《神仙傳》

Guangchengzi was an ancient immortal who dwelled in a stone cave on Mount Kongtong. Hearing of his wisdom, the Yellow Emperor sought his counsel on the essentials of cultivating the Dao (the Way). Guangchengzi replied: "You govern the world while clouds scatter before gathering, and plants wither before turning yellow—how can one speak of the supreme Dao in such a state?" After three months of secluded cultivation, the Yellow Emperor returned to find Guangchengzi lying with his head facing north. Kneeling in reverence, the Emperor inquired about self-cultivation. Guangchengzi rose immediately, saying: "Yours is an excellent question! The essence of the Dao is profoundly mysterious; its ultimate state is chaotic stillness. See not external things, hear not external sounds—maintain mental serenity, and your form will naturally align. Preserve purity within, neither exhausting your body nor depleting your Jing (essence). Only thus can longevity be achieved. Guard your inner being carefully, close your external senses, for excessive knowledge brings harm. I abide in the undivided Dao, maintaining harmonious equilibrium—thus I've lived twelve hundred years without aging. Those who comprehend my teachings may become sage rulers; those who study them may become worthy kings. Soon I shall depart for the Land of Non-Being, enter the Gate of Infinity, and wander the Fields of Boundlessness—shining with the sun and moon, enduring with heaven and earth. All mortals perish; only I remain eternal."

Ruoshi was another ancient immortal whose true name remains unknown. During the Qin dynasty, a man named Lu Ao from Yan traveled to the Northern Sea, passing through the Land of Great Yin and entering the Mystic Pass until he encountered Ruoshi at Mount Menggu. Ruoshi had striking features: deep-set eyes, a prominent nose, hawk-like shoulders, and an elongated neck—his upper body robust while his lower frame was slender. He danced joyfully against the wind until noticing Lu Ao, then hid beneath a stone tablet. Looking up, Lu Ao saw him curled inside a tortoise shell, eating crabs and clams. Lu Ao addressed him: "Since childhood I've loved distant travels, and this passion remains. I've journeyed to earth's farthest reaches, explored uncharted darkness. Meeting you today, might we become companions?" Ruoshi laughed sternly: "Ah, you central plains folk shouldn't wander so far. This place lies beyond the radiance of sun, moon, and stars. I've wandered south to endless wilderness, north to lightless depths, west through shadowed realms, east beyond sunrise. There, no earth below, no sky above—no sound to hear, no form to see. Beyond lie places whose names you've never heard—where heaven and earth remain undivided, Yin-Yang indistinct, vaster than four seas, more distant than nine continents. I merely pause here briefly, yet you speak of companionship?" With this, Ruoshi stretched and leapt—vanishing instantly. Lu Ao sighed: "Compared to this master, I'm but a mayfly beside a swan—flitting about without knowing where to rest." He never spoke of it again, dwelling reclusively at Mount Menggu where people called him "Master Ruoshi."

The Biographies of Divine Immortals records several miraculous accounts of Daoist practitioners:

First is Lu Ao's encounter with a transcendent being: This immortal declared he could journey south to the wilderness of Dongmi (a southern celestial realm), rest north in the land of Silence (a northern meditation sanctuary), reach west to the Chamber of Profound Darkness (a western mystic domain), and pass east through the Light of Primordial Chaos (an eastern numinous realm). His state of being had transcended the boundaries of heaven and earth, where external phenomena were to him as nothingness. The immortal remarked that Lu Ao, having just arrived at this realm, presumptuously claimed to have seen everything—a clear sign of shallow understanding. With these words, he spread his sleeves and ascended into the clouds, leaving Lu Ao in melancholy contemplation, lamenting that the gap between them was like comparing a tiny insect to the great roc.

Next is Shen Wentai's cultivation practice: This hermit from Jiuyi Mountain mastered the longevity techniques of the River Deity's Divine Elixir and Earth Talismans (Daoist Fulu). Dwelling in seclusion on Kunlun Mountain for over two thousand years, he emphasized to his disciple Li Wenyuan when transmitting the esoteric methods: "If one does not follow the Earth Talisman's prescribed method for ingesting medicines and cultivating practice, no effect will be achieved." Both later attained the Dao and ascended to heaven. Legend states that boiling golden-yellow earth with bamboo root juice could eliminate the Three Corpses (Daoist concept of three malevolent spirits residing in the human body).

Finally, there is Pengzu's longevity method: This descendant of Emperor Zhuanxu lived 760 years without showing signs of aging. Naturally detached and indifferent to worldly glory, he devoted himself entirely to nurturing life. Though the Shang king appointed him as a high official, Pengzu often claimed illness to avoid political affairs. Skilled in Daoyin (ancient Qi exercises) and the ingestion of mica, deer antler, and other medicinal substances, he maintained a youthful appearance. His temperament was profoundly calm—he never flaunted supernatural abilities. He could practice internal breath retention (Daoist breathing techniques) from dawn until noon, sustaining vitality through massage, saliva swallowing, and other life-nurturing methods. At the slightest discomfort, he would regulate his condition with Daoyin techniques. His movements were elusive—sometimes departing for a hundred days without provisions, yet returning with clothing and nourishment unchanged.

