation techniques don't explain much, so I'm sure you have many questions. And I'm curious about you as well. I also have some questions to ask you. Come, let's sit and talk."

As soon as Chongyangzi finished speaking, a stone chair and table appeared beside them. Yan Huo, astonished by this miraculous act, quickly regained his composure and respectfully said, "Senior, please."

Chongyangzi nodded with satisfaction and sat down.

"I would like to know how you obtained those pages of cultivation techniques and how you came to this place?" Chongyangzi asked.

"Senior, where exactly are we? I remember I was in the stone tower, bowing to your statue. How did I suddenly arrive here?" Yan Huo asked, filled with curiosity.

"Now, you and I are inside the statue." Chongyangzi replied calmly.

"Inside the statue!?!" Yan Huo exclaimed, stunned, looking around as if unable to comprehend what was happening.

"Senior, can you really bring people inside the statue? Why is it so spacious inside?" Yan Huo asked, still puzzled.

Chongyangzi smiled lightly and explained, "Actually, I am I, but I'm not fully myself. My true self left this world five hundred years ago. What you see now is only a fragment of my soul, a soul body left behind."

"My true self!? A soul body!?" Yan Huo was bewildered.

"Yes, right now you and I are conversing through our souls. There is a soul-conducting stone within the slab in front of the statue, and when you bowed, I used it to pull your soul inside. Had you not bowed to me, you would never have seen me." Chongyangzi explained.

Yan Huo was taken aback but quickly accepted the explanation, nodding.

"Now, tell me your story," Chongyangzi said.

"Yes!" Yan Huo began to recount his tale, from his birth to how he ended up here. He spoke in detail, revealing everything about his life.

However, when he mentioned that he was of the "Dragon and Phoenix Body," Chongyangzi's expression suddenly became serious, his brows furrowing.

"No wonder, even with just a few years of cultivation, you've achieved such a high level without any spiritual pills or the help of peers. The Dragon and Phoenix Body...," Chongyangzi murmured in admiration. Then, he said something rather cryptic: "Since it is destined, why should I worry?"

"Regarding your cultivation speed, it is indeed astonishing, but cultivating too quickly is not necessarily a good thing," Chongyangzi continued, his tone turning serious. "Although you possess great potential, such rapid progress could lead to unforeseen dangers."