What A Dream Wants

'Well, there's no better time to study, except for right now.' Steven thought to himself. He thought the floor was good enough, so he sprawled on the floor, and took out the three books he borrowed from the library.

He opened the first book, "All You Need to Know About the Soul" by Dr. Psychí, and scanned through the introduction.

"The soul is the spiritual or immaterial portion of a human. It is linked to our memories, emotions, and thoughts. The body and soul are intertwined with each other. Often, an injury to one will also injure the other. Without the soul, a human is rendered as a husk, unable to feel or think. Unlike the body, which is a temporary vessel, the soul is immortal. Both the body and soul can be destroyed, but in conventional cases, dying is a deterioration of the body, not the soul. Despite the reason for death, a frail body, when compared to a strong one, will be unable to display the full might of a soul..."

The book elaborated further on the intro, but Steven didn't want to read all the theoretical concepts and fundamentals of a soul. He flipped to the chapter, "Souls In Relation to Cultivation".

"The soul, along with the body, can be cultivated. Though initially formless and colorless, a soul can take on a color depending on external and internal factors that are introduced to it. Soul cultivation is different from physical enhancement and Qi cultivation. The soul is linked to the mind, thus, strengthening the mind helps strengthen the soul. In contrast, the soul is more intangible than the mind. The soul is linked to the heart, which is why strong emotions often resonate in one's heart. The heart and mind merely connect the body with the soul. In order to strengthen the soul, one can cultivate pre-existing methods or follow their own path.

Soul cultivation is where previous lives come into play. Unlocking past memories can enhance one's soul. Like bathing in the waters of Lethe*, the newly reincarnated soul is like a fresh start. When the physical body dies, and the soul reincarnates, memories and influences on the soul will be locked or even fragmented. By unlocking past memories, the current soul will gain the strength of the soul from the previous life. Past lives are locked for a reason. The soul is pure at birth, with rare exceptions. When previous memories are unlocked, the soul will be contaminated with past sins.

Although some souls are innately stronger than others, souls themselves can still be strengthened. Intertwining Soul Qi* with the soul is one way to cultivate the soul. Another method is to consume other's souls, dead or alive, however, this can result in adverse side effects. Moreover, a soul can be fortified with purity and also extreme corruption. Near-death experiences can also strengthen a soul. External items and consumables can accelerate soul cultivation or strengthen the soul.

Lethe*: One of the rivers of the underworld in Greek mythology.

Soul Qi*: Soul Qi is composed of Life and Death Qi. Death Qi is most abundant when people are close to death, as opposed to Life Qi, which is abundant when animals are born. Life and Death Qi are found commonly in a heavy populace. They are not as common as the Qi found in the environment, and often not very vigorous. When both are in balance, they form Soul Qi."

. . .

'Okay,' Steven thought to himself after reading for an hour, 'Basic knowledge should be enough for me since my cultivation and personality are pretty basic.'

He decided to eat a bag of takeout before continuing to the next book.