At this time, the Black Python tribe was just one of the most inconspicuous branches among the countless clans of Tushan, truly unable to let Ethan Brooks shine as he should. After a while, he continued, “Although Arthur Green has not advanced to the Heavenly Barbarian level, he had already reached the peak of the ninth level of Barbarian Martial thirty years ago. His talent far surpasses that of other Wu Barbarians, and in terms of insight, even Grandpa is nowhere near him. What Arthur said about the awakening of the barbarian soul being similar in principle to the visualization secret arts of Yunzhou makes a lot of sense.”

Ethan Brooks still didn’t know what “subtlety” meant.

Edward Clark collected his excitement and slowly said:

“‘Subtlety’ is just what we call it in the village; it’s a realm in the cultivation of Barbarian Martial combat stances, and should be what the silk scroll refers to as the union of body and intent, and the union of intent and mind…”

Chapter 008: So This Is the Barbarian Soul

The shaman Edward Clark seemed to see confusion and puzzlement in Ethan Brooks’s eyes, and continued:

“The Black Python’s nine-hells battle spear, passed down for a thousand years, is actually a depiction of the ancient barbarian’s combat form, painted with the remnant image of the barbarian soul. For hundreds and thousands of years, the Black Python people have tempered their bodies from childhood, diligently practicing the combat form as depicted in the barbarian image. Only by cultivating that combat stance to the subtle realm where body and intent are united can one awaken the barbarian soul…”

Ethan Brooks was extremely shocked. He hadn’t expected that the Black Python’s closely guarded martial inheritance was, just like the Five Stances Chart of the Great Peng Secret Fist, a painted image containing the ultimate skills of the barbarian soul.

On second thought, it wasn’t surprising. Arthur Green had already said in the silk scroll that Barbarian Martial is actually a type of martial cultivation, and the awakening of the barbarian soul is essentially no different from the visualization of forms.

The fist stances carved in the soul sea by the mind are, in fact, a kind of barbarian soul as well.

Seeing Ethan Brooks lost in thought, the shaman Edward Clark picked up a branch and, with just a few strokes on the ground, vividly drew the secret Black Python combat stance:

A person thrusting a spear.

The shaman Edward Clark said:

“What is depicted in the Black Python’s barbarian image is actually this stance of thrusting a spear. Although the Black Python’s nine-hells battle spear has nine forms in total, the only one that truly counts as a barbarian soul combat form is this stance. Awakening the barbarian soul means visualizing the nine-hells barbarian soul in the sea of consciousness, to activate the mysterious power within the blood and qi…”

Ethan Brooks suddenly saw everything clearly. As his body and intent united, his sea of consciousness abruptly opened, and countless subtle divine radiances were drawn from the blood and qi of his whole body, condensing into a humanoid light and shadow. Weren’t those countless subtle divine radiances released from his blood and qi exactly the mysterious power the shaman spoke of?

“This mysterious power, the Black Python calls it true-blood divine radiance, or barbarian soul divine radiance…” the shaman Edward Clark continued.

True-blood divine radiance?

Barbarian soul divine radiance?

Ethan Brooks thought to himself that he had always developed his potential by pushing his limits, and in principle, there was no essential difference. What was called potential was actually “true-blood divine radiance”; it was just that his soul sea hadn’t opened before, so he couldn’t “see” the process.

Ethan Brooks shared his insights with Grandpa, and added:

“Senior Arthur spoke in the silk scroll about the marks of heaven and the terrain, and the natural Dao. I think this actually refers to the laws of heaven and earth. Whether it’s the Five Stances of the Great Peng Secret Fist or the Black Python’s nine-hells barbarian soul, they are all forms of the laws of heaven and earth, which is why they are so profound. Visualization is about carving the laws of heaven and earth into the sea of consciousness…”

Hearing Ethan Brooks say this, the shaman Edward Clark was deeply shaken, never expecting that all his life’s contemplation was not as clear as what Ethan had gained in a single night.

In the early days, the Black Python tribe used the python as their spirit, and the ancient barbarians comprehended the nine ultimate martial stances by observing the python—wasn’t that also learning from the laws of heaven and earth?

It was just that for a thousand years, the people had regarded this story as mere legend.

The shaman Edward Clark sighed deeply in his heart, finding the past hard to look back on; he took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and said:

“For a thousand years, the Black Python tribe has only known to awaken the nine-hells barbarian soul, to activate the power of true-blood divine radiance, and when unleashed, it becomes the formidable barbarian soul combat form; when not unleashed, the true-blood divine radiance can temper the muscles, bones, and flesh. As for the underlying principles, not many people have really thought about it…”

Ethan Brooks nodded, also feeling that although Arthur Green had not advanced to the Heavenly Barbarian level, his work “A Fragmentary Explanation of Dao” was a foundational classic for ordinary Barbarian Martial practitioners.

Ordinary Barbarian Martial cultivation could only strengthen the body, but those like Samuel Clark and Nathan Reed, who had awakened the barbarian soul, could strengthen their bodies to the level of steel and iron. He had never understood the reason before, but now realized it was the marvelous effect of awakening the barbarian soul.

The shaman Edward Clark added, “Whether it’s awakening the barbarian soul or visualization, for the vast majority of Barbarian Martial practitioners in the tribe, what they first perceive in their mind’s eye is always a vague shadow. As their cultivation deepens and the ancient barbarian true blood within becomes purer, the nine-hells barbarian soul gradually becomes clearer and stronger. For someone like you, who can visualize and form it in a single night and comprehend the barbarian soul fist stance, that’s one in a hundred.”

Ethan Brooks thought that his ability to visualize the barbarian soul in a single night was actually directly related to the three years he had spent before, constantly pushing his body to the limit in training.

Precisely because of those three years of accumulation, he had already mastered the subtle realm of the union of body and intent; otherwise, it would have been impossible to comprehend the Great Peng fist stance in a single night.

“Then how should I cultivate to further improve my skills?” Ethan Brooks asked again. The silk scroll fragments explained some principles, but gave very little on the specific methods of cultivation.