This scripture records a dialogue between Pengzu and the Maiden Cai on the art of nurturing life.

Pengzu explains that to ascend to immortality and join the ranks of the celestial beings, one must ingest the Golden Elixir (Jindan), the same method used by the Primordial Lord Taiyi (a high-ranking Daoist deity) to achieve daytime ascension. However, such a great path is beyond the reach of ordinary rulers. The next best method is to treasure one’s vital essence (Jing) and nourish the spirit (Shen). Consuming superior medicinal herbs may prolong life, but it will not grant the ability to command spirits or ride the clouds. Without understanding the principles of Yin-Yang interaction, even taking such medicines will be of no benefit.

The Maiden Cai is one who comprehends the harmonization of Yin and Yang, and these principles can be deduced through practice—there is no need for excessive questioning. Pengzu then recounts his own troubled life: born after his father’s death, orphaned at three, displaced by war into the Western Regions for over a century, losing many wives and children, and enduring repeated hardships that damaged his primordial Qi (vital energy). He fears he may not attain longevity and considers his knowledge too shallow to be worth sharing.

He mentions a figure known as the Azure Essence Master (Qingjing Xiansheng) in the Great Wondrous Mountains, said to be a thousand years old yet with the face of a child, capable of walking three hundred li in a day, fasting for a year, or eating nine meals in a single day. He advises the Maiden Cai to seek his guidance. When she asks what kind of immortal the Azure Essence Master is, Pengzu clarifies that he is merely one who has attained the Dao—not a true transcendent.

True immortals can ride clouds and mists, transform into birds and beasts, dive through rivers and seas, soar across famous mountains, subsist on the Qi of Heaven and Earth, or consume divine herbs like lingzhi. Some move among humans yet remain unrecognizable, while others conceal their forms entirely, rendering themselves invisible.

This mountain-dwelling practitioner possesses a peculiar appearance, with rare bodily hair and a reclusive temperament that shuns worldly interactions. Though such a lifestyle may lead to longevity, completely abandoning human emotions and distancing oneself from earthly joys is like a sparrow transforming into a clam or a pheasant becoming a mirage-creature—losing one's original nature. This is not the path of cultivation my heart desires.

The truly precious way of life should be: enjoying fine food, wearing light and comfortable clothing, harmonizing with the rhythms of Yin-Yang, holding appropriate office to maintain keen senses and strong limbs. One's complexion should glow with vitality, remaining vigorous in old age, prolonging life while dwelling among mortals. Neither cold nor heat, wind nor dampness can harm such a person; ghosts and spirits dare not offend, weapons and venomous creatures cannot approach, while worries and joys, slander or praise become no burden.

Even ordinary people who don't understand cultivation methods can live to 120 years if they maintain themselves properly. Those who fall short of this age do so because of self-inflicted damage. With moderate knowledge of life-nourishing arts, one may reach 240 years; greater mastery extends this to 480 years. Complete understanding of these principles may not make one an immortal, but ensures freedom from untimely death. The essence of life preservation lies in avoiding bodily harm.

Specific methods include: keeping warm in winter and cool in summer to harmonize with seasonal changes; appreciating beauty without indulging desires to nurture the spirit (Shen); being content with existing carriages and garments to stabilize the heart; moderate enjoyment of music and beauty to refine one's character. But moderation is crucial—excess invites misfortune. Ancient Daoist adepts, concerned about ordinary people's lack of restraint, simply forbade such pleasures. Thus superior practitioners sleep in separate beds, moderate practitioners use separate blankets—a thousand doses of medicine cannot match the benefits of sleeping alone.

Excessive pursuit of colors damages vision; overindulgence in flavors ruins the palate. Only those who understand regulation and moderation can gain benefits without shortening their lifespan. These principles resemble using fire and water—excess brings harm. Most people fail to realize that when meridians are damaged, Qi and blood deficient, organs empty, or marrow and brain insufficient, the body has already weakened—external factors like wind, cold, alcohol or lust merely trigger the collapse. If the body were fundamentally strong, how could illness take hold?

Overthinking and forced memorization harm people; worry, anger, grief and sorrow injure the spirit (Shen); excessive pleasure depletes vital essence (Jing); unresolved rage damages upright Qi. These are all pitfalls that life-nourishers must guard against.

This scripture elucidates the essential principles of nurturing life and cultivating the Dao. It first identifies several common behaviors that harm the body: pent-up anger damages the body, excessive pursuit of desires harms vitality, undue worry depletes energy, improper regulation of temperature affects health, and imbalance between Yin and Yang also causes harm. Yet people often focus solely on sexual restraint, which represents a limited understanding.

The text employs the metaphor of heaven and earth's harmonious union to illustrate natural male-female relations, just as Yin and Yang mutually generate in nature. True longevity lies in understanding how to harmonize Yin-Yang and avoid all life-damaging behaviors. Heaven and earth complete their cyclical union three hundred sixty times annually, with four particularly refined unions that nurture all beings. By emulating this cosmic rhythm, humans may prolong their years.

