Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3651: A Long Awaited Reunion

For a few moments, no one spoke.

The air around them still carried the heat of the molten sea, yet the tension of battle had long since faded. What replaced it now was something far stranger, far more unexpected. Every member of the group found themselves staring between Lin Mu and the man before them, trying to make sense of what they had just witnessed.

They all shared the same question.

Just where did Lin Mu know this person from?

It was not merely recognition. It was far deeper than that.

Lin Mu’s reaction had been immediate and unrestrained. His composure, which he usually maintained even in the most extreme situations, had faltered the moment he laid eyes on the man. That alone spoke volumes.

Even more telling was Little Shrubby’s behavior.

The beast lay calmly in the man’s arms, allowing him to run his hand across his head. Shrubby even leaned into the touch slightly, as if enjoying the familiarity. That was something none of them had ever seen before.

Shrubby was not hostile toward strangers, yet he was never this open either. He always maintained a certain distance unless Lin Mu explicitly allowed otherwise.

This...

This was different.

Cattaleya was the first to step forward.

She crossed her arms and looked between the two men before speaking in her usual direct manner.

"Lin Mu," she said, her tone steady yet curious, "you are going to introduce him, right?"

Her question broke the silence.

Lin Mu blinked once, as if snapping out of a daze. He inhaled slowly, trying to steady himself. The initial shock had passed, though the excitement within him had not faded in the slightest. His heart was still beating faster than usual, a rare occurrence for someone of his cultivation.

He looked at Jing Wei again.

Then at his companions.

A small smile formed on his face.

"This..." Lin Mu began, his voice carrying a hint of warmth that they rarely heard from him, "is one of my very dear friends."

He paused briefly.

"And my first mentor."

That single sentence was enough to catch everyone off guard.

Lin Mu continued.

"He was the one who taught me about formations," he said. "The basics, the foundation, everything I needed to start understanding them."

Daoist Chu’s eyes widened slightly.

"And forging," Lin Mu added. "He showed me how to handle materials, how to shape them, how to think about structure and balance."

Cattaleya raised a brow.

Lin Mu’s gaze softened further.

"And he was the one who gave me my very first sword," he said quietly. "Back when I was still just a mortal boy."

Silence followed once more.

This time, it was filled with astonishment.

They had not expected this.

Not even close.

Lin Mu was not someone who spoke in depth about his past, especially about his early days. They knew fragments of his journey, bits and pieces of his rise, but the details of his beginnings were rarely discussed.

Yet here he was.

Openly acknowledging someone as his first mentor.

The person who had guided him at the very start.

"That is..." Meng Bai struggled to find the right words. "That is... incredible."

Daoist Chu nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful.

"So this is where it all began," he murmured.

Lin Mu turned slightly toward them.

"This is Jing Wei," he said clearly. "An old friend from my home world."

He paused.

"The Xiaofan World."

That explanation made everything fall into place.

The reactions.

The familiarity.

The emotional weight.

Meeting someone from one’s home world was rare enough. Meeting someone from a mortal world, after ascending far beyond it, was almost unheard of.

Understanding dawned on their faces.

"That explains it," Elyon said quietly.

Cattaleya gave a small nod.

"Now it makes sense."

Jing Wei, who had been observing them all this time, finally spoke.

"And these people?" he asked, his gaze shifting toward the group.

Lin Mu turned back toward his companions.

"These are my companions," he said.

He began introducing them one by one.

"Daoist Chu," he said first, gesturing toward the elder. "A master of formations and a great teacher. He’s from the Zenith Dao Sect as well as a Trainee of the Western Immortal Court."

Daoist Chu inclined his head respectfully.

"Cattaleya Duskthorn," Lin Mu continued. "A warrior of exceptional strength."

Cattaleya gave a slight nod, her eyes still studying Jing Wei.

"Elyon," Lin Mu added. "An exceptional scout and mercenary."

Elyon responded with a calm greeting.

"And this," Lin Mu said, placing a hand on Meng Bai’s shoulder, "is Meng Bai. My disciple."

Meng Bai straightened instinctively, offering a respectful bow.

Jing Wei’s brows rose in surprise.

"Oh?" he said, clearly intrigued. "So you finally took one on."

Lin Mu nodded.

"Yes."

Jing Wei chuckled softly.

"Never thought I would see the day," he said. "You were always the kind to walk your own path even when you had others following behind you."

His gaze moved across the group again.

Then he smiled faintly.

"It is good," he said. "You still have people around you."

There was genuine satisfaction in his voice.

"You always had a way of gathering strong individuals," Jing Wei continued. "Even back then."

Lin Mu scratched his cheek lightly.

"I suppose so," he said.

Meng Bai tilted his head.

"Master did the same in his home world?" he asked curiously.

Jing Wei let out a short laugh.

"As if you did not know," he said.

He looked at Meng Bai with interest.

"Your master has always been good at bringing people together," he explained. "Not just gathering them, but making them work toward a common goal."

Lin Mu waved his hand slightly.

"It was not just me," he said. "The cause mattered. People believed in it."

Jing Wei shook his head, amused.

"As if that alone would be enough," he said. "You managed to form an alliance between multiple sects and kingdoms."

He paused.

"And then led them into a war against a world invader."

The words hung in the air.