As the calm period on Blue Water Star came to an end, the sky over the sea was once again filled with raging winds, whipping up towering waves. Thick mist, formed from the heavy moisture in the air, shrouded the entire ocean. Most of the visiting cultivators had already left Blue Water Star before the calm ended. At this moment, Guo Xingyue sat in one of the grand halls of the Yangming Sect, looking at the six Qi Refinement cultivators standing before him, secretly speculating which four of them were the reincarnated Loose Immortals.
Over the past few decades, the Yangming Sect had recruited several spirit-rooted children, but only these six remained untested. If Li Yan Feng's operation had been flawless, then the four reincarnated Loose Immortals would certainly be among these six. Guo Xingyue placed four jade tokens on the table in front of him and motioned for the six cultivators to step forward and probe the jade tokens with their spiritual senses.
The first to step forward was a delicate-looking boy, who seemed to have been cultivating for only a short time. His current Qi Refinement stage cultivation was entirely due to the Foundation Establishment Pill Guo Xingyue had given him. The boy tried three jade tokens without any reaction. But when he picked up the jade token belonging to Chiyan, his whole body shook violently, and he became dazed. Tears streamed down his face. After standing still for a long while, he finally looked up at Guo Xingyue, bowed deeply, and said, "Guo brother, I owe it all to you. Without your help, Chiyan wouldn't have been able to return and start anew."
Guo Xingyue, overwhelmed with emotion, stepped forward and smiled at Chiyan. "Old brother, oh wait—hehe—you should call me 'senior' now."
Chiyan, though reborn, had retained his straightforward personality. He laughed heartily and replied, "Fine, fine. I'll call you Senior Guo then!"
Feigning contemplation, Guo Xingyue teased, "Oh, no need for that. But I must admit, 'Senior Guo' does have a nice ring to it." At that, both men burst into laughter.
Next, a burly man stepped forward, but after trying three jade tokens with no response, he shook his head and left the room. Now, only four remained. Chiyan, sitting beside Guo Xingyue, glanced nervously at the remaining four sect brothers, then at the jade tokens on the table. Guo Xingyue knew Chiyan was anxious for his brothers and worried something might go wrong. He also understood that Chiyan's current cultivation was weak, making it hard for him to maintain emotional control. Patting Chiyan's shoulder, Guo Xingyue reassured him, "Don't worry, brother. Since you're here, they will be too."
The next two people tried the tokens, but neither could activate them. Chiyan's face turned pale, sweat beading on his forehead. Guo Xingyue's heart grew heavy too. With only two left, even if both were reincarnated Loose Immortals, one of them must have met with misfortune.
The next one up was a boy with a rosy complexion but stark white hair, an unusual appearance. He first tried the jade token of Qingming with no response, then attempted Ziye's, but again nothing happened. By now, Chiyan was visibly on edge. Finally, the boy picked up the jade token belonging to Baifan. As soon as he touched it, his whole body trembled, and tears filled his eyes. He stood there, staring blankly at Guo Xingyue and Chiyan, lips trembling but unable to speak.
Chiyan immediately understood—this was Baifan's reincarnation. He rushed forward and hugged Baifan tightly, shouting, "Big brother! Finally, I've found you!" The two embraced, both laughing and crying. Baifan's childlike face wore the kind, gentle expression of an elder, his white hair further enhancing the striking contrast. Guo Xingyue smiled and said, "Elder brother Baifan, welcome back."
Baifan chuckled, "Well now, you aren't going to ask me to call you 'senior' as well, are you?" The three of them burst into laughter once again.
The last person to step forward was a handsome young man, tall and graceful, with sharp eyes that instantly drew favorable impressions. He politely bowed to Guo Xingyue and the others before reaching for the jade tokens on the table. He first picked up Qingming's token, but quickly put it down. Then, he lifted Ziye's token, and after standing still for a moment, he smiled at the anxious Guo Xingyue and his companions, saying, "Senior Guo, I, Ziye, greet you. Ha ha ha!"
The group froze for a moment, then quickly realized the truth—this was Ziye standing before them! Chiyan couldn't hold back and jumped up to punch Ziye's shoulder, laughing, "You're still as suave as ever, even after dying once! Makes me so jealous!"
After the joyous reunion, thoughts of the missing Qingming brought the mood down again. Guo Xingyue, feeling guilty, said, "It's all my fault for suggesting reincarnation. Now Qingming's in trouble because of me. I don't know what to do."
Baifan sighed, "Brother, this isn't your fault. If not for you, we wouldn't even have the chance to be reborn. Perhaps Qingming hasn't reincarnated yet. He's always been kind to others. Surely, good fortune will be on his side."
Just then, the Yangming Sect's leader hurried in, bowing to the reincarnated Loose Immortals. "Congratulations, seniors, on successfully reincarnating. The palaces of each senior have been kept vacant, and I can escort you there to rest."
Baifan waved his hand dismissively, "There's no rush, Sect Master Cheng. Over the years, have there been any spirit-rooted children on Blue Water Star who were overlooked?"
Cheng Yiming pondered for a moment before replying, "The mortal population on Blue Water Star is small—no more than a few million across the two continents. Our sect members are spread throughout, so there shouldn't be any omissions. But..."
"But what?" Chiyan asked impatiently. "Spit it out!"
Cheng Yiming continued, "There is still a girl in our sect who has yet to be tested. Since our sect lacks cultivation techniques for females, we haven't taught her how to cultivate. But could Qingming have reincarnated as a woman?"
The group exchanged puzzled glances. Finally, Baifan said, "Bring her in, and we'll see."
Not long after, Cheng Yiming returned, leading a girl of about thirteen or fourteen into the hall. Guo Xingyue quickly sensed that, though she possessed spiritual roots, she hadn't cultivated. The reincarnated immortals, all with shallow cultivation at this stage, didn't know how to handle the situation and turned their eyes to Guo Xingyue.
After a moment of contemplation, Guo Xingyue said, "I have a way to determine if this girl is Qingming's reincarnation."
Chiyan, always impatient, urged, "Well, hurry up and try it, then! Why are you waiting?"
Guo Xingyue smiled but didn't reply. Instead, he handed the girl a jade token and said, "Hold this jade token tightly. If you start to feel dizzy, focus on imagining yourself being drawn into the token. Understand?"
The girl silently nodded, signaling she understood. Without further words, Guo Xingyue took a deep breath and placed his hand on the girl's head. He gently sent his spiritual sense into her mind, carefully controlling its intensity to avoid harming her untrained soul.