《許真君仙傳》

Vernacular Interpretation of "The Immortal Biography of Perfected Lord Xu"

Xu Xun, styled Jingzhi, was revered as the "Grand Historian of All Immortals Under Heaven, Eminent Envoy of Supreme Dao, Mystically Responsive Divine Power and Wondrous Salvation Perfected Lord." His ancestors were from Xuchang, with generations serving as officials, but due to the chaos of war during the late Han dynasty, his father relocated to Yuzhang Nanchang (modern-day Nanchang, Jiangxi).

The birth of Perfected Lord Xu was surrounded by divine marvels: his mother once dreamed of a golden phoenix dropping a precious pearl into her palm. While playing with it, she accidentally swallowed it and later discovered she was pregnant. On the 28th day of the first lunar month in the second year of the Chiwu era (239 CE) of the Wu Kingdom, Perfected Lord Xu was born. From childhood, he displayed extraordinary intelligence and a gentle temperament. Once, while hunting, he shot a mother deer and witnessed its fawn licking its dying parent. Deeply moved, he renounced martial pursuits and turned to the Dao.

Perfected Lord Xu studied extensively, mastering astronomy, geography, music theory, and the Five Phases (Wuxing, the ancient philosophical concept of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). He was particularly devoted to the arts of immortality cultivation. Hearing that Wu Shiyun of Xi'an (modern-day Ningzhou, Jiangxi) had obtained the divine methods of Ding Yi and the secret techniques of Bao Jing from the South Sea, along with the celestial "White Cloud Talismans" (Fulu, Daoist ritual charms), he sought him out as a teacher. Recognizing their karmic connection, Wu Shiyun transmitted all his esoteric knowledge to Xu, including the later-famous "Elixir of Perfect Accord" formula.

Later, Perfected Lord Xu and the renowned Daoist Guo Pu searched together for an ideal site for cultivation. At Mount Xiaoyao, they discovered the Jin family estate, which had exceptional feng shui. After Guo Pu explained their purpose to the estate’s owner, Elder Jin, the latter generously declared, "Great men who share the same aspirations may entrust even their lives to one another—how much more so mere worldly possessions?" He then split a copper coin in half, keeping one piece as a token of their covenant. Perfected Lord Xu secluded himself there to refine his practice. In daily life, he transformed the local community through his filial virtue. People were deeply moved by his noble character and often brought him gifts, yet he maintained a life of pure cultivation.

Xu Xun (also known as Xu Zhenjun) was a man of unwavering integrity who would never take what did not rightfully belong to him. Once, a vendor selling iron lamp stands discovered gold beneath peeling lacquer when lighting his lamp at night. The very next day, Xu Xun tracked down the original owner to return the gold. His moral reputation grew so illustrious that the commandery nominated him for the "Filial and Incorrupt" civil service selection (a Han Dynasty recruitment system), which he declined. After repeated imperial summons, he reluctantly accepted the post of magistrate of Jingyang County in Shu Commandery in 280 CE (the first year of the Taikang era), at the age of forty-two.

Upon assuming office, he immediately admonished his subordinates to reject corruption, abolished excessive taxes, released wrongfully imprisoned individuals, and guided the people through moral transformation. Both officials and commoners were so deeply moved that they reformed their ways. He taught the populace to prioritize loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, forbearance, prudence, diligence, and frugality, while also appointing locally respected elders to jointly counsel the community. As a result, disputes gradually diminished until they vanished entirely. The county clerks Hu and Zhan managed administrative affairs, and later, the people erected a temple in Xu Xun's honor.

Before his arrival, the region had suffered famine, leaving many unable to pay taxes. Yet the authorities relentlessly pursued arrears, forcing countless families into exile. After taking office, Xu Xun used a divine elixir to transmute rubble into gold, which he secretly buried in the county office's rear garden. He then summoned tax-defaulters and ordered them to work in the garden to repay their debts. While tilling the soil, the people unearthed the gold, enabling them to settle their taxes and avoid displacement. Refugees from neighboring counties, hearing of his benevolent governance, flocked to Jingyang, greatly increasing its population and prosperity.

