nèilì
Also written: neili; internal force; inner power; internal energy
In wuxia fiction, cultivated internal force that supports strength, endurance, healing, weapon use, pressure-point techniques, and extraordinary martial feats.
Literal meaning
internal force
Cultural context
Nèilì draws on ideas associated with internal cultivation and qì but functions as a flexible fictional system. Different stories set different rules for how it is trained, transferred, depleted, blocked, or damaged.
How dramas use it
A character may circulate nèilì, use it to treat an injury, lose it after poisoning, transfer it to another person, or discover that an elderly master possesses overwhelming internal power.
Usage & formality
Do not treat nèilì as a standardized real-world measurable energy. In drama analysis, explain the rules established by that particular story.