Everything needed for the second seal was gathered

Matters at Eastsea Academy had finally settled down, giving Wu Changkong a rare chance to catch his breath. He changed out of his usual training clothes into a simple blue-green robe and walked alone through the bustling streets of Eastsea City. Amid the clamoring crowds, his habitually tense face unconsciously softened a little, though an unshakable melancholy still lingered in his eyes.

He wandered aimlessly. As he passed a dessert shop, his steps briefly faltered—it was the scent of the chestnut cakes Long Bing had loved most when she was alive. Instinctively, he wanted to turn and leave, but the pain in his heart had already been stirred once more.

Just then, a cool voice tinged with amusement sounded behind him:

"Teacher Wu, what a coincidence."

Wu Changkong abruptly stiffened. Those voices were all too familiar: his students, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue. He turned, about to ask why the two children were there, but the instant his gaze passed over their shoulders, it froze completely.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue stood to one side, shifting slightly to reveal the woman behind them, dressed in a pale blue gown.

Her skin was fairer than Xue, her features as lovely as a painting. Although her face still bore the faint pallor of someone who had only just awakened, the light in her eyes shimmered like spring waters after the winter ice had melted.

"Bing..."

Wu Changkong's voice trembled beyond recognition. He could not believe his eyes and even thought his longing had become so unbearable that he was hallucinating. Instinctively, he reached out to touch her, yet feared she was nothing more than an illusory bubble.

Long Bing looked at the man before her, more mature than she remembered, but also much thinner, and a sharp ache pierced her heart. Without