The bestsellers in this bookstore are almost all supernatural novels involving gods, monsters, and ghosts. The stories described are mostly bizarre and mystical tales, occasionally mixed with some erotic or romantic elements as a gimmick to attract readers.

This is not surprising. The world he is in now is itself mysterious and strange. Monsters and ghosts, which are mere fantasy in novels in another world, are here close-to-life accounts. People can relate to them more strongly, so naturally, they are more popular.

Leaving the bookstore, James Thompson already had a preliminary idea in his mind.

He bought some rice, flour, and vegetables at the market. On his way home, he saw from a distance that Emily Thompson was standing there.

James Thompson hurried over and asked expectantly, “Boss, did you find a way?”

Emily Thompson nodded and said, “Come inside and let’s talk.”

The two of them walked into the courtyard. Emily Thompson turned to look at him and said, “The seven souls are the foundation of the physical body. Losing the seven souls will cause the body to gradually wither, and the three spirits will also be burdened by the body. When the body dies and the soul dissipates, by then, it will be beyond saving—even immortals can’t help. You’ve only just lost your seven souls. If you want to survive, there are two paths you can choose from. Which one you take is up to you.”

James Thompson hurriedly asked, “What are the two paths?”

“The first is cultivation. All living beings in the world can cultivate. As for cultivation, demons have their own ways, ghosts have their own paths, and humans have a myriad of methods. I practice the Daoist method. The first realm of Daoist cultivation is called ‘Soul Refinement.’”

Emily Thompson looked at James Thompson and slowly said, “The seven souls govern the body. By refining the seven souls, you can control your body, become immune to all diseases, and ward off all evil…”

What Emily Thompson was saying became more and more esoteric, and James Thompson could barely understand the latter part. But combined with what he knew about the seven souls, he more or less understood the first few sentences.

Humans have seven souls, each with a different function.

The Corpse Dog soul governs alertness and perception. After refining the Corpse Dog, one can easily sense danger and wake up instantly even in sleep when facing a crisis.

The Non-Toxic soul governs sleep. After refining Non-Toxic, one can fall asleep at will and expel cold and heat toxins while dreaming.

The Swallow Thief soul governs the immune system. After refining Swallow Thief, one becomes immune to all diseases and impervious to all evil.

The Stinky Lung soul governs internal breath. After refining Stinky Lung, one can regulate breathing and heartbeat, lower bodily functions, and achieve long periods of fasting.

……

After briefly introducing the matter of cultivation, Emily Thompson looked at him again and said, “Ordinary people need to refine the seven souls to cultivate. Since you have lost all seven, you must first condense them. Condensing the seven souls is much harder than refining them, but the benefit is that the souls you condense yourself can be controlled at will, and you won’t need to refine them again…”

After speaking, Emily Thompson reminded him again, “This path is extremely difficult and very likely to fail. If you fail, you will have no more chances.”

Although being immune to all diseases and impervious to all evil sounds very tempting, the risks can’t be ignored. James Thompson decided to compare before making a decision and asked, “What about the second path?”

Emily Thompson said, “Before your three spirits are dragged down by your body, abandon your body and become a ghost cultivator, existing in the world in soul form from then on…”

“So that means becoming a ghost?”

“At least you’ll be able to live in another way. Condensing the seven souls is extremely, extremely difficult. If you fail, you’ll be utterly annihilated, not even having the chance to become a ghost…”

James Thompson pondered for a long time, sighed softly, and said, “I choose the first path.”

Having finally gotten a second chance at life, as long as there’s still a chance to be human, he certainly wouldn’t choose to become a ghost.

Emily Thompson looked at him and said again, “Condensing the seven souls anew is extremely difficult. This concerns your life. I’ll give you three days to think it over.”

James Thompson said firmly, “No need to think. I like a challenge…”

“Since you’ve chosen cultivation, I respect your decision.” Emily Thompson nodded and said, “The seven souls are born from the seven emotions. Each soul has a different method of condensation. Which one do you want to condense first?”

James Thompson scratched his head and said, “I’ve been sleeping terribly these days, caught a cold, and just can’t seem to get better…”

Emily Thompson asked, “So do you want to condense Non-Toxic or Swallow Thief first?”

“Que Yin…”

Chapter 006: A Ray of Hope

On the bed in James Thompson’s bedroom.

Emily Thompson stood in front of the bed and said slowly, “The seven souls are born from the seven emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire. These emotions are innate and are the foundation for the birth of the seven souls. The Que Yin soul is born from ‘sorrow.’ I can’t teach you the sect’s secret techniques, but I can teach you the basic method of guiding energy. Once you learn to practice breathing and have spiritual power, you can refine the seven emotions and slowly condense the seven souls…”

James Thompson sat upright on the bed, facing Emily Thompson in a cross-legged position, with his five hearts facing the sky.

“Draw in energy through your nose into your abdomen. Stop when it’s enough. When you feel stuffy, slowly exhale through your mouth…”

Emily Thompson extended her finger and touched James Thompson’s brow. In that instant, James Thompson felt a warm current surge from his brow into his body, circulating throughout him. The comfortable sensation made his mind wander.

Emily Thompson said in a deep voice, “Focus your attention, guard your mind, and try to use your will to guide this trace of spiritual power…”