After hearing of Wan's survival in the Spirit Wilds, Jaya and Yao inspired several citizens of the fire lion turtle city Wan hailed from to leave the protection of their guardian in favor of occupying their own land, forging their own destiny away from the Chou family's reign. They used their bending ability to forcefully claim the land from its spirit inhabitants, putting the tension between the humans and the spirits on edge. During several skirmishes, the spirits managed to kill some of the settlers, one of them being Yao, enraging the survivors. Despite their losses, the humans burned down a portion of the forest and erected a small settlement.