Qi

Qi
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**Qi** (气 *Qì*?) or **pneuma** is the vital life energy which runs through all things. Qi embraces all manifestations of energy, from the most material aspects of energy (such as the earth beneath your feet, your computer, and flesh and blood) to the most immaterial aspects (light, movement, heat, nerve impulses, thought, and emotion). A person capable of cultivating Qi is colloquially referred to as a Qi practitioner, cultivator, thaumaturge, or shaman.

Qi
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### Description

The cultivation of Qi is not just used to power spectral arts or battle against shamans or abominations. Cultivation can allow one to better their health and even become more clean by expelling impurities from themselves. At a certain level, cultivators will forgo the need to eat or drink. It can lengthen the period of youth for someone and extend one's lifespan for multiple decades. All cultivators are somewhat ethereal and non-human.

Qi is invisible to all, save from children aged 0-3, as they still contain the special Qi of their mother and father. It is even invisible to shamans until they have built a foundation with their Qi, as the average person's brains and eyes cannot make sense of what they're seeing so they simply ignore it. However, shamans are special in that they are able to hear, taste, smell, and sense mystical happenings like spectral arts and abominations. Qi is directly tied to one's lifespan and is literally the use of one's life force.

Should a shaman overextend themselves, they will be shaving years off their life; should they find themselves spending all their Qi, they will cease to be. A deficiency in qi can result in a lowered body temperature, cold limbs, and a disposition to hot drinks. Americans have found that they can forcibly open a non-shamans meridians and alter their spiritual roots to turn them into a cultivator. This requires precise use of Qi, however, and a mistake will leave the person crippled.

## Vital Body Parts

### Spiritual Roots

**Spiritual Roots** (灵根 () , *línggēn*?) are the very foundation of one’s body and soul and are associated with a person’s innate talent. These are tested to assess whether or not someone has the talent necessary to cultivate. Without these, cultivation is but a dream. For quality spiritual roots, one must be born with a perfect mix of Yin and Yang energy inside of them.

### Meridians

**Meridians** (经脉 () ,  *jīngmài*?) are the network of channels in the body through which Qi flows and exits and arguably the most important part of a cultivator. Should they become damaged, a cultivator will no longer be able to cultivate. Some people can be born with damaged meridians, but as a trade-off, are naturally stronger than average.

### Seas of Qi

There are three **Seas of Qi** (丹田 () , *dāntián*?); **Abyss** (下丹田 () , *xià dāntián*?) or **Elixir Field**, located three finger widths below and two finger widths behind the navel where elixir is developed by refining and purifying essence into Qi. The **Midnight Zone** (中丹田 () , *zhōng dāntián*?) or **Crimson Palace**, where the heart is, is where Qi is refined into spirit. The **Sunlight Zone** (上丹田 () , *shàng dāntián*?) or **Muddy Pellet** at the third eye or space in between the eyebrows is where spirit is transmuted into emptiness. Should these three be destroyed, one's Qi will begin leaking out.

To learn Qi, one must be tested to see if they have their spirit roots have the aptitude for it. Once they have, they must meditate and actively absorb Qi from their surroundings, still their body, form a circle within the **eight extraordinary meridians** *(qí jīng bā mài?)* and return to the **Abyss** *(xià dāntián?)* to develop elixir by refining and purifying essence into Qi. Then, the Qi is refined into spirit at the **Midnight Zone** *(zhōng dāntián?)* or **Crimson Palace** and transmuted into emptiness **Sunlight Zone** *(shàng dāntián?)* or **Muddy Pellet** at the third eye or space in between the eyebrows or third eye and is where spirit is transmuted into emptiness.

This will set up their foundation which will take a while depending on the person. Once they've finished, they will unlock their inner temple which is a reflection of the cultivator's personality and powers. Highly experienced Qi users can take their inner temple and deploy it in real life, having either negative or positive effects depending on what the shaman wishes.

American studies have found that manipulation of the spirit roots can turn a non-shaman into a shaman, allowing them to use Qi and begin cultivating. However, the surgery requires an incredibly precise use of Qi; spirit roots reside in the brain and branches out to all other parts of the body, similar to the spinal cord, and one wrong move can leave someone braindead. A student learning Qi trains to manually open and close their aura nodes so that they can control the flow of their aura. One typically learns this process slowly and gradually through meditation.

