Xander looked at the man and killing intent appeared in his eyes. His hand clenched around the man’s throat. He picked him up until their eyes t and he asked, "What mission? What have you done to my son?"
The man had trouble breathing but still looked calm. He had already anticipated this. Well, as the father of the successor, he deserved to know the truth. Although he had difficulty speaking, he still said with an indifferent tone, "Let go of you brat. I will tell you all that I can. And show so respect. In terms of seniority, I can be considered your Great Granduncle."
Xander was confused. Great Granduncle? The man was only a few years older than him. But he let go of the man. If his explanation did not satisfy him, he would die here.
The man coughed a little and said, "You’re just like him. Savageness must run in the bloodline."
Although the man was insulting their bloodline, Xander could see the gentleness in his eyes. The man continued, "The mission was sothing that Invictus himself entrusted to . It was to find his successor. You see, you and your entire bloodline are just his descendants, but none of you are his true successors. Even your son is just a candidate, the only one that there is, but a candidate nonetheless."
Xander was shocked to hear the First Ancestor’s na. And he could hear the great familiarness in the man’s voice when he said it. He asked, "Who are you and how can I trust you?"
The man smiled and replied, "I am, nay, I was the leader of his Shadow Guard...and his best friend. The First Shadow."
Xander said, "Let’s say that I believe you. How are you still alive?"
The man replied, "Because of a technique that Invictus created. Soul Transference Art. As he was dying, he entrusted to find his true successor. So, I created the Baptism Hall. A baby is chosen when I am about to die, and my soul transfers into his body. Then that baby becos the next leader of the Baptism Hall. It is ruthless but it is what it is. It was Invictus’s dying wish and my final mission. I ain’t dying until I complete it."
Xander didn’t comnt. He knew that it was ruthless, taking an innocent’s life like that but he also knew that if he commanded his Shadow Guard to do the sa, they would do it. He said, "There is no way that a technique like this exists."
The man said, "At Least you are not dumb. There are a few drawbacks. Because it goes against the natural order, I cannot grow stronger than level 20."
Xander asked his final question, "How can I believe you?"
The man didn’t say anything and took out a blood red Ironheart token. He put it on the ground, dripped a drop of his blood on it and said, "Drip your blood on it."
Xander did as he was told. The token glowed and a projection appeared on the token. It was a man with a face that resembled Xander’s. As soon as he saw the projection, he kneeled and said, "The 25th Leader of the Ironheart Clan greets the First Ancestor."
The projection belonged to Invictus. He had created this token and sealed two pieces of his soul in it. The first one was to prove the First Shadow’s identity, and the second would only awaken when the successor candidate beca the successor. The projection said, "This is a recorded ssage. Whatever the First Shadow has told you is the truth. Do not ask for more than he has told you and follow his instructions regarding the successor candidate. Take care of the Clan."
Then the projection disappeared.
Xander was silent. He looked at the man and said, "What now?"
The man replied, "You’re cold. I thought that there would be at least so respect for in you. Well, it doesn’t matter if you respect or not. What matters is the candidate. There aren’t many rules, just one. Nobody can know that he is the candidate. Even him and your wife. They will only know that he completed 10 Baptisms. It is the highest in his generation but it isn’t record breaking."
Xander asked, "How can he beco the true successor?"
The man replied, "If fate wills it, he will figure it out himself. You will not interfere."
Xander said in a cold voice, "I will comply but know that if harm cos to my son because of you...you will face a fate far worse than death, the Ancestor’s mission be damned."
Then he picked up his son from the now drained pond and left. The man stood in silence for a few minutes and started laughing. If soone were to witness him at that mont, they would be sure that he was a madman. He wiped a few tears that appeared in his eyes and muttered, "Brother, your descendants are just like you. I wish you were here to witness them. Hopefully, the candidate is able to beco your successor..."
A ruthless smile full of malice appeared on his face as he continued, "...then we will begin our revenge. They will get what is coming to them. I will ensure that even if it’s the last thing that I do."
Outside the Hall, Bella was waiting for the duo. As soon as Xander exited the Hall, Bella took Nyx from him. She asked, "Is everything alright? You don’t look so good."
Xander replied, "Everything is fine. In fact, it is better than fine."
Bella looked confused. Xander said, "Our son has completed 10 Baptisms."