When a plague ravaged the region, killing seventy to eighty percent of the populace, Xu Xun employed sacred formulas he had mastered to heal the afflicted. Those who received his talismanic incantations recovered instantly—even the gravely ill without exception. Word spread, and thousands of patients from neighboring commanderies sought his aid daily. He planted bamboo poles by a river ten li outside the city, casting talismans into the water so the sick could drink beneath the bamboos and be cured. For the elderly, weak, or bedridden who could not travel, taking the water home proved equally effective. The people of Shu sang his praises: "No theft among the folk, no deceit from officials—our lord heals without effort, sickness departs without trace."

After years of service in Jingyang, foreseeing the coming turmoil of the Jin Dynasty, Xu Xun resigned and returned east. The people of Shu, overwhelmed with gratitude yet unable to persuade him to stay, erected "living shrines" (temples dedicated to him during his lifetime) across the land, with every household enshrining his portrait.

This passage recounts the story of two eminent Daoist masters, Xu Xun (the Perfected Lord Xu) and Wu Jun:

When Perfected Lord Xu prepared to depart, farewell crowds filled the countryside. Some escorted him for a thousand li before turning back, while others followed him home to serve as his attendants. On the eastern grounds of Xu's estate, they built thatched huts arranged like military barracks to reside in. The local people all adopted the Xu surname to follow the Perfected Lord, which is why the area is still called "Xu Family Camp" today.

Later, Xu and Wu traveled to Mount Song, where they heard of an accomplished female Daoist named Dame Chen at Huangtang Shrine in Danyang County, Jinling. When they went to pay respects, Dame Chen revealed: "Long ago, the Filial and Fraternal King descended from heaven to the Lan family home in Qufu County, Yanzhou, leaving behind the Golden Elixir Scripture and bronze talismans with iron covenants. He prophesied that in the Jin dynasty, an immortal named Xu Xun would inherit this Dao. I've safeguarded these treasures for years—now it's time to transmit them to you." Following proper liturgical rites (Keyi), she ascended the altar to impart the teachings, including the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) methods for slaying evil and the Three-Five Flying Steps technique.

After completing their studies, Xu wished to visit Dame Chen annually. Sensing his intention, she said: "No need to return—I shall soon ascend to heaven." Plucking a fragrant grass blade, she tossed it southward: "Find where this grass lands to build a shrine. Come once each autumn." The two later discovered the grassy spot forty li south of their dwelling, where they established the "Huangtang Palace for Exalting the Dao." To this day, devotees make pilgrimage there every eighth month on the third day.

During their return journey, the Perfected Lord rested by a clear pond in Qingbei Village (now the site of "Qizhen Shrine"). Seeing villagers offering extravagant sacrifices to local spirits while claiming "meager offerings bring disaster," he rebuked them: "How dare evil spirits make such demands!" That night, he summoned fierce winds and lightning to destroy the demonic shrine's trees. The next morning he announced: "The monsters are vanquished—no more sacrifices needed." The abandoned shrine thereafter received no further worship.

Plain Interpretation of "The Immortal Biography of True Lord Xu"

True Lord Xu (the renowned Daoist immortal Xu Xun) witnessed villagers laboriously carrying water from distant sources. Moved by their hardship, he struck his staff into the dry pond's edge, causing a spring to gush forth, providing relief to the people. This well never dried up, even during severe droughts, and the stone well remains preserved at the Ziyang Jing (a Daoist cultivation site) in Daze Village to this day.

Once, when the True Lord ascended the summit of Longcheng Mountain, he noticed something unusual about a mountain spring and declared that a demon lurked within. Immediately, he brandished his sword, performed rituals, and erected an altar to suppress it. Today, when immortals gather annually to pay homage to Mother Chen (a Daoist female immortal), they rest at this site, now called Longcheng Temple.

While crossing the Xiao Shu River (modern Huanghu Kou), the True Lord encountered a humble but hospitable innkeeper named Zhu. In jest, he painted a pine tree on the inn's wall before departing. That very day, the Zhu family's business doubled. Later, when the river flooded and destroyed the entire street, only the wall with the painted pine tree remained intact. The place is now called Songhu Market, and a local shrine venerating the Zhu family still stands there.