## Learning Cultivation

Once a person is recognized as having the aptitude to become a shaman, they will begin to cultivate. The best time to cultivate is at dawn, as that is when the sun begins to rise and all things begin to thrive. To start, one can either learn all the meridian points in the body and what they do, or simply start out by sensing the Qi around them. Chinese shamans sit in a lotus position to begin whilst American sorcerers ingest pills to immediately jumpstart the process, though this gives them negative effects later on as a trade-off.

To begin cultivating, one must sit in a lotus position (Baige found that laying down in bed is also acceptable), concentrate, close their eyes, and inhale and exhale in an orderly fashion. They must completely lax all the muscles in their body, focus on the sound of their breathing, and listen to the sound of the air rushing into their lungs as they inhale and leaving as they exhale. They should begin looking for Qi around them, causing their body to feel weightless, with a floating, falling, spinning, flying, or pulling sensation.

They should feel tingles in your fingers or toes and an odd feeling of peace and happiness; they will be surrounded by void, with only Qi illuminating the absence of all. All who have entered this state of consciousness say it is an incredibly surreal experience and seems as if time does not pass, and if they were floating in their own head. The goal is to keep the mind awake but the body asleep, continuously taking deep breaths.

Then, a small wisp Qi will appear to condense within their flesh and blood. They should condense the Qi into their body, fuse then disperse it, channel it through the meridians, pass it to the dantian, and resonate with heaven and earth. To progress, they should continue doing this as much as possible to thicken the strand and move it throughout the body. Eventually, it will turn into streams of energy, enough of which to spread throughout a body to make a layer; the goal should be to evenly disperse it throughout. Once this is done and they channel extra Qi to their eyes, they will begin to see abominations and the spectral world.

The feeling of Qi is truly euphoric and cleanses the body, giving the warmth of fire, the fragrance of the flora, the moistness of water, the smell of earth, the chill of iron. Once this is done, impurities will seep out from the pores and will need to be washed off when meditation is finished. The riddance of impurities is when one truly changes from a human to something much higher, as they elongate their life and appear ethereal. It is also here when the Spiritual Sea, which is located on forehead, should be unlocked. Throughout the process of cultivating, bits of it will begin to appear in the void. Once it has fully appeared, the void will be taken over by the Spiritual Sea.

Like a spectral art, a Spiritual Sea is a reflection of one's inner self. Those who are truly experienced can deploy their Spiritual Sea into real life and have it harm those around them. However, this is a place in need of dire protection. Should a cultivator become wounded here, they will lose their mind and all their cultivation.

Cultivation is a process which never truly ends, though is not much of a priority with those with strong spectral arts. They need to still practice Qi in order to not fall behind and also to learn stronger skills and have a better understanding of how to use their spectral art.

### Progression and Potential

A shaman's ability to manipulate Qi and use it to carry out certain functions is the base foundation for all cultivation. It is incredibly different to even begin using it, taking years to lay a foundation, and more years thereafter to finally manipulate it.

Qi and different spectral arts are heavily based on genetics and/or family history. Both Kunlun and (american society) are aware of this fact and (america) even breeds their most powerful shamans together in hope that their union will result in the passing down of their Qi. Kunlun, in a desperate attempt to preserve Yan Hui's time manipulation, order that she and Baige procreate in order to bring a new wave of incredibly powerful shamans.

Qi manipulation relies on innate skill and innate skill alone. No matter how much one trains, if they are not born lucky, they will never be able to fully comprehend what Qi is. However, even raw talent, no matter how quality, requires sharpening. Without meditation and regular circulation of Qi, a shaman's progress will begin to regress. Qi training is not one size fits all and training in a manner that not only fits the user's personality and style but done to the extreme, can give a user unbelievable growth beyond initial indicators of their abilities.

Qi is volatile in nature and difficult to use in its rawest form. While raw Qi can be used for its blunt force, it's best used by shamans to power their techniques, done by flowing Qi into the technique engraved onto their very soul to activate a shaman's unique abilities. When a shaman first learns Qi, it does not circulate on its own. With time, they must have it be an involuntary action and simple as breathing, akin to learning to walk for the first time. The flow of Qi can also be manipulated to be evenly distributed throughout the body at all times so that one's next attack is hard to decipher.