Bella was overjoyed. Although it didn’t matter how many Baptisms her son had completed, she would love him all the sa, but it mattered to the Clan. Being the Clan Head’s son was a boon as well as a burden. The couple returned to their room.
The next day, Nyx woke up feeling groggy. But that grogginess vanished when he felt strength surging in his tiny body. He clenched his fleshy hands. Bella must’ve sensed his awakening because she walked to his crib and picked him up. She said, "Look who’s finally awake. It’s the little genius of our Clan."
As she was paying with him, his stomach grumbled. She said, "Looks like soone is hungry. That’s good. I have a surprise for you."
She changed his clothes and took him to their dining room. Unbeknownst to her, Nyx’s eyes had beco determined. He would comnce the first part of his Phase 2. In the dining room, Xander had also arrived. His son would begin eating semi solid foods today and he wanted to be there with him for that. It was already ti for his lunch so the timing was perfect.
The table was already set. Bella placed Nyx in his seat and fastened a bib on him so his clothes wouldn’t get ruined. Maids had already brought their food. Xander and Bella were having Demonic Beast at. There was also a small bowl with mashed peas for Nyx. Bella scooped the mashed peas with a spoon and said, "Nyx, say aah. Here cos the jade bird."
She brought the spoon near Nyx’s mouth and he opened his mouth. Bella fed him the mashed peas and then the couple stared at him with expectation. Just as they thought that he liked them he spat them out and tears appeared in his eyes. He looked like he was about to bawl his eyes out.
The couple beca anxious. Inwardly, Nyx said, "Sorry Mom. I don’t have a choice."
Just as they thought that he was about to cry, his expression cald down a little. He looked at the steak-like at on Xander’s plate and reached out for it. Xander said, "You can’t have this, Little Nyx. This is unprocessed Demon Beast at."
As if Nyx understood his words, the couple saw that he started crying. Their expressions beca helpless. It wasn’t that unprocessed Demon Beast at was harmful in any way. It contained the demonic Anima Essence that people without Anima wouldn’t be able to digest properly. The undigested demonic Anima essence would accumulate in their bodies in the form of fat. If it stopped there, it still wouldn’t be a big deal. The biggest problem was that it was almost impossible for soone to get rid of this fat. Even after awakening their Anima, this fat wouldn’t go away without years of non-stop exercise. No one would waste their golden years of cultivation exercising, right? It got even worse. If one wasn’t able to get rid of it in their golden years, then it would beco permanent.
Xander said, "Looks like the Ironheart blood in him runs very deep. He is already craving at. But that is fine."
He ordered a maid to bring so processed at. Soon the maid returned with a bowl of congee. This congee had a lot of processed at and less rice. Bella tried feeding it to Nyx but the result was the sa. He refused to eat anything and just reached out for Xander’s plate. After trying multiple varieties of processed at, the couple gave up. Bella looked at Xander and said, "A little bit won’t matter, right?"
Xander helplessly nodded and cut a sliver of his steak. He used his Anima Essence to crush it into a paste. Bella scooped the paste with a spoon and fed it to Nyx. Under the couple’s expectant eyes, he laughed. Thinking that he was satisfied, Bella tried feeding him the processed at again. But the result almost brought tears to her eyes. Her son refused to eat anything other than unprocessed Demon Beast at. In the end, Nyx ended up eating Xander’s al. This shocked the couple. Not because of his pickiness but because he finished an adult’s al.
Even after a few days, the situation remained the sa. Nyx simply refused to eat anything other than unprocessed at. Anxious, Xander consulted the First Shadow. In the Baptism Hall, the two were having a conversation.
Xander said, "Is it because of the 13th Baptism?"
The man replied, "I don’t know what you an."
Xander said, "Nyx. He refuses to eat anything other than unprocessed Demon Beast at."
The man appeared to be in thought and said, "Elaborate."
Then Xander told him about Nyx’s tantrums. They had even tried to fool him by mixing a small amount of unprocessed at in his food but he would refuse to eat that too.
After hearing this, the man replied, "Maybe. I’m not sure. He is the first candidate so there are many things that even I don’t know. For now, just feed him what he wants. I’ll handle the fat if it becos an issue."
Helpless, Xander returned and told Bella that he found a solution for the fat so they could feed Nyx unprocessed at. He hated lying to his wife but there was nothing else that he
could do.
Just like that, two years passed.
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