Next comes the practice of "ingesting Qi" (a method of cultivating life through breath regulation). Mastering proper techniques can ward off pathogenic influences—this constitutes the foundation of life cultivation. Other methods like "expiration-inspiration" (breathing techniques), "guiding and pulling" (Qi-directed movements similar to Qigong), visualization of inner deities, various repentance rituals, and regulated daily routines may help beginners rectify their disposition, yet none represent the ultimate Dao.

Foolish practitioners often mistake branches for roots—they may memorize classics like the Taijing Jing or Beishen Zhongjing yet miss their essence, gaining no benefit even unto death. Ordinary people cannot completely abandon worldly life for mountain seclusion, but by mastering bedroom arts (ancient life-nurturing techniques emphasizing sexual moderation), breath retention methods, and regulating diet/thoughts, one may still attain the Dao.

The text concludes by noting how the author's late teacher composed thirteen thousand scrolls including Jiudu and Jiejie to guide beginners. The legendary Caïnü (disciple of Pengzu) taught these essentials to a ruler who, after experiencing their efficacy, sought to monopolize the methods—not only banning public transmission of Pengzu's Dao but even attempting to harm Pengzu himself.

After Pengzu departed, people lost all trace of him. Over seventy years later, he was reportedly seen in the Liusha region of the Western Regions. During that time, there was a ruler who diligently practiced Pengzu's longevity methods and maintained the vitality of a fifty-year-old even at three hundred years of age. However, this monarch later abandoned his cultivation due to indulgence in sensual pleasures and eventually passed away. While folk tales claimed Pengzu's longevity techniques could be fatal, the truth was the ruler had violated the essential precepts of practice. When Pengzu left during the late Shang dynasty, he was already 770 years old—his departure wasn't from natural aging.

Baishi Sheng, a disciple of the legendary Daoist immortal Zhonghuang Zhangren, had lived over two thousand years by Pengzu's era. Rather than seeking celestial ascension, he pursued earthly immortality to enjoy worldly pleasures. His cultivation centered on dual cultivation of yin and yang (a Daoist practice) supplemented by ingesting the Golden Elixir (mineral-based alchemical pills). In his youth, poverty prevented him from affording these elixirs, so he raised pigs and herded livestock for over a decade, living frugally to save for alchemical ingredients. He earned his name "Baishi Sheng" (Master White Stone) from boiling white stones as food while dwelling on Baishi Mountain. Alternating between meat and wine or vegetarian fare, he could walk three to four hundred li daily while maintaining the appearance of a thirty-year-old. He devoted himself to deity worship and studying texts like the Xianjing (Immortal Classics) and Taisu Zhuan. When Pengzu asked why he didn't take immortality pills to ascend, Baishi Sheng replied: "What celestial pleasure surpasses earthly joys? These merely prevent aging. The heavenly hierarchy imposes more servitude to superiors than the mortal realm." Thus people called him the "Recluse Immortal"—one who neither rushed to celestial office nor chased fame.

Huangshan Jun practiced Pengzu's longevity methods for centuries while preserving youthful features. Choosing to remain an earthly immortal rather than ascend, he compiled Pengzu's teachings into the Pengzu Jing after the master's departure. Those who obtained this scripture gained vitality like evergreen pines and cypresses.

Feng Gang, a native of Yuyang, gathered various herbs year-round, steeping them in water before sealing the mixture with clay from the first to ninth lunar month. After burying it for a hundred days, he refined it into medicinal pellets capable of reviving the recently deceased. Through sustained use of this formula, Feng Gang lived centuries without aging before achieving immortality at Difei Mountain.

The first volume of Biographies of Divine Immortals (Shenxian Zhuan) records the deeds of numerous individuals who attained the Dao and achieved immortality. These stories recount how ordinary mortals obtained the methods of longevity and eternal life through cultivation, accumulating virtue (De), or encountering celestial opportunities. The text provides detailed descriptions of these immortals' miraculous abilities, such as riding clouds and mists, transforming stones into gold, and foreseeing the future—all extraordinary powers. Each narrative embodies the Daoist ideals of pursuing longevity and transcending life and death, showcasing various paths to immortality, including internal alchemy (Neidan) practice, consuming elixirs, and accumulating merit through virtuous deeds. These accounts serve both as inspiration for Daoist practitioners and as reflections of ancient people's yearning for eternal life.

Huang Chuping was a native of Danxi. At fifteen, his family sent him to tend sheep. A Daoist priest, noticing his pure character, took him to a stone cave on Mount Jinhua where he remained for over forty years, gradually forgetting his homeland. His elder brother Huang Chuqi searched the mountains for years without success. Later, at a marketplace, he met a priest skilled in divination and inquired: "I have a younger brother named Chuping who disappeared while herding sheep. Forty years have passed with no trace of him—could you divine his fate?" The priest replied: "There's a shepherd boy in Mount Jinhua named Huang Chuping—isn't that your brother?" Stunned with joy, Chuqi followed the priest into the mountains and indeed found him.