## Qi Applications

Applying Qi to physical attacks can be as effective as shamanism when it comes to gifted combatants who specialize in hand-to-hand combat. Yan Hui and Kieran both left massive amounts of destruction in their wake due to their seamless union of Qi manipulation and physical prowess. Qi can also be used to empower objects and make them stronger, shown when Yan Hui imbued a bullet with her Qi and had it shoot at the speed of light and instantaneously kill someone. Infusing too much Qi into things can break them and requires a cultivator to do so with small amounts at a time. This goes for humans as well, with Yan Hui set for death due to her young body being unable to handle the monumental amount of Qi within her. A forgotten way to kill abominations or even shamans is by instantaneously filling their body with an alarmingly large amount of Qi. This works best when done with the opposite kind of Qi e.g. a woman can be murdered with an excess of Yang Qi and a man with Yin Qi.

The amount of Qi released by an individual is referred to as their potential "Qi Output". This applies to both how it's used offensively and defensively. Raw Qi can be utilized to harden the body to block incoming attacks as well as on different body parts to deal superhuman damage against things. This is an unpopular method unless a shaman possesses extremely high levels of Qi, as using pure Qi can more quickly deplete the natural supply of Qi within a shaman's body.

Qi can also be used to instill fear in an opponent and paralyze them through the use of **Malice.** If an opponent is stronger than the other or feels strong enough emotions, they can induce feelings of extreme despair and fear.

Shamans have different affinities to different applications of Qi, akin to how everyone has a voice yet only some people can sing well. A person who is able to create potent talismans can be mediocre in covenants and have no special Qi, or someone with a slight Qi effect can have no talent in forging talismans or covenants.

### Covenants

Following the law of equivalent exchange, to gain something, you must lose something of equal value. Covenants range from a multitude of things, with those who have an affinity for them being able to perform alchemy and breathe life into things, and some people putting things such as sacrificing their eyes for unparalleled hearing. Covenants are even used in Kunlun for some as marriage vows. Others can even kill someone by killing someone judged of equal value to someone else e.g. someone killing a rat to kill another rat. The life must be equal in value, as in the (US Society)'s endeavor to kill Yan Hui, killing a million people was only enough to weaken her. To sacrifice someone to bring about another's death, an intricate and skilled use of Qi is required. No shaman in US was able to do such a thing besides Kieran, whom Yan Hui considers to be as powerful as her.

Covenants may also need to be activated upon a certain circumstance, such as only being able to do something when someone perfectly sings the theme song of *Game of Thrones* at 2:13 AM on a Thursday, or something as simple as when it's daylight. The stronger the limitation, the stronger the ability. Another common covenant is using risk to their gain; for example, if someone were to risk their life by jumping off a cliff to kill someone, their target would be extremely easy to kill.

Covenants can also be made between sentient abominations and shamans; by offering the abomination something, the shaman can either use their power or have them fight in battle for them.

Covenants are incredibly difficult to master, but covenants with oneself are simple so long as they aren't complex. Covenants made between near parties, especially willing, are easy as well. The most common covenants are made with shamans and their spectral art or Qi, sacrificing their ability to talk and hear in exchange for higher amounts of Qi and strengthened arts.

### Special Traits

Those who practice the spectral arts can carry Qi with a unique element. These special traits cannot be defended by simple reinforcement techniques. Yan Hui's Qi holds the properties of time and is incredibly cold to the touch as well as impossibly fast. Baige, depending on the element, can have his Qi feel hard to touch, hot, or cold. However, extreme amounts of Qi output can allow someone to mostly ignore these effects, as seen with Yan Hui.

### Talismans

Talismans are thin, rectangular sheets of paper consisting of both drawing and writing that is either legible or illegible. The ideographs represent a systematic language or code that is used to facilitate communication between Heaven, earth, and man. Then, the shaman imbues it with Qi and their intentions. Some are simply used for luck or to attract opportunities, but for spectral arts, are used either defensively or offensively. Those used recreationally are hung around Kunlun, and can wish for wealth, prosperity, success, love, health, safe journeys, home protection, etc.

Healing talismans are made by certain shamans with an affinity for it. Depending on which area of the body is ailed, the talisman will be imbued with Yin or Yang Qi.

Talismans do not necessarily have to written on paper. The runes painted on them were carved into trees to protect the residents of Kunlun and the magic inside is still fed to this day.

Due to parasitic abominations, all Kunlun shamans are required to carry jade pendants, which are imbued with special Qi and contain a sliver of the owner's soul inside, used for identification. It will never leave its owner and is incredibly hard to break.

### Sealing

If one wants to preserve an abomination for further use or is simply too weak to subdue one, then they will seal it. Sealing can be done with any object, but the most commonly ones used are accessories, orbs, and scrolls, all specifically made for sealing. If an object is too weak to hold something, then it will break and whatever is inside shall be freed. Scrolls are made with special talisman paper and are held in front of an abomination to keep it.

