Most often, these conflicts were about the most effective ways in which to fight demons and what Wan Xian would have the honor to destroy said demon. Early legends that survive from the Third Age tell of feuds during which stars were extinguished and the very rivers of the Middle Kingdom used as weapons. Even then, the Wan Xian were a confrontational and passionate lot. Some annals, like the Annals of a Bygone Age, suggest that the Three Sovereign Ones of Chinese legend were actually Wan Xian. The Wan Xian took it upon themselves to shepherd humanity and bring it civilization. The Ebon Dragon and the Scarlet Phoenix would then appoint a replacement from the mortal population. During their tenure on earth, the Wan Xian learned and amassed power, until they become enlightened enough to enter Heaven. Chosen by the August Personage In Jade, they were mortals who passed various tests and acquired the ability to feed off of chi, granting them great power.

They originally protected the Middle Kingdom from the depredations of the Yama Kings and other threats. According to the legends of the Middle Kingdom, the Wan Xian were the 10,000 heroes of the Middle Kingdom.

War of the immortals wiki