While refining the Golden Elixir (Jindan) at Huanglong Mountain in Aicheng, a flood dragon (jiaojing) wreaked havoc in the deep pool, causing disastrous floods. The True Lord dispatched celestial soldiers to capture the creature and nailed it to a stone wall (the Nail Dragon Stone remains to this day). After successfully completing the elixir, he performed rituals in the stone chamber of Ge Xianweng (Ge Xuan) at Mount Mufu.

Passing through Xiuchuan, the True Lord admired the rushing waters and sharpened his sword on rocks by the stream. The site later became known as Meishan Jingyang Temple. He then ascended Xiufeng Peak, where he set up an altar to worship heaven. After consuming the elixir, he attained immortality. The present-day Wuxian Temple south of the stream marks the former residence of True Lord Wu.

When traveling through Xi'an County (modern Ningzhou), the local earth god (Tudi Shen) reported that a demon was harming the people. At a small shrine, five temple deities surnamed Mao (now honored at Xieyou Temple) informed him that a vicious flood dragon had fled to Ezhou. The True Lord pursued it there, and along the way, three elders pointed out the lair of the serpent-demon.

Immortal Lord Xu Xun (one of the Four Celestial Masters in Daoism) once spotted a flood dragon lurking beneath a bridge. He immediately drew his sword and reprimanded the creature. Startled, the dragon fled into the great river and hid in its depths. Lord Xu then commanded divine soldiers to pursue it, and when the dragon attempted to escape upstream, it was slain. Three elderly men in the area—who were actually the Three Kings (local guardian deities)—witnessed the event. Today, the site is marked by the Dragon-Subduing Bridge, where remnants of the "dragon's mouth" can still be seen above and below the bridge.

Discovering that the local Earth God (Shebo) of Xi'an had been sheltering the dragon, Lord Xu sealed the doors of the deity's shrine and forbade villagers from making offerings. Later, the people built a smaller temple instead, and to this day, the main gate of the Ningzhou City God Temple remains permanently closed—legend says opening it would invite calamity.

Upon returning to the city, Lord Xu lamented, "This is a bustling crossroads of land and water, teeming with people—how can there be no one with the potential for immortality?" He then mixed a few immortal elixir pills among ordinary herbs for sale, testing the locals' spiritual affinity. Yet no one recognized them. With a sigh, he remarked on the rarity of those truly destined for the Dao.

While exterminating another flood dragon in Xinwu County, the creature fled into a mountain stream (now called Hidden Stream). Lord Xu suppressed it with a massive stone inscribed with sacred talismans. These dragon-subduing stones are still preserved at Yanxian Temple, ten li west of Fengxin County.

In Haihun County, a giant serpent coiled around the mountains, spewing poisonous mist that plagued villagers for forty li in all directions. Ascending Immortal-Gathering Peak to investigate, Lord Xu confirmed the miasma's presence. Over a thousand distraught locals pleaded for help. Moved, he declared, "Though this calamity arises from Heaven's cyclical justice, why must the innocent suffer? My coming here is precisely for this—I vow to eradicate this demon serpent!"

Before confronting the beast, Lord Xu planted his sword in the earth and prayed silently. Suddenly, a spring gushed forth, and a crimson bird flew overhead—a sign the moment had arrived (the site later became Waiting-for-the-Hour Temple, later renamed Guangfu Temple). As villagers rallied with drums and gongs, Lord Xu channeled Qi and performed rituals, summoning Haihun's local guardian deity to aid in the battle.

This scripture recounts the story of the renowned Daoist immortal Xu Xun (Xu Zhenjun) subduing a serpent demon:

In Nanchang, Xu Zhenjun joined forces with the local earth deity to drive a giant serpent from its cave. Where his ritual talismans (fulu) fell during the exorcism, the Taihe Temple was later erected. When the monstrous serpent emerged, its head rose over a hundred feet high, spewing poisonous qi that darkened the sky. Xu Zhenjun summoned wind and rain, commanding celestial soldiers while instructing his disciple Wu Meng to swiftly behead the serpent. Other disciples like Shi Cen and Gan Zhan sliced open its belly with their swords. A small serpent escaped from its entrails, and when Gan Zhan moved to kill it, Xu Zhenjun stopped him, saying: "It has yet to harm humans—do not kill recklessly." The young serpent fled seven li away, turning its head upon hearing drumbeats. Though disciples urged pursuit, Xu Zhenjun prophesied: "If it brings harm after five hundred years, another shall slay it." As proof, he brushed pine and cypress branches before the altar to mark the spot.