If a shaman's compatibility with an abomination isn't too bad, then they can seal them in tattoos drawn on their body and call upon them at any time. However, too high compatibility can result in an abomination and shaman fusing together. Otherwise, abominations are kept inside their seal until further use of them is required. If they are not bound by a covenant, then a shaman can wear the sealed object and it can give specific benefits, such as increasing Qi by adding the abomination to themselves. Only one sealed object can be worn at a time, as too many can cause an imbalance of Qi.

Some people can also ingest sealed objects to gain more Qi and hasten their cultivation, but this has many dangers as only high level abominations are worth it and those can easily triumph over you and take your body for themselves.

### Divination

Divination can be done through a variety of ways. Face reading, palm reading, and use of the five elements are commonly used in Kunlun medicine. The five elements are used to predict one's life; should someone have too much of one element in their life, they should balance it out by associating themselves with the opposing element e.g. someone with too much fire will be given a water name.

Yi Jing divination is also widely used, with people using coins or simply the Book of Changes itself. To divine with a book, they must circulate Qi and perform hand seals in front of a book, which will begin to levitate on its own, pages flipping rapidly. The page it will land on contains the answer to a question.

### Alchemy

**Alchemy** (丹道 dāndào) (外丹 wàidān) is the refining of plants, minerals, and other substances into medicinal pills & elixirs. Alchemists (丹师) are essentially pharmacists who work with magical materials and make miracle drugs. To make these items, they implore the use of **Pill Furnaces** (鼎 dǐng) (丹炉 dānlú), though some have taken to using simple electric stoves. **Medicinal Pills & Elixirs** (丹药 dānyào) are miracle drugs which can have all sorts of effects that can boost cultivation, heal wounds, cure poisons, purify or strengthen the body, etc. They are made with **Medicinal Plants / Herbs** (药草 yàocǎo), and the strongest are made with older medicinal plants (100-year, 1000-year, etc…) as they are considered to be more potent.

However, pills are extremely difficult to master and make, and one misstep can lead to something incredibly dangerous. Because of this, American shamans have taken to casting covenants on pills in order to ensure that they work. An example of this is the pill Kieran takes to begin flowing Qi throughout his body, though he hits a bottleneck later on in exchange and cannot output as much energy.

## Detecting Qi

Using a spectral art leaves vestiges of Qi behind and one's movements and identity can be found through it. Each person and abomination's Qi has a different sense to it and they can easily be used to identify someone, similar to fingerprints Someone can even be identified by the residuals from their spectral arts. However, cultivators can be trained to cover up their residuals.

The strength of a cultivator is assessed by their levels of Qi. Strong Qi can result in physical pressure that instills fear into those who sense it as a method of intimidation, even without mastering killing intent. The same concept can be applied to a spectral arts battle where reading an opponent's Qi is an effective way to predict their movements. Prediction based on Qi can backfire when faced with a fighter who chooses to fight with the use of martial arts, as a punch cannot be predicted unless one is an expert fighter.

is an advanced form of *Zetsu* used to render one's aura imperceptible, even to other Qi users, effectively concealing it. Unlike *Zetsu*, however, *In* does not stop the user's aura flow; instead, it hides it, making it impossible to perceive with any of the five senses or extrasensory perception. Hence, this technique is perfect for launching sneak attacks or laying traps, as it can conceal not only the user's presence, but also Qi constructs generated with Transmutation or Conjuration.

*In* can be countered by using *Gyo* in the eyes or through *Zetsu*. When *In* conceals part (or even all) of the user's aura output, experienced Qi users can divine that their oppoQit is using it if little or no aura can be felt from them in circumstances which would normally require it, such as during combat.

Qi auras can have varying effects on others, depending on the person. For example, Yan Hui's Qi is infinite due to it rewinding its own time by itself. The more advanced a cultivator is as well as their amount and nature of Qi can impact others in a negative way, shown when Yan Hui's overwhelming presence weakened those in her surroundings, sensing her presence before even seeing or hearing her. Cultivators can release an aura full of killing intent with the ability to stun their opponents.

Qi levels can also be assessed mid-battle and the other person can tell when one's close to running out of Qi.

## Trivia

* Curiously, despite sound having very different physical properties from light and thus hearing differing from sight, non-users are unable to hear sounds made by Qi constructs.