Chapter 33 – The length of a finger (2/2)

Ding!

Ding!

…

Every afternoon, striking sounds like that would appear in old Ke’s house.

One strike, two strikes… fifty, fifty-one… a hundred… five hundred…

Shao Xuan kept on striking the stone cores restlessly, as if he knew nothing about fatigue. A large stone core gradually became smaller as tiny stone flakes dropped down. The stone flakes became thinner and thinner than as time went on.

After finishing the striking of one stone core, Shao Xuan grabbed the second and the third without taking a break…

After the third one was finished, Shao Xuan looked like a drowned victim who had just been fished out by others.

After taking a drink, Shao Xuan stood aside so that old Ke could elaborate on the details that needed to be paid attention to when he refined them later. He showed Shao Xuan how to refine stone flakes in different shapes, and how to refine the remaining stone core.

Old Ke said that every stone had its own story, and even the most excellent stoneware crafter might not be able to understand all stones’ stories. However, every time old Ke was teaching, he tried to explain all the knowledge that he had mastered up to now with Shao Xuan.

Shao Xuan listened with all his attention, for some words seemed unimportant, but contained much knowledge hidden within.

After a short break and having finished listening to old Ke’s lecture, Shao Xuan continued to work. However, this time he stopped striking, and instead started refining.

In order to meet old Ke’s high standard, Shao Xuan had to focus more during the process, and had to be more precise in controlling his totemic power.

That was not something easy. When refining, Shao Xuan was fully concentrated on the stone. And, despite the obvious soreness and aching, it wasn’t until the refining was done and Shao Xuan had regained awareness, that he felt a wave of pain in his head. Sometimes he even felt a sensation as if he were hit by an awl, and sweat drops constantly oozed like beans from his forehead.

Old Ke said that it was normal and that he went through all those processes when he was a young apprentice.

Although tired, Shao Xuan’s progress was obvious since he had more precise control of his totemic power.

Old Ke showed traces of satisfaction in his eyes as he sat aside. Shao Xuan’s progress went beyond his expectations. For all those years, old Ke had known many people who tried to learn stone crafting, yet none of them could achieve Shao Xuan’s progress!

For many people, they might spend one or two years of learning without having Shao Xuan’s skills. Of course there were some talented fellows. For example, Lang Ga used less than fifty days to learn back then, and Lang Ga’s grandfather had bragged about that in front of old Ke.

But, how long had Shao Xuan been learning? Merely ten days!

In fact, old Ke would love to go up the mountain immediately and have a “nice chat” with that old man who made ground bows. However, he needed to wait a little longer… just a little longer…

As he was thinking about what facial expression the old guy might have when he learnt about Shao Xuan, Ke’s sight froze for a moment. He opened his eyes wide as if he saw something inconceivable.

Totemic patterns were revealed on Shao Xuan’s body, which was not strange during this time as Shao Xuan would use his totemic power when striking and crafting. Naturally, when the totemic power was used, totemic patterns would show up.

What astonished old Ke was not the totemic pattern. What he saw was even more inconceivable than when he saw Shao Xuan use totemic power while striking stones!

As was known to all people in the tribe, the newly-awakened warriors totemic pattern would only cover their whole body when they were just awakened by the fire pit. After the ritual ceremony, all their totemic patterns would shrink. The totemic patterns that covered the entire arm would shrink to the upper arm, slightly past one’s shoulder, and the totemic patterns on the legs would also shrink to above the knee.

Because of this, when new totemic warriors used their totemic power, the patterns that showed up wouldn’t extend to one’s elbows and knees, identifying them as a primary warrior. When someday, one’s totemic pattern extends over his elbows and knees, it means that he is no longer a primary warrior and has become a mid-level warrior. This was the most efficient and most direct way to tell a totemic warrior’s level.

Totemic patterns would only extend when warriors faced numerous risks and threats by ferocious beasts in hunting missions, and had significant breakthroughs. Also, the extension of totemic patterns was quite limited. Some warriors, with over ten years of hunting experience, may not have totemic patterns that extended over their elbows and knees. So it meant that they were still merely primary warriors, and the progress was rather slow.

But, how could the totemic patterns in Shao Xuan’s body be explained?

Old Ke’s eyelids beat like hell, for he clearly remembered that the totemic patterns on Shao Xuan’s upper arm were at the same length as other newly-awakened warriors when he first came by to learn stone crafting. they were slightly past his shoulder.

However, now the totemic patterns on Shao Xuan’s upper arm had extended forward about the length of a finger!

In the past, old Ke had never paid attention to the totemic patterns on Shao Xuan’s arm, and had only glimpsed at them, because he wondered when Shao Xuan would become a mid-level totemic warrior. He had never expected such a discovery! Since old Ke could easily tell the slight difference in stoneware, how could he not notice the extension of the totemic patterns on Shao Xuan’s arm?!

Do not underestimate the length of a finger. Others might not be able to achieve that in years!

But how long had Shao Xuan been awakened?

Based on that speed, how long would it take for him to become a mid-level totemic warrior?