Qi (Realms)

Qì (Chinese: 气; pinyin: Qì) is a resource used for Superpowers in the Realms of the Multiverse found in many, if not all, biological life forms. Despite this fact, only few can use it to perform amazing feats. These few are known as Awakened, while the feats themselves are known as Superpowers.

Origin

Adam, the first human, was given knowledge of everything in the Greater Omniverse by God, including of energies present within the souls of every living being. After being sent to Earth and founding his own tribe consisting of himself, his wife, and his many children, he sought to teach them to connect the spiritual energies of one another, creating a universal, empathic language and fostering peace and understanding between individuals without the need for speech.

However, Cain did not use Qì as his father intended. Instead, he combined his spiritual energy with his physical energy, kneading and weaponizing it to call down a meteor on his brother, killing him instantly and accidentally inventing Superpowers.

Overview

Qì for Superpowers is generated by combining two distinct energies - physical energy and mental energy. Physical energy (身体 能量 Shēntǐ Néngliàng, Body Energy), drawn from the body, can be increased by training, stimulants, and other physical modifications. Spiritual energy (心神 能量 Xīnshén Néngliàng, Mind Energy), drawn from the soul, can be increased through study, meditation, prayer, and experience. With either one or both of these energies cultivated to become more powerful, the Superpowers will follow suit. Therefore, practicing a particular power will build up one's mental energy, allowing more Qì to be generated, which results in the ability to perform the same power to greater effect.

Magic users can access a powerful and unstable third source of Qì, magical energy, by entering a pact with ghosts or demons, or in rarer cases, drawing it directly from the Realm of Ghosts. The act of using magical energy is forbidden in planetary law.

A fourth source of Qì, cosmic energy (宇宙 能量 Yǔzhòu Néngliàng, Universe Energy), drawn from the universe itself, was discovered following Tianshi's ascension. So far, only Celestials can access cosmic energy.

Since Qì is connected to the soul, each person has a unique Qì signature, akin to a fingerprint. The connection between Qì and the soul also allows for the changing of Qì colours (explained below) along with changes in personality. Despite the uniqueness of each individual's Qì signatures, similarities between Qì signatures of relatives exist and are commonplace. For example, a father's Qì signature, though unique, would have some similarities with that of his son.