Chi, or Vivia, is the opposite of necromancy while also being nearly the exact thing.
While necromancy requires the souls of others, chi manipulation channels mana through their mind and bodies, infusing it with their soul, and letting it take form. Although, because of how its used, it can be used for spirit-infused elemental magic like spirit fire, but pure chi takes form of a mist, usually a cool sea green. This carries onto elemental magic. Chi benders will usually specialize in one of the five primal elements of Wu Sheng: fire, water, earth, metal, and wood. All vivimancers align themselves with these elements, no matter if its a wu jen, kensai, or a sohei.
Chi can be used as healing magic, especially effective on themselves. However, chi can only heal the body and the mind, never the soul of themselves or another. Vivimancers are known for a voracious appetite and a love for meat and fish. Because of channeling their own life energy, chi benders have to eat a lot of both to use chi effectively. Organisms that live off a primarily vegetarian or vegan diet can never shape chi until they eat meat. Undead and creatures without a living soul cannot channel chi at all.
The tanuki are the only ones who have really developed a magical culture around, able to master the use of chi magic due to their soul's natural ability to channel chi. However, any living mortal can use chi with enough dedication. Because of this, they have made three "classes" or specializations depending on what chi aspect they specialize in.
As chi is a previously hidden form of magic, but it does have notable users among the tanuki. Although masters are few and far, the tanuki have three who embody the three aspects of vivimancy. The sohei Shingo Takeda, the wu jen Tarya Kakita, and the kensai Sessoko Adachi. These three embodied the principles of vivimancy and were said to ascend to become one with Kan'in's World Spirit when they passed. In their travels, they came back with tales of fantastic creatures and difficult struggles with nature itself. It seems like chi might expand one's life span as Shingo died at 600 years old, Tarya died at 637 years old, and Sessoko died at 595 years old. The number 600 is now considered a lucky number in tanuki culture.
The disciples of body are known as chi warriors, or sohei. Because of their focus on melee combat, they hardly focus on ranged spells. But, as to help them channel their spells, they employ the use of long, thin, wooden needles called hari to use as a focus. Despite this, their valued dakari tree armor is great for channeling chi into. The best sohei have channel their armor to be harder than metal and can imbue their weapons with elemental power.
The disciples of mind are called sages, or the wu jen. These are the scholars, priests and shamans of tanuki society. They are no strangers to the elements and claim that they receive their elemental gifts from the World Spirits. Whether these spirits exist or not is unknown to how uncharted and new chi magic is. Wu Jen, like Sohei, employ the use of a focus, but it's not a needle. Rather, it's a wooden octagonal focus called a Hakkero. The Hakkero can channel much stronger spells without breaking. While they cannot heal souls, they are able to uplift them as a way to boost spiritual morality.
Finally, the disciple of soul and most common form of vivimancers are the monks. They embody chi. They rarely use weapons and heavy armors, preferring to manifest their chi in many ways. From imbuing their body and mind with the elements to straight up using their soul to push beyond physical limitations. They're often seen as a balance between wu jen and sohei when it comes to their combat skills. Because of this, younger kensai tend to carry hari then upgrade to a Hakkero when they reach expert-levels.
However, jack of all trades, master of none. The sohei will beat others in pure strength and the wu jen can beat others in pure intellect, but the kensai has a wide amount of versatility that makes them hard-hitting for all types of foes. However, unlike most other types of magic, there's not a lot of utility outside of the purposes of battles. Wu jen have been known to make bridges of earth out of thin air, but chi is known for evoking your soul not peeking through water to spy on your neighbor's bathing session. Yet, chi is magic that's only been recently explored, so maybe many forms of utility spells will be found in the future.
Subject: Chi Magic (Vivimancy) 
