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Wen Zhong, also known as Grand Tutor Wen, was a character from the classic Ming Dynasty novel 'Fengshen Yanyi'. Wen Zhong was one of the highest ranked officials in the Shang Dynasty, having served under King Da Yi for many years. When King Da Yi died, Wen Zhong crowned Da Yi's son Zi Shou (King Zhou of Shang) as the new monarch of the Shang Dynasty.<br/><br/> Shortly afterwards, he rode off on his dragon to wage war against rebelling demons in the North Sea, a campaign that would take fifteen years. During the campaign, he was given a third eye by the Jade Emperor himself, which could allow him to see through any falsehood or dillusion. He eventually returned to King Zhou's court after his victory, and upon seeing the idiocy and corruption within the king and his ministers, began attending to the situation as best he could, remaining loyal to the Shang Dynasty due to his long decades of service.<br/><br/> He appointed himself head of civil affairs, and fought against the Zhou army, refusing to see the Shang Dynasty fall despite his contempt for King Zhou himself. He was eventually struck down by the Taoist Immortal Yunzhongzi, Master of the Clouds. For his bravery, skill, and dutiful loyalty, he was appointed as deity of Puhua Tianzun at the end of the novel, as well as ascending to become a thunder god, Lei Zu, the Ascendant of Thunder.
Yuanshi Tianzun, also known as the 'Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning' or as the 'Primeval Lord of Heaven', is one of the highest deities in religious Taoism. Designated as one of the Three Pure Ones, Yuanshi Tianzun resided in the Heaven of Jade Purity, and was said to have come into being at the beginning of the universe as a result of the merging of pure breaths. Afterwards, he created Heaven and Earth.<br/><br/> It is said in Taoist mythology that Yuanshi Yianzun was the first supreme administrator of Heaven, before eventually entrusting the task to his assistant, Yuhuang. Yuhuang then became the Jade Emperor, becoming overseer to Heaven and Earth. Sacrifices were offered to Yuanshi Tianzun, with ox shoulder blades being used to send questions or communicate with Yuanshi Tianzun, a practice known as scapulimancy.<br/><br/> In the classic Ming Dynasty novel 'Fengshen Yanyi', Yuanshi Tianzun is depicted as a 'superiorman' who was master of Mount Kunlun, with many disciples learning under him, one of them being the legendary sage Jiang Ziya. Yuanshi Tianzun would eventually send Jiang Ziya back down to earth, knowing that his disciple would be instrumental in the creation of a new dynasty in China, the Zhou Dynasty.
Laozi, also known by Lao-Tzu or Lao-Tze, was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, and is renowned as the author of the 'Tao Te Ching' and being the founder of philosophical Taoism. Laozi is usually believed to have lived in the 6th century BCE, being a contemporary of Confucius, though some scholars place him later during the Warring States period of the 5th-4th century BCE.<br/><br/> Laozi is a central figure in Chinese culture, and was claimed by both the emperors of the Tang Dynasty as well as modern people with the Li surname as being the founder of their lineage. He was deified as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese folk religion. It is said that he left China for the west on the back of a water bufallo, seeking knowledge and the Secret of the Universe.<br/><br/> He became immortal and ascended to become Grand Master of Heaven and one of the San-Qing, taking the name Lao-Jun and advising the Jade Emperor.
Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun was a character in the Ming Dynasty novel 'Fengshen Yanyi', a 'superiorman' who looked after Mount Five Dragons and Cloud Top Cave. He is apparently derived from the bodhisattva Manjusri, and was the noted teacher of Jinzha, Li Jing's first son.<br/><br/> After Nezha attempted to kill his father Li Jing and defeated his brother Muzha, Guangfa Tianzun appeared just as Li Jing was about to commit suicide. Telling Li Jing to hide in his cave, Guangfa Tianzun defeated Nezha easily and tied him to a large gold post, ordering his student Jinzha to flog Nezha for his spoilt insolence. Guangfa Tianzun disappears from the novel after this encounter.<br/><br/> Guangfa Tianzun was described as an elite 'superiorman', even more powerful than Nezha's own 'superiorman' teacher, Taiyi Zhenren.