Xu Zhenjun further foretold that 1,240 years later, eight hundred earthly immortals would emerge in Yuzhang region—should the serpent cause trouble then, they would destroy it. Later, Serpent's Port appeared in Jianchang and Wu Cheng Temple in Xinjian. After vanquishing the giant python, Xu Zhenjun purified his bloodstained sword at the Grinding Sword Pool on Cold Water Platform, testing its edge on the Trial Stone.

Addressing his disciples, Xu Zhenjun warned: "Though the great serpent is destroyed, the flood dragon's essence (jiaojing) remains." Fearing the creature might seize this opportunity to wreak havoc, he led Shi Cen and other followers back to the commandery capital. It was the sixth year of the Yongjia era (312 CE), and Xu Zhenjun's profound mastery of the Dao attracted thousands of seekers from near and far. To test his disciples, he transformed charcoal into seductive women one night. By dawn, only ten had resisted temptation—these later ascended to immortality with him. Henceforth, as he traveled lakes and rivers slaying flood dragons and serpents, only these ten accompanied him, while those who failed the test departed in shame. The Charcoal Women's Market and Miaoming Temple at West Ferry in Jianchang commemorate this event. Ultimately, Xu Zhenjun retired into seclusion with his two foremost disciples, Gan Zhan and Shi Cen.

This passage from The Immortal Biography of True Lord Xu recounts how Xu Xun (True Lord Xu) subdued a flood dragon spirit:

One day while inspecting the city, True Lord Xu encountered a handsome young man of refined demeanor who came to pay respects. The youth introduced himself with the surname Shen, behaving with utmost courtesy. Yet True Lord Xu immediately saw through his disguise, telling his disciples: "That man was no human, but an ancient flood dragon transformed into a spirit. Though he imitates human form, he carries the stench of scales. I pretended ignorance to draw out his accomplices."

It was later discovered this "youth" was actually a flood dragon spirit that fled to the riverbank, transforming into a yellow ox resting on the sandbar (the place later called Yellow Ox Shoal). True Lord Xu then cut a paper figure that transformed into a black ox to battle it, while secretly dispatching his disciple Shi Cen to ambush with sword in hand. When the two oxen became locked in combat, Shi Cen struck the spirit's left leg with his blade. The wounded spirit escaped to a well south of the city (later called Flood Dragon Well).

The creature fled further to Changsha, hiding in Jia Yi's Well and assuming human form to infiltrate the household of Jia Yu. First possessing Jia Yu's wife, it bred two young flood dragons over several years. Each spring and summer it would travel by boat, returning laden in autumn. This time, wounded and fleeing, it falsely claimed to have been robbed. When Jia Yu summoned physicians, True Lord Xu arrived disguised as a doctor. He exposed the spirit on the spot: "You plague upon the people—did you think to escape me here?" With these words he slew the spirit, eliminating both offspring as well. Jia Yu's daughter nearly revealed her true form but was spared after her parents pleaded for mercy.

True Lord Xu warned Jia Yu: "Where flood dragons dwell, water lies beneath. Less than a foot below your home runs a flood—move quickly!" The family hastily relocated to higher ground, and sure enough, their former residence soon collapsed into a deep pool (today's Zhaotan in Changsha).

Finally, fearing retribution, the remaining flood dragon spirits transformed into human shapes to infiltrate the city, even posing as devotees to spy on True Lord Xu's disciples.

This passage recounts the story of Daoist immortal Xu Xun (Xu Zhenjun) subduing demons and monsters. Here's a plain explanation:

Xu Zhenjun possessed a divine sword. When his disciples asked about its power, he explained: "When this sword points to heaven, the sky splits apart; when pointed at earth, the ground collapses; when aimed at stars, they deviate from their courses; when directed at rivers, the waters reverse their flow. No evil spirit can withstand it—it's a truly sacred treasure." A disciple then asked, "Is there anything it cannot harm?" Xu Zhenjun replied, "Only winter melons and gourds remain unharmed."

