![]() The transcendents live an effortless existence that is best described as spontaneous. They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have the smooth skin and innocent faces of children. They are immune to heat and cold, untouched by the elements, and can fly, mounting upward with a fluttering motion. Xian were also thought of as "personal gods" who were formerly humans, and types of ascended humans who became them include "ascetics, scholars, and warriors." "Taoists pray to the.to request help, and try to follow the examples the gods set while living." Taoist cults of immortality formed around a variety of issues and leaders, including many healing cults formed around charismatic leaders who used "medical magic". A variety of synonyms exist for the word across the various conceptions of it, including zhenren, a word used in Taoism that can also refer to " god and deified mortal", both of which xian could also be seen as. The word x ian semantically developed from meaning spiritual "immortality enlightenment", to physical "immortality longevity" involving methods such as alchemy, breath meditation, and tai chi chuan, and eventually to legendary and figurative "immortality". Xian were also thought by some Taoists to be synonymous with the gods inside the body, and as beings that sometimes cause mortals (who could fight them with martial virtue and martial arts) problems. The Eight Immortals and other xian were thought to have powers linked to their tools that were ultimately of a single nature that can add to or subtract the lifespan of humans depending on the human's level of sin. Sometimes, they and other xian were viewed as similar in nature to ghosts, rather than deities. The Eight Immortals are a good example of xian sometimes being seen as folk heroes who can offer assistance to "worthy human followers" and whose existence fosters the relationship between the living and the dead. Xian have been venerated from ancient times to the modern day in a variety of ways across different cultures and religious sects in China.
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