Chapter 223 - The change in the ritual

Edited by Ilesyt

It was always snowy and extremely cold in the tribe in winter.

Yan Zhi and the others were up in the mountain, and in this weather, it would have been impossible for them to survive on their own. Fortunately there were people that took care of them.

The people in the tribe had never looked forward towards the end of the winter so much.

After the end of the winter, there would be the ritual ceremony. The wanderers who had just returned to the tribe would get to awaken their power, and there would be fire crystals which was what the entire looked forward to.

Every warrior prepared for it and they kept training in the winter. Even though they could not go far away, they stayed at home to lift stones to build up their bodies. They wanted to keep their bodies in a good state when the ritual ceremony was held. They tried to avoid getting weak after the winter.

Shao Xuan often went up the mountain, the Shaman and the chief had been planning for the return to the old land. Every time they asked Shao Xuan to come there to join them. When he was free, Shao Xuan went to the medicine house to help Gui Ze deal with the herbs.

In the medicine house, that turtle that took care of the drug waste grew a lot bigger. Its shell was two meters high. No one knew why it grew so fast and more stronger. It was either because it was engraved by the profound craft or because it often ate herbs. Moreover, the vertical ridges on its shell became more prominent, it looked even more intimidating than the big crocodiles in the Drumming tribe.

The instant Shao Xuan went there, the turtle tried to bite Shao Xuan a few times, but it was always slapped away by Shao Xuan with his knife to the corner.

When the moons that had disappeared in the winter came out, the people in the tribe became excited.

Old Ke had rested for a whole winter so his face looked ruddy. He looked much younger.

In the ritual ceremony, Shao Xuan took out a costume of giant bear skin made last year, he would wear it to the dance. In order to hunt this bear, Shao Xuan had fought with it for more than ten days.

“Have you prepare your clothes? Have the insects on the bear’s skin been removed?”

“Everything is done. Hey, old Ke, I really can’t remove these bear claws, really? They make me feel uncomfortable while wearing it.” If he wore the bear claw gloves, Shao Xuan could not see his fingers. If anyone saw him, he or she would first see the black bear claws.

“No! The claws look great!”

“Ok.”

“There is the necklace made of the bear’s teeth! Don’t forget it!” Old Ke quickly put the bear teeth necklace on his neck.

“I will go up the mountain first, you come with Caesar. And Chacha, you can find a place to have some fun, but do not run too far away.” Shao Xuan shouted to the eagle in the sky.

“OK, quickly go up the mountain. The Shaman and the chief may have something important to tell you.”

Shao Xuan was chased out by old Ke and went up the mountain.

Today, everyone “dressed up”, if you did not look closely, you would not be able to identify anyone.

Although Shao Xuan had participated in many rituals, but every time he felt the ritual was a party of beasts.

Looking around, you could see some wear skin coats, horns, bone adornments, snake skin belts, or beast bone masks...

On the mountain, Shao Xuan met several people standing around Yan Zhi and the others.

It was the first time for Yan Zhi and the others to participate in a ritual, so they were cautious. However, their faces looked excited.

“So cool!” They hadn’t awakened their power yet, so they didn’t have their own ritual beast clothes. Now they just wore the warm clothes given by the people in the tribe. These clothes were just made of general animal skins.

Shao Xuan waved his “bear claws” to Yan Zhi and the others to greet them. The bear claws were very big. And although everyone in the tribe considered them useless, it was not easy for Shao Xuan to get rid of them.

Yan Zhi and the others enviously looked at Shao Xuan’s coat, “Nice!”

“Shao Xuan? You did not see him wear that thorn black wind coat. I still think that one looks more amazing.” A man went past them and said jokingly.

The giant bear coat was not inferior to the thorn black wind skin coat, but the thorns looked much more scary than the bear skin.

“Don’t envy others. When you awaken the power, you can follow the hunting team to go hunting. Then you will have your own ritual beast clothes.” The man said.

“We will also have the clothes like what Shao Xuan wears, right?” Jiao Wu clenched his fist.

“It depends on your strength. Few can be as strong as Shao Xuan. Anyway, you first have awaken the power”

“Okay!”

They were about to awaken the power and become real totem warriors! This year, they wore the clothes which someone else prepared for them, inferior to others’. But next year, and in the following years, they would wear clothes made of their best prey to participate in tribal rituals!

Shao Xuan first went to look for the Shaman. Like the others who would dance together, his face was painted in some patterns, and then he went to the fire pit.

“This year many people will awaken the power” Shao Xuan said.

“Yes, last year, seven failed to awaken the power. This year coupled with Yan Zhi and others, over hundred will get the power.” Tuo wearing a beast bone mask said. He had taken off his mask to draw a pattern on his face and then he put it on again.

His beast bone mask was made of a beast head. The head had been cut down, and boiled. It’s flesh was gotten rid of and the bones and teeth in the mouth were left and modified. Those sharp teeth were the most important, the best mask in the tribe should be the one without any broken teeth. Moreover, the dancers should wear decent clothes.

Shao Xuan could only see the face of Tuo through that mouth with sharp teeth.

The night was coming.

Everyone gathered at the top of the mountain.

After the chief finished his words, the Shaman walked next to the fire pit.

The Shaman spoke a spell.

In the fire pit, the small flames became a fierce fire, and instantly it spread to fill the entire fire pit. This gained a momentum which was greater than ever.

Even the Shaman felt stunned and was in a daze for a moment, let alone others.

Music was heard, and the ritual dancers started to dance.

Wearing the heavy bear skin, Shao Xuan danced together with the others, swinging his hands and feet.

While dancing, Shao Xuan was again under the mysterious trance.

In the fire pit, he seemed to see many people wearing primeval and strange clothes, swinging their hands and feet like him, dancing around the fire pit. Further, there were tall stone houses...

The fire became even more fierce in the fire pit, and it seemed that the flaming horns totem would rush out of the flames.

The whole mountaintop was covered with fiery light.

The Flame flying out of the fire pit was more intense than ever before.

At the same time, far away from the Flaming Horns tribe, at the old haunt.

In the old haunt, where there had been the fire pit. The fire appeared again.

First there was a shining spot in the center, and then this spot was divided into six fiery branches extending to six directions.

Birds nesting around the trees that had just fallen asleep were awakened. They flocked from the tree nests, chirped and flew away from the fire pit.

Just stepping into this area, a ferocious beast of the night growled, turned around and walked away quickly.

On the ground the fire spread, and bloodthirsty vines which had captured countless creatures struggled helplessly and quickly withered.

It was silent in this place as the birds and insects had left.