The flood dragon spirits (jiaolong demons) learned of this weakness and transformed themselves and their minions into melons and gourds, linking together to float on the river surface while attempting to escape. The next morning, sensing strong demonic energy, Xu Zhenjun spotted the melons and gourds on the water. He handed his divine sword to disciple Shi Cen, instructing him to walk on water and slay the demons. All the monsters were exterminated, turning the river waters dark with their demise.

Xu Zhenjun also forged an iron pillar, leaving several feet exposed above a well, with eight chains below securing the earth's energy channels (diqi meridians). He prayed: "Should this pillar tilt, demons will return, and I shall come again; if it stands straight, the demons remain suppressed forever." From then on, water demons vanished, and the region knew peace.

To prevent future villainous uprisings, Xu Zhenjun inscribed on the pillar: "Where the land is good and people virtuous, no wickedness shall arise; even if troublemakers emerge, they will never succeed." This shows his profound foresight for future generations.

Later, some flood dragons fled to Poyang and Xunyang regions. Fearing their resurgence, Xu Zhenjun hunted them down. Discovering three flood dragon lakes atop Yanyao Mountain, with caves connecting to the great river, he exterminated the demons there. He established three Daoist temples—Yuyang Fujing, Kaihuajing, and Taicheng Fujing—to suppress them. At Poyang Lake's mouth, he cast iron talismans (fulu) to block the dragons' passage, and in Luling's Xuantan, an iron cover was forged to seal their lair.

When General Wang Dun later raised a rebellion, camping by the lake, Xu Zhenjun visited him with Wu Jun and Guo Pu. Wang Dun said, "I dreamed of a tree piercing heaven—what does this omen mean?" Xu Zhenjun replied, "It's inauspicious." Wu Jun added, "The character 'mu' (木, tree) with 'pierced heaven' becomes 'wei' (未, not yet)—implying failure." After divining, Guo Pu also warned: "Persisting in rebellion brings imminent disaster; returning to Wuchang grants longevity." Enraged, Wang Dun... (the subsequent content is incomplete)

This passage recounts a miraculous experience of Daoist immortals Xu Xun (the True Lord Xu) and Wu Jun:

The two immortals arrived in Jinling (modern Nanjing) seeking to charter a boat back to Yuzhang (modern Nanchang). The boat owner said there were no oarsmen available. The True Lord Xu instructed everyone aboard to close their eyes and remain seated without peeking, then summoned two dragons to pull the boat through the air. Passing Chiyang, he pressed his seal against the western cliff to suppress water demons—the imprint remains visible to this day. When their dragon boat flew over the Golden Gate Cave of Purple Mist Peak on Mount Lu, Xu wished to visit the cave, causing the vessel to descend and brush against treetops with a rustling sound. One crew member couldn't resist looking, prompting the dragons to immediately drop the boat atop the mountain, breaking the mast which fell into a deep ravine. The True Lord reprimanded the disobedient crewman but later taught him to consume immortal herbs, allowing him to live reclusively in the mountains. The site still bears the name "Iron Boat Peak," with the petrified mast remaining visible.

After returning to his hermitage, the True Lord Xu secluded himself for decades, devoting himself to Daoist practice with disciples. He composed the "Drunken Immortal's Song," authored the "Eight Treasures Admonitions" teaching virtues like loyalty, filial piety, integrity and prudence, thereby transforming local customs. Though his daily behavior appeared ordinary, his dwelling was often graced by crane flights and auspicious clouds.

In the second year of the Ningkang era (374 CE), the 136-year-old True Lord received celestial envoys: Jade Perfected Lord Cui Ziwen and another immortal, who came bearing the Jade Emperor's decree conferring upon him the immortal office of "Grand Historian of All-Immortal Realms and Eminent Ambassador," along with gifts of purple-feathered robes, jade nectar, and golden elixirs—treasures of the immortal realm.

This passage records the celestial ascension scene of Xu Xun (known as Xu Zhenjun), one of Daoism's Four Great Celestial Masters (Tianshi):

On the day of his ascension, Xu Zhenjun gathered his disciples and village elders for a farewell banquet. He taught them that accumulating virtue (De) through good deeds was the path to immortality, leaving behind works like the Lingjianzi scripture. To each of his eleven disciples, he composed ten five-character admonition poems (now known as the 120 Spirit Lots), and transmitted the formula for the "Great Merit Wish-Fulfilling Elixir" to those not yet ready for ascension.

