In the vast, icy wilderness of the northern realm, Caelum sat cross-legged at the heart of an ancient formation carved into the frozen earth. Today marked his sixth birthday, a significant day when his latent talents and spiritual foundation would finally awaken. Snow drifted gently around him, blanketing the land in silence. Icaris stood a few meters away, his gaze steady on his son. Though typically composed, a faint glimmer of anticipation shone in his eyes.
"This formation will invoke the nine cycles of baptism," Icaris reminded Caelum, his voice low but resolute. "I endured all nine when I awakened, but remember, you need not push yourself to the very limit. The more you endure, the more deeply your potential will be drawn out. But pain is part of the process. Steel yourself."
Caelum looked up at his father, nodding in silent acknowledgment. He closed his eyes, calming his mind and heart as the formation began to hum with latent energy. He felt a surge of Qi rising around him, pure and raw, igniting the ritual. As the energy seeped into the formation, a bloody light descended upon his body.
At first, there was only a mild discomfort, a distant tingling. But as the light intensified, the true depth of the awakening began. A searing pain ignited within his bones, deep and relentless, as if molten fire were molding his very structure. His Seraphic Matrix—his unique bone structure—began to take shape, transforming and strengthening with each pulse of energy. The bones shifted, merging and forming intricate lattices, interlocking with a divine precision that was both painful and awe-inspiring. Caelum gritted his teeth, sweat forming on his brow despite the frigid air, his small body trembling with the effort to withstand the pain.
But he endured, his will unyielding. His bloodline surged to life, seeping into his bones and meridians, infusing his body with a potent coldness that seemed to resonate with the frozen landscape around him. Stygian Frost—a power that merged ice and darkness—coursed through him, reawakening his ancient heritage. Blackened impurities oozed from his pores, his body expelling them as it refined itself from within. At intervals, he coughed up thick clots of dark blood, each one evidence of the profound transformation taking place.
The formation pulsed as Caelum moved through cycle after cycle of baptism. Nine cycles should have been the peak for any mortal, yet Caelum went beyond, his spirit unbroken. Eleven… fifteen… twenty… He pushed through, each cycle grinding his body with a force that bordered on unbearable, yet he remained conscious, determined to endure.
As the formation neared its end, Caelum felt his spiritual foundation taking root in his dantian. Unlike other cultivators whose foundations burst into existence with brilliance, his was subdued, silent, and dense—a calm strength rather than a blinding flare. His dantian began to stabilize, linked to the foundation within him, merging with the essence of his Stygian Frost. The profound coldness of his bloodline flowed naturally into his newly formed foundation, aligning seamlessly with his body's unique constitution.
Icaris, watching from the perimeter, maintained a steady presence. While he was aware of the extraordinary strength his son was showing, he held his expectations tempered. Caelum's awakening was indeed impressive, reaching beyond the typical realms of their world, but he could sense that these talents were still within manageable bounds. He gave a subtle nod of respect for Caelum's resilience, aware that this was only the beginning of his path.
Suddenly, the force around Caelum surged, nearly overwhelming the formation's containment. Icaris moved quickly, reinforcing the barrier around them to ensure the energies stayed contained. Caelum's skin began to shed its outer layer, revealing a smooth, crystal-like surface underneath, his complexion gleaming with a translucency that hinted at hidden strength.
At last, after what seemed like an eternity, the light from the formation dimmed, and the energies began to dissipate. Caelum swayed, his body exhausted from the ordeal, before collapsing into his father's arms. Icaris looked down at him, his heart filled with pride and quiet admiration for the child who had endured so much.
With Caelum resting in his arms, Icaris carried him back to their small courtyard, laying him down on a bed of soft furs. Over the following days, Icaris kept a close watch, occasionally examining his son's condition to assess the talents Caelum had awakened. However, each attempt left him increasingly perplexed. None of Caelum's talents matched anything he had encountered before.
First, there was his bone structure—the Seraphic Matrix. Its composition was unlike any known framework in cultivation. The lattice and density of Caelum's bones were beyond Icaris's understanding, intricate and foreign, bearing no resemblance to the bone structures he'd seen among cultivators of the highest ranks. Then came the meridians: their formation and flow were equally unfamiliar. Icaris had trained in the arts of meridian and body cultivation himself, with knowledge that spanned beyond his world, yet he found himself unable to categorize or recognize the pattern of Caelum's meridians.
Icaris wasn't merely any cultivator. He was considered one of the top five geniuses of their realm and hailed from a powerful clan where even his parents had broken through the limits of the main world that encompassed this sub-world, journeying toward the highest realms. With all the knowledge he had accumulated, Icaris felt a rare sense of awe and bewilderment. It was as if Caelum's body existed under rules that were foreign to this world.
Lastly, he observed Caelum's bloodline with the hope of some familiarity. He had known that Caelum's heritage carried an affinity for ice, with a subtle shade of darkness. Yet, upon closer inspection, what he saw was even more extraordinary. It appeared as if two distinct bloodlines coexisted within Caelum's veins—one of extreme ice and water, and another steeped in darkness. Such coexistence was, to Icaris's understanding, impossible. He speculated that perhaps the unique configuration of Caelum's Seraphic Matrix played a role in harmonizing these opposing elements, but he couldn't be entirely certain.
He set these bewildering thoughts aside, feeling that further contemplation would only lead him into confusion. Instead, he focused on preparing for the next steps. Soon, he would need to impart to Caelum the foundational knowledge of cultivation, and leave this sub world.