The Shenxiao Sect is one of the branches derived from the three major talismanic sects. It emerged in the late Northern Song Dynasty and prevailed from the Southern Song Dynasty through the Yuan and Ming dynasties, with Wang Wenqing, a Taoist priest of the late Northern Song Dynasty, as its founder.
To boast of the ancient origins of its teachings, the Shenxiao Sect claimed that its religious source could be traced back to the Jade Pure True King of Shenxiao or the Primordial Dharma King of the Jade Pure Sacred Realm, while True Lord Wang, the Fire Master, was regarded as the patriarch who expounded the religion. The sect asserted that Wang Wenqing's magical arts were personally passed down by True Lord Wang, the Fire Master.
The sect focused on teaching and practicing the Five Thunder Method, claiming that this method could command ghosts and spirits, summon thunderstorms, and ward off disasters and misfortunes. This constitutes the main feature that distinguishes the Shenxiao Sect from other Taoist sects.
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The theoretical basis of the Shenxiao Sect lies in the theories of "heaven-human correspondence" and "integration of internal and external cultivation". It holds that heaven and humans are of the same entity, and the human spirit is inherently connected with celestial timing, yin-yang, and the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth). Thus, a stimulus from one side will surely elicit a response from the other, and this is based on the practitioner's daily internal cultivation (inner alchemy practice). If a practitioner has profound internal cultivation, wind, clouds, thunder, and rain can be summoned at will.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, there were numerous sub-sects transmitting and practicing the Shenxiao Thunder Method, making the sect's propagation quite flourishing at that time. Moreover, various sub-branches constantly emerged from these sub-sects, rendering the transmission of the Shenxiao Sect both thriving and complex.
After the advent of the Yuan Dynasty, the lineages passed down from Lin Lingsu and Zhang Jixian declined, while those inherited from Wang Wenqing remained relatively prosperous. After the Ming Dynasty, there were still activities of Shenxiao Taoists, but later the sect vanished without a trace.