Every year on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, locals hold the "Yellow Center Purification Ritual" (Huangzhong Zhaijiao). At noon on Xu's ascension day, auspicious clouds and celestial music appeared as immortal attendants and jade maidens descended with dragon-drawn chariots and feathered canopies—the ceremonial procession of deities. Two heavenly emissaries, Cui and Xia, brought the Jade Emperor's decree announcing the entire Xu household's permission to ascend.

Xu Zhenjun rose with six qualified disciples and forty-two family members, taking their entire estate—buildings, chickens, and dogs—into the heavens (the famous "house-raising ascension" legend). When weeping villagers begged them to stay, Xu left behind a meditation bell and stone case as mementos.

His servant Xu Da arrived too late to join the ascension due to limited quotas. Rushing back, he could only watch the miraculous sight of the ascending household in despair. Later, Xu Xun compensated him by teaching methods to become an earthbound immortal (Dixian).

(Note: The "house-raising ascension" exemplifies Daoist wonder-working, where adepts ascend physically with their dwellings. "Earthbound immortals" represent a lower celestial rank—long-lived beings who remain terrestrial rather than dwelling in heavenly realms.)

Xu Xun (the True Lord Xu) and his wife lived in seclusion at Qianxi Mountain, where the rice grains they scattered would take root and regrow after falling to the ground. Wishing to remain unrecognized after retreating from society, they changed their surname first to "Wu" and later to "Gan." Local people built a temple in their honor at Fancheng Ridge in Shengmi City, where occasional sightings of the couple were reported—though they always appeared and vanished like spirits.

Once, an immortal was seen traveling through the sky when two objects suddenly fell: one resembling a wheel hub and the other a chicken coop, landing over ten miles southeast of a residence. Several rats also dropped from the sky, their intestines spilling out yet still alive—likely having stolen and consumed elixirs of immortality. Those who witnessed these strange phenomena later interpreted them as auspicious omens. When the True Lord Xu ascended to immortality, radiant clouds filled the valleys, and an extraordinary fragrance lingered for a full month across a hundred-mile radius.

Earlier, upon returning from Jingyang, the True Lord Xu had pledged a piece of Shu brocade to the Daoist immortaless Chen Mu, who used it to craft a ceremonial canopy. Later, this canopy suddenly flew back on its own, hovering above Xu’s former residence for an entire day before returning to the heavens.

The True Lord Xu once traveled with the renowned Daoist Guo Pu in search of an ideal cultivation site. When they passed Qiwu Mountain in Yichun, they were warmly received by Magistrate Wang. Xu imparted Daoist techniques to him, declaring the location—"facing a grotto-heaven (Dongtian, a Daoist paradise) ahead and overlooking the Yuan River below"—perfect for establishing a Daoist temple. Magistrate Wang inscribed a poem on the wall before retiring from office. On the day of Xu’s ascension, as he passed by on clouds, he sent two green-robed youths to bid farewell. Magistrate Wang’s entire family pleaded to join him, but Xu explained their spiritual destiny was not yet fulfilled, leaving behind only an immortal herb (xianmao) with the promise that prolonged consumption would grant longevity. The Wang family later lived to be over a hundred years old, and the herb remains preserved to this day at Yulu Temple in Linjiang.

Wu Meng (the True Lord Wu), styled Shiyun, hailed from Puyang and was renowned for his filial piety. During the Wu-Jin period, he became famous for his mastery of Daoist arts. Once, he parted the waters of the Yuzhang River with a feather fan to cross it. On the fifteenth day of the tenth month in the second year of the Ningkang era, he ascended to immortality by divine decree alongside his four younger brothers.

Peng Kang (the True Lord Peng), styled Wuyang, served as Left Assistant to the Imperial Secretariat during the Jin dynasty before becoming a disciple of the True Lord Xu and attaining the Dao. On the twenty-fourth day of the eighth month in the second year of the Yongchu era of the Liu Song dynasty, his entire household of twenty-six ascended together. Their former residence is now the site of Zonghua Temple in Longxing City.

