The next moment, Blind Preacher's face was filled with shock. He gasped and stepped back repeatedly.

Within the Celestial Eye, the sky was shrouded in endless purple energy, its momentum overwhelming, like massive ocean waves surging and rolling. This vast purple aura swept in from the east, stretching for tens of thousands of miles, resembling a giant dragon lying across the heavens. Its imposing presence was truly terrifying. In all his decades of reading auras, he had never seen such a fearsome purple energy. Unfortunately, only cultivators or spirits who had opened their Celestial Eye could see it; ordinary people with mortal eyes could not perceive it at all.

“Purple energy coming from the east for thirty thousand miles—damn, is a sage coming to Guobei County?”

Blind Preacher muttered to himself, forgetting all his usual composure.

He recalled the story of Laozi transforming the barbarians and heading west out of Hangu Pass. Back then, the gatekeeper Yi Xi had unintentionally observed the energies of heaven and earth, witnessing purple energy coming from the east for thirty thousand miles, and then encountered the sage Laozi, who left behind the Dao De Jing for the world.

The purple energy was vast as a sea of clouds, rolling and surging in the sky, lingering for a long time, enveloping the skies above Guobei County.

Before long, the endless purple energy in the sky began to change. Suddenly, a rift opened in the sea of purple clouds, and a beam of golden light descended straight toward Guobei County.

The direction of that golden light was... David Thompson, the Li family residence?

“A sage is descending to the mortal world.”

Blind Preacher's body trembled as he remembered that today was the day David Thompson's concubine was giving birth. At this moment, the golden light fell upon the Li family—surely someone with a heavenly destiny was being reincarnated.

“Opportunity, opportunity, a heaven-sent opportunity! I only came to this remote Guobei County to spend my twilight years in peace, but who would have thought I'd encounter such a great chance? Boundless Heavenly Venerable, my chance for enlightenment is right now...”

His lips moved slightly as he muttered to himself. Then his expression suddenly changed, and with a speed completely at odds with his usual self, he dashed madly toward the Li residence, abandoning his fortune-telling stall without a second thought. He looked even more anxious than a vengeful spirit seeking rebirth. The people nearby were left utterly dumbfounded by his behavior.

At this very moment, deep within the Li residence, in a secluded courtyard, the loud and powerful cries of a newborn suddenly rang out, as if the entire Li family could hear them.

“The baby is born! The baby is finally born!”

David Thompson, who had been anxiously pacing outside, was overjoyed. His slightly plump figure rushed into the room with an agility he never usually displayed, and he hurriedly asked, “Well? Is it a boy or a girl?”

“Ah~!” As soon as David Thompson entered the room, he heard a sharp scream. One of the midwives seemed to have been frightened by something and fled the room in terror.

“Con... congratulations, Master Li. Both mother and child are safe. Madam has given birth to a big, healthy boy.”

David Thompson was ecstatic. “Good, good! My Li family finally has an heir! My Li family finally has an heir!” His voice trembled with excitement.

Another midwife, holding the baby, spoke with a slight tremor, “But the young master seems a bit unusual, Master Li, please take a look.”

The midwife, hands shaking, pulled back the brocade cloth covering the baby. They saw that the chubby infant’s chest was slightly translucent, and beneath the chest, a small heart emitting a gentle glow was beating steadily. It looked extremely strange—after all, no one’s heart should glow. No wonder the previous midwife had run out in fright; she must have thought the baby was some kind of monster.

“How could this be? How could my son be born with such an anomaly?” David Thompson was stunned.

“Could it be the woman gave birth to a monster?” the midwife muttered under her breath.

David Thompson immediately flew into a rage. “Nonsense! Spreading malicious rumors! My Li family has done good deeds for three generations—how could we give birth to a monster? Say another word and I’ll cut out your tongue!”

“Haha, country women are ignorant. Master Li, don’t stoop to their level.”

At that moment, a loud laugh came from outside. A Daoist in robes, eyes tightly shut, strode in as if nothing else existed.

He glanced at the baby in the midwife’s arms, his whole body trembling slightly with excitement. His years of Daoist composure were nearly lost.

As expected, the birth of a sage must be accompanied by divine signs.

David Thompson was startled to see Blind Preacher, but then politely cupped his hands and said, “Greetings, Daoist. Do you know the reason for my son’s strange condition?”

Having been in business for many years, he was well-traveled and knew there were certain people one must never offend—Daoists among them. Now, this Daoist had come uninvited, which surely meant something important was about to happen at the Li residence.

Blind Preacher laughed heartily and said, “Master Li, do you know that Shenyao had eyebrows of eight colors, Great Shun had double pupils, Emperor Wu had three leaking ears, and King Wen had four nipples? All of these are divine signs, and those who possess them are destined for greatness. Your son is truly extraordinary—he was born with a Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart. Since the time of the Shang dynasty’s Prime Minister Bigan, no one has ever possessed such a heart. With this son, Master Li, you will have great fortune in the future.”

“What? A Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart? Isn’t that just something from opera stories?” David Thompson was shocked.

Chapter Two: Ryan Thompson.

“Cultivators never speak falsely. Right now, the child is stained with blood. Once he is washed clean, Master Li, you will see that I am not lying.”