During their emotional reunion, the elder brother asked: "Where are the sheep?" Chuping answered: "They're east of the mountain." When Chuqi went to look, he saw only white stones and protested: "There are no sheep there!" Chuping explained: "The sheep are clearly present—you simply can't perceive them." As they approached together, Chuping commanded: "Sheep, arise!" Instantly, all the white stones transformed into tens of thousands of sheep. The awestruck brother asked: "With such divine powers, could I learn this?" Chuping replied: "Anyone sincere in seeking the Dao (the Way) may." Thereupon, Chuqi abandoned his family to practice cultivation with his brother, consuming pine resin and poria cocos (two herbs revered in Daoism for prolonging life). After five thousand days, they could vanish at will, walk under sunlight without casting shadows, yet retain childlike complexions. Returning home to find most relatives deceased, they departed again, transmitting their methods to Nan Bofeng before leaving—Chuping adopting the name Chisongzi (Red Pine Master) and Chuqi calling himself Luban. Dozens later achieved immortality through these practices.

Lü Gong, styled Wenjing, pursued longevity elixirs in his youth. While gathering herbs on Mount Taihang with two servants, he encountered three men in a valley who asked: "Why risk such hardship seeking eternal life?" Lü replied: "Though I yearn for immortality, lacking proper methods forces me to gather medicinal plants, hoping for modest benefits." One man revealed: "My surname is Lü, styled Wenqi," while another said: "My surname is Sun, styled Wen...".

This recounts the stories of two cultivators who attained immortality. First, the experience of Lü Gong (a Daoist immortal):

A transcendent named Li Wenshang, who claimed to hail from the Great Clarity and Great Harmony Realm (a Daoist celestial domain), encountered Lü Gong while gathering medicinal herbs. Noticing they shared the same surname, the immortal said: "You bear my surname and half of my given name—this marks your destiny for everlasting life. If you'll join me in herb gathering, I shall teach you the method of longevity." Lü Gong immediately prostrated himself, saying: "Meeting an immortal is the fortune of three lifetimes—I only fear my dull nature makes me unworthy of instruction." He followed the immortal into the mountains for what seemed two days, receiving a secret immortal formula.

Upon parting, the immortal revealed: "Though only two days have passed here, two centuries have elapsed in the mortal world." Returning home, Lü Gong found his descendants all gone, meeting only distant neighbors like Zhao Guangfu. When villagers learned he was the Lü Gong who disappeared into the mountains two hundred years prior, all were astonished. Later, he found his distant descendant Lü Xi (by then a Daoist priest) and transmitted the formula. Lü Xi began taking the elixir at eighty years old, reversed aging to live two centuries before ascending as an immortal, with subsequent generations continuing the practice to attain the Dao.

Next is the tale of Shen Jian:

Shen Jian of Danyang came from generations of officials but devoted himself solely to Daoist cultivation. Masterful in daoyin (nourishing-life techniques) and the arts of elixir ingestion, he healed multitudes with thousands of followers. Before one extended journey, he fed his servants, donkeys and sheep with elixirs, instructing their caretakers: "These creatures need no further feeding." Returning after a year, he found the livestock not only alive but thriving—the elixirs could sustain all beings without hunger or illness. Eventually, Shen Jian ascended in broad daylight with his entire three-hundred-member household, even chickens and dogs achieving immortality, leaving only empty dwellings behind.

The Biographies of Divine Immortals records several extraordinary individuals who achieved immortality through Daoist cultivation:

There was a man named Jian who visited a friend's home. Upon leaving, he left behind thirteen medicinal pills. The host found this strange, thinking to himself that this guest had neither troubled them for food nor lodging, so what use were these pills? After Jian departed, the household servants began vomiting whenever they ate, and when the livestock were fed with fodder, the animals avoided it and even kicked at people. Only then did the host realize the mystical properties of the pills. After a hundred days, the servants' complexions became radiant, surpassing their former health, and the livestock grew exceptionally robust. Three years later, Jian returned and administered one pill each to the servants and animals, after which they resumed normal eating. Jian himself could abstain from food (bigu) and travel by flying, living over three hundred years before disappearing without a trace.

Hua Ziqing, a native of Huainan, became a disciple of Master Luli and learned three immortal formulas from the Hidden Immortal's Numinous Treasure Recipes: the Method of the Flying Turtle of Yiluo, the Correct Mechanism of Boyu, and the Equilibrium Formula. After taking the medicines according to these prescriptions, he could travel five hundred li in a day, lift a thousand jin, and transform into twelve different appearances within a year, eventually achieving immortality.

Yue Zichang of Qi state encountered an immortal in his youth at Mount Huolin, where he received the formula for consuming the Giant Victory Red Pine Powder. The immortal told him that snakes consuming this medicine could transform into dragons, while humans taking it could reverse aging, ride clouds, alter their forms, replenish qi (vital energy), enhance jing (essence), and even revive the dead. After taking the medicine, Yue lived to 180 while maintaining youthful appearance. His nine family members who took it experienced the elderly becoming young and the young ceasing to age. Eventually, he led his entire household to achieve immortality at Mount Laosheng.

Wei Shuqing of Zhongshan attained immortality through consuming mica. On the renchen day of the eighth month in the second year of the Han dynasty's Yuanfeng era, Emperor Wu of Han was sitting idly in his palace when suddenly he saw a man arriving on clouds riding a white deer, who identified himself as Wei Shuqing of Zhongshan. The emperor asked, "Isn't Zhongshan part of my domain?" Wei remained silent and disappeared. Regretful, the emperor dispatched envoy Liang Bo to search for Wei in Zhongshan, finding only Wei's son Dushi, whom they brought back for questioning.