Shi Hong (the True Lord Shi), styled Daoyang, was a Daoist priest at Fengxian Temple in Shuyang County, Donghai. After studying under the True Lord Xu, he gained the ability to command spirits and expel malevolent forces. On the day of Xu’s ascension, he was tasked with leading the procession, wielding a whip to clear the path.

This passage records the deeds of several disciples who followed the teachings of Perfected Lord Xu Xun (one of the Four Celestial Masters of Daoism):

Zhou Guang (courtesy name Huichang), a native of Luling, became a disciple of Perfected Lord Xu. Diligent in his cultivation day and night, he built a meditation chamber west of his dwelling, which later became the blessed Daoist site known as Taixu Temple. When Perfected Lord Xu ascended to heaven, Zhou accompanied him in a dragon-drawn chariot.

Gan Zhan (courtesy name Bowu), from Fengcheng, devoted himself to eliminating harm for the people after becoming a disciple. On the seventh day of the first month in the first year of the Jianyuan era, he ascended to heaven in a qilin-drawn chariot by celestial decree. The Qingdu Temple in Fuzhou stands on the site of his former alchemical workshop, now called Feihuang Temple.

Shi Cen (courtesy name Dayu) of Jiujiang possessed extraordinary courage. On the twenty-eighth day of the tenth month in the second year of the Ningkang era, he ascended by imperial decree. The Zhide Temple at Xiling occupies the former site of his observation platform where he monitored water demons.

Zeng Heng (courtesy name Xingguo), a learned scholar from Sishui, mastered various Daoist secrets and methods. He later ascended with Perfected Lord Xu in the dragon chariot, leaving traces of his presence at Zhenyang Temple in Fuzhou.

Chen Xun (courtesy name Xiaoju), originally from Sichuan, served as a clerk when Perfected Lord Xu was magistrate of Jingyang County before becoming his disciple. Tasked with managing scriptures and alchemical furnaces, he was commanded to lead the way with whip in hand during Perfected Lord Xu's ascension.

Xu Lie (courtesy name Daowei) showed exceptional filial piety toward his widowed mother, who was Perfected Lord Xu's elder sister. The master specially built them a residence west of his own dwelling. Eventually, both mother and son ascended along with Perfected Lord Xu's entire household of forty-two members.

Huang Renlan (courtesy name Ziting) of Gao'an served in Qingzhou. His father Huang Fu (courtesy name Wanshi), former Imperial Censor, led their thirty-two-member household in cultivation under Perfected Lord Xu before their collective ascension.

Zhongli Jia (courtesy name Gongyang), Perfected Lord Xu's nephew who lost both parents young, received Daoist teachings from his uncle. On the fifteenth day of the tenth month in the second year of Ningkang, he ascended by decree. Danling Temple at Xiangya Mountain in Xinjian County marks his former residence.

(Note: The terms "soaring ascension" and "rising transcendence" are Daoist technical terms referring to achieving immortality through cultivation; "dragon-drawn chariots" and "qilin carriages" denote the celestial vehicles used by immortals.)

This passage recounts the biography of Daoist perfected master Hu Huichao. Known by his courtesy name Basu, Hu's exact historical period remains unclear, though he resided at Hong Well on Western Mountain in Yuzhang (present-day Nanchang, Jiangxi). He received transmission of the "Three Origins and Nine Stages" cultivation method from Perfected Lord Xu (an important Daoist practice system where the Three Origins refer to the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water, while the Nine Stages represent progressive phases of cultivation). On the fifteenth day of the second lunar month in the third year of the Chang'an era (703 CE) of the Tang dynasty, he achieved ascension through feathery transformation (a Daoist term denoting spiritual flight upon attaining the Dao). The current site of Longdian Xuanyao Temple marks the location where he once subdued a demonized camphor tree.

Additional notes:

1. Perfected Lord Xu: Referring to Xu Xun, the renowned Jin dynasty Daoist and patriarch of the Pure Brightness (Jingming) tradition

2. "Feathery ascension": Technical Daoist term for achieving celestial flight upon Dao-realization

3. "Subduing the camphor tree spirit": Records Hu Huichao's legendary feat of vanquishing a malevolent tree demon