Mu Chunqiu's previous phrase "young friend" only triggered Lu Yan's subconscious association with the figure behind the Longevity version, causing him to be slightly out of composure.
Mu Chunqiu, however, had no connection with the figure behind the Longevity version, and after a brief adjustment, he became accustomed to it.
But the next sentence from Mu Chunqiu, "I've seen your eyes before," sent a chill down Lu Yan's heart.
Due to the cross-version encounter, the Mu True Monarch before him might not remember the details, but Lu Yan remembered everything clearly.
The origin of Mu Chunqiu's words came from the time when Lu Yan was representing the heavens. Mu Chunqiu resisted fiercely against the Emperor's phantom and refused to kneel.
Back then, Lu Yan wielded the Power of Heavenly Dao and paid no heed to Mu Chunqiu who was just an ordinary person. A casual glance revealing the might of the Celestial Dao had made Mu Chunqiu completely subdued.
Yet Lu Yan never expected Mu Chunqiu would actually remember that fleeting gaze and even mention it when they met in the Xianxia version.
Striving to calm his emotions, with the Supreme Dao Foundation suppressing his Divine Soul such that outsiders could not perceive the emotional fluctuations within, Lu Yan appropriately displayed a hint of surprise on the surface, briefly paused, and replied:
"I only had a brief encounter with Mu True Monarch, but to be remembered by Mu True Monarch truly is my honor."
Lu Yan's response was flawless, directly shifting the focus of Mu Chunqiu's words to the situation of their previous meeting.
Mu Chunqiu slightly furrowed his brows, a trace of displeasure rising within his indifferent gaze.
For some reason, he felt that wasn't the answer he needed.
Just then, He Dongsheng beside him spontaneously spoke:
"Ever since the last exploration of the secret realm within the Beimang Tomb, Master, you have been comprehending the Longevity Immortal Technique here for over a year, how could you have seen Brother Lu?
Could it be yet another illusion you saw while comprehending the Longevity Immortal Technique?"
He Dongsheng's words slightly eased Mu Chunqiu's doubts, as the Peak of Nascent Soul True Monarch hesitated for a moment before shaking his head: Read complete versıon only at 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹~𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮~𝚗𝚎𝚝
"Perhaps, as Dongsheng said, it was just an illusion."
With that, the matter was resolved, and while Lu Yan showed no change in expression on the surface, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It wasn't until this moment that he carefully observed Mu Chunqiu before him.
Lu Yan had interacted with many people who crossed versions: Ji Xingyao, He Dongsheng, Li Hao... Despite crossing versions, they retained a general similarity, the greatest difference being Li Hao from the Demon version who changed due to the Demon True Technique.
Yet Mu Chunqiu in the urban and Xianxia versions seemed to be two completely different individuals.
In the urban version, Mu Chunqiu was an elegant middle-aged man who maintained a youthful appearance even though he was over a hundred years old, while in the Xianxia version, he directly retained a youthful appearance.
Upon reflection, it made sense, as in the Xianxia version, a Nascent Soul True Monarch's lifespan exceeds a thousand years, and Mu Chunqiu, being just over a hundred, absolutely counted as a young person among Nascent Soul True Monarchs.
But compared to what Mu Chunqiu said, the difference in appearance was insignificant.
In the urban version, Lu Yan already noticed Mu Chunqiu's extraordinary traits. A hundred-year-old man could maintain the appearance and skillset of a middle-aged person, which completely defied the urban version's norms.
Even later, when Lu Yan incited the large-scale Spiritual Energy Revival, all parties were shocked by the battle between two great ghost gods, but Mu Chunqiu alone showed indifference towards the Blood God and Giant Spirit God, revealing bones-deep disdain and arrogance.
In the Xianxia version, Mu Chunqiu's behavior was even more peculiar, even proactively mentioning his previous encounters with Lu Yan's eyes.
Although this might relate to information mapping, Lu Yan felt it was more about Mu Chunqiu's own uniqueness.
With no time to ponder deeply, Mu Chunqiu, sitting at the center of the Spirit Pool, suddenly spoke.
"Young friend, do you know why I had Dongsheng invite you here?"
Lu Yan set aside his thoughts and seriously responded: "I do not know."
Mu Chunqiu gazed at Lu Yan, a few nostalgic sentiments rising in his eyes.
"More than a year ago, I met you once. Back then, Dongsheng claimed you saved him in times of danger, so I made a promise to you, allowing you to select a treasure from my treasury as a repayment for saving Dongsheng.
But what I hadn't anticipated was shortly after making that promise, the Beimang Tomb opened, granting me the opportunity to explore it, and subsequently, I successfully advanced to the Peak of Nascent Soul, standing just a step away from entering the Divinity Transformation Realm.
To truly step into the Divinity Transformation Realm, one must sever worldly ties and karma. Due to a rush in cultivation advancement, many karmic ties were not severed in time.
And the most critical karmic tie among them was the promise I made to you."
While speaking, Mu Chunqiu slowly extended his right hand.
That palm seemed to contain a universe, supporting a space, revealing a series of magnificent Treasure Pavilion to Lu Yan.
The Treasure Pavilion layered upon layers, dreamlike and illusory, some pavilions were ancient and mottled, enveloped in a heavy breath of time sediment. Others gleamed brilliantly, emitting a dazzling brilliance.
Within the Treasure Pavilion, perhaps there was an ancient jade sword with faint blood scar remnants of the ancient battlefield visible on the blade.
Or a crystal-clear jade pendant, within which flowed a faint brilliance of Dao Principles.
There was even a broken piece of an ancient mirror, its surface akin to a deep pool, reflecting an eerie, void.
These thousands of treasures shone and refracted within this realm, the ancient aura surging like a tide.