This passage recounts the stories of two Daoist practitioners. The first tells of Du Shi's search for his father Shu Qing. In his youth, Shu Qing was deeply devoted to the Daoist path, regularly consuming elixirs (dan) and maintaining robust health well into his eighties. One day he suddenly left home, declaring his intention to cultivate on Mount Hua, and did not return for over forty years.

When Emperor Wu of Han learned of this, he dispatched Liang Bozhi to accompany Du Shi on a search mission to Mount Hua. During their ascent, heavy rains persisted for several days. Realizing his father might not wish to meet outsiders, Du Shi performed purification rituals (zhaijiao) before climbing alone. There he witnessed his father playing chess with several immortals beneath a canopy of auspicious purple clouds, seated on a white jade platform with immortal attendants holding ceremonial banners behind them.

Shu Qing explained to his son: "The Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) originally sent me to warn Emperor Wu of impending disasters and teach him methods to preserve his dynasty, but the arrogant ruler, ignorant of the true Dao (Zhendao), demanded my submission. That's why I left. Now I must join the Supreme Yellow Emperor (Zhonghuang Taiyi) to determine celestial affairs and cannot return." His chess companions included legendary immortals like Master Hongya, Xu You, Chao Fu, and Prince Jin. He instructed Du Shi to retrieve an immortal formula hidden beneath a house pillar, promising that compounding and consuming this medicine would grant immortality and cloud-riding ascension.

Du Shi found the jade case containing the formula and prepared the Five-Colored Mica Elixir (Wuse Yunmu Dan), which he shared with Liang Bozhi. Both achieved immortality without revealing the secret to Emperor Wu.

The second story concerns Wei Boyang, a nobleman from Wu who devoted himself to Daoist arts (daoshu) rather than official service, practicing in seclusion. Later, he took three disciples to the mountains to refine a divine elixir (shendan). When the elixir was completed, doubting his disciples' resolve, Wei proposed testing it first on a dog. After the animal appeared to die from the elixir, Wei claimed the refinement had failed and consumed it himself, also "dying." This was actually a test—true cultivators must transcend life and death.

Wei Boyang (a renowned Daoist alchemist) once conducted a test when taking his disciples into the mountains to refine the elixir. He fed the completed Golden Elixir (Jindan) to a white dog—if the dog could ascend to immortality after consuming it, the elixir would be safe for humans; if the dog died, it was unfit for consumption. Wei carried a white dog with him, and at that time, the elixir was still incomplete, containing toxic properties that would induce a death-like trance in humans. Deliberately, Wei fed this half-finished elixir to the dog, which immediately collapsed motionless.

He asked his disciples, "The greatest fear in alchemy is failure. Now that we've succeeded, the dog dies after consuming it. This likely goes against the will of the divine. If a person were to take it, would they meet the same fate? What do you suggest we do?" One disciple countered, "Master, would you still take it?" Wei Boyang replied, "I abandoned worldly life to cultivate the Dao in these mountains. If I fail to attain immortality, I'd have no face to return. Life and death are fated—I've decided to take it." With that, he swallowed the elixir and collapsed instantly.

The disciples panicked: "We refine elixirs to seek eternal life, yet consuming it brings instant death. Isn't this effort wasted?" Only a disciple named Yu said, "Our master is no ordinary man. His feigned death must hold deeper meaning." He too took the elixir and "died." The remaining two disciples discussed: "Alchemy is meant to prolong life, yet here it hastens death. If we don't take this elixir, we could still live decades more." Too afraid to partake, they left to buy coffins.

Once they were gone, Wei Boyang immediately rose, placing the true perfected elixir into the mouths of Disciple Yu and the white dog. All three revived and achieved immortality. Later, when a woodcutter entered the mountains, Wei entrusted him with a letter for their hometown. Upon learning the truth, the two disciples who had gone for coffins were filled with regret. Wei Boyang later authored the Zhouyi Cantong Qi (The Kinship of the Three), a three-volume work that ostensibly interprets the Book of Changes (Zhouyi) but actually uses hexagrams and line statements to expound alchemical principles. Unfortunately, Confucian scholars, unfamiliar with the path to immortality, treated it as mere commentary on the classics, entirely missing its essence.

(Additional context: This is a famous Daoist parable of "testing resolve through feigned death," using life-and-death trials to sift out truly committed cultivators. The "toxic elixir" refers to an intermediate product in the refining process—the true Golden Elixir requires "nine cycles" of transformation, mirroring the principles of change in the Zhouyi hexagrams.)

Shen Xi was a native of Wu Commandery (modern-day Suzhou region in Jiangsu) who practiced Daoist cultivation in Shu territory (present-day Sichuan). He excelled at relieving disasters and healing illnesses for common people, though he had not mastered the methods of consuming elixirs to prolong life. His accumulated virtue moved the heavens, drawing the attention of celestial beings.

