The Path of Blood

For the first time, having a clear direction in mind, Xi Gu felt an overwhelming surge of energy within.

Transforming the world, changing its trajectory, and making this mundane realm brim with infinite wonders.

—Could there be anything more exhilarating?

Creating hidden organizations in the shadows, concocting legends and myths, watching as the world evolved with the emergence of new powerhouses – the sheer anticipation of these possibilities filled Xi Gu's heart with exhilaration.

However, before all that, a primary concern needed addressing.

—How would he bestow powers upon others?

Though Xi Gu could currently alter his appearance with ease, being the only entity with such capabilities in the world wouldn't suffice. Even if he masked himself as multiple individuals showcasing different talents, it would be a rather transparent charade – both too direct and too dull.

Xi Gu wanted to be a spectator, enjoying the grand performance of this new era, not the sole performer on stage.

Thus, the priority was to figure out how to create more like him.

Starting with his own body would be logical.

Xi Gu had measured his physical attributes, not just superficially, but diving deep into his genetic composition.

He had anonymously sent his samples to countless genetic testing companies and even secretly conducted tests during university medical checkups.

—Unexpectedly, everything was normal.

Yes, utterly normal.

Though a titanium needle couldn't pierce his skin without his explicit consent, once his blood was analyzed, it was indistinguishable from an average human. Whether it was the white blood cell count or blood composition, all were within regular human parameters.

Further, every other data point, from his weight, body fat percentage, bone structure, to muscle density, fell within typical medical standards.

Despite exhaustive research across various fields – medicine, chemistry, biology, physics – no justification could be found for Xi Gu's extraordinary capabilities, exhibited through a seemingly ordinary 60kg human body.

Furthermore, his ability to grow by 1% daily was indeed an anomaly, as if twisting the very foundations of cosmic rules.

Eventually, after much contemplation, Xi Gu reached a conclusion:

His abilities were not intrinsically linked to his physical form. Though they manifested in the tangible world, their essence was idealistic!

—His power wasn't something that could be explained in a materialistic framework. Instead, it stemmed from Xi Gu's idealistic universe!

With this realization, a hypothesis began to form in Xi Gu's mind.

Understanding now that his power was idealistic,

Could he, perhaps, through his own "determination", "expectations", "yearnings" or other such terms that describe the heart's desires, expand the bounds of his power... or even, transfer a fraction of it onto another living entity?

Xi Gu decided to experiment.

Initially, he turned to ancient scrolls, studying practices like "meditation", "mind transference", and "spirit invocation". He attempted to visualize the contour of his power within his mind and bring it to life.

—First, he conceptualized his "ability" in his mind, visualizing a vague form, and then attributing to it an amorphous essence, like "qi", "mist", or "spiritual energy".

However, this approach quickly fell apart. After over a month, Xi Gu felt no materialization of his ability. Even though he subjectively believed it was idealistic, it seemed confined to operate solely within his body.

Next, he adopted a different tactic.

—Instead of meditation, he aimed for tangible propulsion. Without relying on physical contact, Xi Gu used his imagination or intent to manipulate matter: essentially, telekinesis.

And so, akin to a Zen monk, Xi Gu spent hours each day, intently staring at paper balls or plastic bags on his balcony, visualizing them floating, attempting to affect their state with his "consciousness".

Predictably, this attempt too failed. While Xi Gu's physical capabilities continued their steadfast daily ascent, there was no emergence of any "telekinesis".

Thus, even though his power was strongly influenced by his subjective cognition from an idealistic perspective, it was tethered within his physical body and couldn't directly impact the material world without it?

Xi Gu pondered deeply.

This was an avenue worth exploring. Crucially, based on this hypothesis, Xi Gu formed a new theory:

If both "body" and "cognition" were integral to his astonishing current state and neither could be excluded...

—What then, was the definition of "body"?

For instance, would his blood, once outside his body, still be considered a part of him?

...

His blood, once separated from him, was compositionally no different from any average human.

This was a fact Xi Gu had ascertained during previous medical check-ups.

But he also understood that his power was an unreal phenomenon — so even if it appeared ordinary in composition, it didn't negate the existence of his "ability".

Having made up his mind, Xi Gu began to research his own blood.

Initially, he took a straightforward approach. He exposed his blood to various objects — both living and non-living. After countless tests, observing its reactions with mammals, reptiles, metals, non-metals, spanning both biological and artificial domains — the result was consistent: No reaction whatsoever.

But Xi Gu was not disheartened. He decided to employ the techniques he used earlier to hone his control.

With fingernails sharper than diamond blades, which he cultivated over three minutes, he gently sliced his skin. Making sure it didn't heal in a microsecond, he focused intently on the flowing blood, immersing his entire being into the journey of the blood: from within the vessel to the outer world.

A single drop of blood — first, it flowed inside the vessel — then, as the vessel was cut, it slowly left, still within the muscle tissue — he nudged it, letting it venture outside — until it met the open air.

His goal during these exercises was somewhat vague, Xi Gu gave himself a simple directive:

"Cultivate the 'connection' between the blood and the body."

Connection?

An ambiguous objective indeed. Hence, after practicing for over a month without any significant progress, just as he was on the brink of despair, something changed. One morning, as he expertly sliced his vessel open, a faint, mysterious sensation emanated from the crimson fluid, making Xi Gu's eyes widen in astonishment.

— Then, he was overwhelmed with elation!

Undoubtedly, the "connection" had been established, forming a conduit between the blood and the body. All that remained was to strengthen this bond over time, using his innate talent.

With the success of his blood research, Xi Gu shifted his focus to other bodily components.

— Starting with blood, he then moved to saliva, tears, sweat... followed by hair, muscle, nerve fibers, and even exhaled air, the very breath from his lungs.

The establishment of a "connection" with bodily fluids was surprisingly smooth, perhaps due to the groundwork laid with blood.

However, the other body parts seemed resistant to external sensing after detachment, marking that aspect of the endeavor a failure.

Xi Gu wasn't fazed. With fluids like blood now possessing a tangible "connection" to him, he could potentially combine them with other materials to see what marvels he could conjure.