This story is remembered in a set phrase still current in modern colloquial Mandarin: ba xian guo hai, ge xian shen tong 八仙过海各显神通 literally 'the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each one showing their special prowess', which you use to say that if everyone does their bit, or that if each of you does what you're best at, the job will get accomplished all the smoother.
神通 shen tong might also be translated as 'supernatural power' | 