One day, while traveling by carriage with his wife Lady Jia to visit their daughter-in-law Zhuo Kongning, Shen Xi suddenly encountered three divine chariots mid-journey: a White Deer Chariot, a Azure Dragon Chariot, and a White Tiger Chariot, accompanied by dozens of attendants in crimson robes holding ceremonial tallies. Each bore swords, their radiance illuminating the road. They asked Shen Xi, "Have you seen Daoist Master Shen?" Startled, he questioned them in return. Upon confirming his identity, the crimson-robed messengers declared: "Shen Xi has devoted his life to benevolent deeds. Though his earthly lifespan nears its end, the Yellow Emperor and Laozi (venerated Daoist deities) take pity on him and have specially dispatched celestial officials to receive him."

The three divine envoys were: Vice Minister Bo Yan driving the White Deer Chariot, Lord Dushi Sima Sheng piloting the Azure Dragon Chariot, and Messenger Xu Fu commanding the White Tiger Chariot. Suddenly, three feathered immortals appeared holding jade tablets, conferring upon Shen Xi the title "Azure Canopy Vice Minister" with authority over life-and-death registers in Wu-Yue region. Farmers working the fields all witnessed Shen Xi's ascension—when the dense fog dissipated, both man and chariots had vanished, leaving only the oxen grazing on crops.

Shen Xi's hundreds of disciples initially suspected demonic interference and searched fruitlessly. Four centuries later, Shen Xi suddenly returned to his hometown and sought out his descendant Shen Huaixi. Huaixi recounted: "Our family tradition speaks of an ancestral immortal." During his month-long stay, Shen Xi described celestial wonders: upon first entering heaven, he saw Lord Lao (Laozi) seated facing east, surrounded by palaces veiled in five-colored qi, attended by hundreds—yet he never glimpsed the Celestial Worthy (supreme deity). Lord Lao motioned for him to sit quietly without formal thanks.

The Biographies of Divine Immortals records two stories:

The first tells of an immortal maiden bestowing medicine. A woman and a youth saw trees laden with pearls and jade in a courtyard, where dragon and tiger spirit-beasts (symbolizing Yin-Yang) frolicked, producing metallic clanging sounds. The walls shimmered with talismanic script (Fulu), and the Supreme Lord Lao (Laojun, highest Daoist deity) manifested—standing ten feet tall with flowing hair and robes, his head radiating light. The immortal maiden offered them divine elixirs of immortality in golden plates and jade cups, giving each a small spoonful (daogui measure). After taking the medicine, she bestowed date-sized celestial jujubes and five-inch-long dried meat strips, instructing them to return to the mortal world to heal people. Lord Lao taught that by inscribing talismans atop flagpoles, they could return to the celestial realm. Later, many learned this method.

The second recounts Chen Anshi's encounter with immortals. A kind-hearted man from Jingzhao, Chen harmed neither birds nor insects even at age thirty. His master Guan Shuping practiced Daoist cultivation, and two immortals disguised as scholars came to test him. Initially welcomed warmly, they later faced neglect. When the immortals returned, Guan's wife barred entry, making Chen lie about his master's absence. Recognizing Chen's honesty, the immortals arranged to meet him at dawn under a great northern tree. Chen waited until sunset, nearly leaving in doubt when they hadn't appeared.

(Note: Daogui refers to ancient medicinal spoons; Fulu are Daoist mystical writings; dragons and tigers commonly symbolize Yin-Yang in Daoism.)

The stories of Li Babai and An Shi recount how two cultivators attained immortality through trials and the transmission of Daoist methods.

In An Shi's tale, two immortals repeatedly called to him, testing his sincerity. After passing three trials—each time arriving promptly—the immortals recognized his genuine devotion and gave him two immortality pills, instructing him to abstain from food and practice solitary cultivation. His uncle Shuping noticed the anomaly when An Shi stopped consuming ordinary food, drinking only pure water, realizing his nephew had encountered a true master. Shuping exclaimed, "The dignity of Daoist practice lies not in age," and humbly became An Shi's disciple. Eventually, An Shi ascended in broad daylight, first transmitting essential Daoist teachings to Shuping, who later also achieved immortality.

Li Babai's story (his name "Babai" being an honorific meaning "eight-hundred-year-old") describes how this ancient immortal tested Tang Gongfang's determination to seek the Dao. Initially posing as a servant, Li deliberately made unreasonable demands, yet Gongfang treated him with unwavering kindness. Later, Li feigned critical illness, and Gongfang spared no expense to cure him. When Li claimed only human licking could heal his festering sores, Gongfang personally licked the pus and blood without hesitation. These trials demonstrated Gongfang's steadfast conviction and selfless devotion to the path.

Both stories embody the Daoist tradition of "masters seeking disciples and disciples seeking masters," emphasizing that aspirants must prove their sincerity through trials to receive authentic transmission. Key cultivation principles emerge: spiritual attainment transcends age, depending instead on encountering enlightened teachers; seekers must endure various tests to demonstrate commitment; and genuine master-disciple transmission requires corresponding virtue from both parties.

(From the Biographies of Divine Immortals, two stories of Daoist transcendents retold in modern vernacular:)

Gong Fang encountered an immortal who called himself Lord of the Eight Peaks. The immortal had leg sores and claimed ordinary people's licking couldn't heal them—only Gong Fang's wife's touch would work. After Gong Fang persuaded his wife to do so, the immortal said the sores were nearly healed but required thirty hu of fine wine for a medicinal bath. When Gong Fang prepared the wine, the immortal bathed in it and emerged with skin like congealed cream, all scars vanished. Only then did he reveal his true nature: "I am an immortal testing your sincerity. Now I shall teach you the method to transcend the mortal world." He had Gong Fang's entire household bathe in the remaining elixir wine, instantly restoring their youth and beauty. The immortal bestowed upon Gong Fang a scripture of alchemy (Danjing). After successfully refining the elixir at Mount Yuntai, Gong Fang's entire family ascended to immortality—their traces still remain in Hanzhong to this day.

Another immortal, Li A, dwelt perpetually in Mount Qingcheng yet appeared daily in Chengdu's markets begging, giving all alms to the poor. He returned each night to his mountain retreat, his dwelling place unknown. People discovered his facial expressions foretold fortunes: joy signaled blessings, sorrow warned of disasters, smiles promised great fortune, while sighs portended deep troubles. A skeptic named Gu Qiang followed him and confirmed his mountain abode. Once when Gu Qiang followed with a dagger, Li A angrily broke the blade, only to return it miraculously restored the next day. Another time, after Li A's legs were crushed by a carriage, his bones instantly mended. From age eighteen to eighty, Gu Qiang witnessed Li A maintain the appearance of a fifty-year-old man throughout the decades.

(Note: A hu was an ancient measurement unit approximately equal to 60 liters; Danjing refers to alchemical scriptures; both Mount Yuntai and Mount Qingcheng are sacred Daoist mountains.)

Wang Yuan (courtesy name Fangping) was a native of Donghai Commandery. In his youth, he was recommended as a Filial and Incorrupt candidate, eventually rising to the position of Palace Attendant. A master of the Five Classics, he particularly excelled in celestial portents and the esoteric knowledge of the Hetu and Luoshu diagrams, capable of predicting dynastic fortunes and regional auspices. Later resigning from office to cultivate the Dao in mountains, he refused multiple summons from Emperor Huan of Han after attaining enlightenment. When local officials forcibly brought him to the capital, he remained silent before the imperial edict, merely inscribing over four hundred prophetic characters on the palace gates. The enraged emperor ordered the words scraped away, only to discover the ink had penetrated the wood—while the surface layer was removed, identical characters reappeared from beneath.

Though childless, Wang Yuan received generations of veneration from his hometown. Grand Commandant Chen Dan of the same commandery built him a meditation chamber, making daily offerings—yet sought only blessings without practicing cultivation. During Wang's forty-year stay with the Chens, no family member died, livestock thrived, farmland multiplied ten-thousandfold, and official promotions abounded. Later, Wang informed Chen Dan of his impending transcendence, and at noon the next day, he indeed passed away seated upright. Recognizing this as shijie (corpse-liberation, the Daoist phenomenon where adepts shed their physical form), Chen dared not move the body, preparing only a coffin and ritual candles. Three days later, the corpse vanished, leaving garments intact like a snakeskin. Within months, Chen Dan also died—some claimed he'd ascended, others that Wang had departed knowing Chen's lifespan was complete.

Journeying later to Wu region, Wang visited Cai Jing's home near Xumen Gate. Recognizing this commoner's xian bones (immortal potential), he awakened him: "Your destiny holds transcendence, but youthful neglect left your jing (essence) insufficient and body heavy—only shijie remains. Though painful, it's brief as crawling through a dog's den." After transmitting essential teachings, Wang departed. Soon Cai Jing's body burned with fever. As family splashed cooling water, he explained this was Wang assisting his transformation. Seven days later, he achieved shijie transcendence.

This passage describes the miraculous descent of the immortal Wang Fangping and the goddess Magu to the mortal realm:

When Wang Fangping achieved immortality through cultivation, his family poured water over him continuously for three days, as if dousing scorched stone. After three days, his body became emaciated. Covering himself with a quilt, he suddenly vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a cicada-like molted skin with head and feet within the bedding. Over a decade later, he unexpectedly returned home appearing even younger than when he had left, with his hair restored to black.

He informed his family: "On the seventh day of the seventh month, Lord Wang will visit. Prepare several hundred hu of food to entertain his entourage." When the day arrived, the household borrowed various vessels to prepare the feast. As Wang Fangping approached, the distant sounds of golden drums, panpipes, and a procession of horses and men could be heard. He wore a distant-journey crown, vermilion official robes fastened with a tiger-head belt, adorned with a five-colored sash and precious sword. His chariot of feathers was drawn by five dragons of different colors, with banner-bearing attendants clearing the way ahead, while his retinue descended from heaven astride qilin (mythical unicorn-like creatures).

Wang Fangping requested his family summon Magu (a female immortal) for an audience. The messenger reported that Magu was currently inspecting Penglai, the immortal mountain, but would visit shortly. Soon after, Magu arrived with her own procession, though her entourage was half the size of Wang Fangping's. The entire Cai Jing household beheld this beautiful celestial maiden, who appeared to be eighteen or nineteen years old, with her hair gathered in a topknot while the remaining tresses cascaded down to her waist.

(Note: The "hu" was an ancient measurement unit equivalent to about 60 modern jin; "chariot of feathers" refers to the legendary flying vehicle of immortals; "qilin" are auspicious mythical beasts.)

This passage describes the miraculous manifestation of Daoist immortals Magu (Hemp Maiden) and Wang Fangping (venerated as the Perfected Lord Fangping):

Magu's robes emitted dazzling radiance, a brilliance surpassing any ordinary brocade, with no comparable fabric existing in the mortal realm. When paying respects to Perfected Lord Fangping, the immortal lord rose to greet her and summoned celestial kitchens to prepare a banquet served in cups and plates of gold and jade.

The feast consisted mainly of assorted flowers and fruits, their fragrance permeating the surroundings. Among the dishes was a dried meat resembling pine bark when torn apart, said to be made from qilin flesh. Magu recounted her experiences: "Since our last meeting, I've witnessed the Eastern Sea transform into mulberry fields three times. Earlier when visiting Penglai Isle, I noticed the waters have become shallower—might it soon turn into land again?" Perfected Lord Fangping smiled and replied: "The sages all say the shifting of oceans into dust is but the constant way of transformation."

When Magu wished to meet Cai Jing's mother and family, his sister-in-law had recently given birth. Observing from afar, Magu said: "Wait before approaching." She scattered a handful of rice that instantly transformed into pearls. The Perfected Lord laughed: "Magu still enjoys these youthful tricks. I've grown too old for such transformation arts."

To Cai's family, the Perfected Lord said: "I would offer celestial wine, but this liquor from heavenly kitchens is too potent for mortal digestion—it must be diluted." Mixing one sheng of immortal wine with ten sheng of water, the entire family became intoxicated after drinking about a liter. When supplies ran low, Fangping sent someone with a thousand coins to buy wine from an old woman in Yuhang, who promptly returned with five dou in an oilskin bag, adding: "I fear earthly wine may not suit immortal tastes."

The text notably describes Magu's hands as resembling bird claws. When Cai Jing privately thought "those claws would make excellent back-scratchers," the Perfected Lord immediately detected this irreverence and had him invisibly whipped, admonishing: "Magu is a divine immortal—how dare you fantasize about her celestial claws scratching your itch? My spirit whip isn't to be taken lightly." The passage concludes by mentioning a certain Captain Chen who previously received similar punishment for disrespect.

Hearing that Cai Jing's household hosted a divine being (referring to the transcendent adept Wang Fangping), [a man] came to kowtow and request an audience. Wang Fangping allowed him to approach and speak, whereupon the man begged to learn the arts of commanding spirits and deities, just as Cai Jing had. Wang Fangping said: "First stand up and face the sun." Observing him from behind, Wang Fangping sighed: "Alas, your heart-mind is unaligned—even your shadow lacks proper form. You are ultimately unfit to receive the Dao of immortality. However, I can appoint you as an earthly official governing a region." Before departing, Wang Fangping placed a talisman (Fulu) and a register in a small box for the local officer Chen Wei, instructing: "These cannot grant you the Dao, only let you live out your natural lifespan. Your destined years exceed a century. These tools may dispel calamities and cure illnesses. For patients whose Yang lifespan remains and who bear no grave sins, delivering the talisman to their homes will bring recovery. When encountering malicious ghosts, use the register to command local earth deities to capture them. Apply discretion in each circumstance." Later, Chen Wei employed the talisman with remarkable efficacy, healing hundreds of households. He lived to 111 before passing—thereafter, his descendants found the talisman ineffective.

After Wang Fangping's departure, hundreds of hu (ancient measurement) of prepared food in Cai Jing's home vanished without witnesses. His parents privately asked: "What manner of immortal is this Lord Wang? Where does he dwell?" Cai Jing replied: "He ordinarily administers affairs at Kunlun Mountain, but frequently travels between Luofu Mountain and Kuocang Mountain. All three peaks contain palace-like structures. Lord Wang handles celestial documents, shuttling between heaven and earth multiple times daily—even the life-and-death matters of the Five Sacred Peaks require his judgment. His entourage varies: sometimes just a yellow qilin with a few dozen guards. He often flies hundreds of zhang above ground, where mountain and sea deities greet him, occasionally forming reception lines spanning a thousand li."

Years later, Cai Jing briefly returned home bearing a letter from Wang Fangping to Chen Wei. The oversized paper bore hastily scrawled characters. Previously unknown, Wang Fangping's renown spread through this letter. Chen Wei's family has since treasured Lord Wang's autograph and the talismanic register, preserving them sealed in that small box.

(Note: Kunlun Mountain, Luofu Mountain, and Kuocang Mountain are key Daoist sacred sites; "talismanic registers" refer to Daoist ritual documents for exorcism and healing; "Celestial Offices" denote the administrative bureaus of Daoist divinities.)

Boshang Fu was a native of Yongzhou (present-day Shaanxi region) who devoted himself to cultivation while practicing on Mount Hua. He ingested elixirs and immortality medicines (xianyao), occasionally returning to his hometown to visit relatives. Over two hundred years passed in this manner, yet his appearance never showed signs of aging. Whenever he visited people's homes, he could clearly discern the accumulated merits and misdeeds of their ancestors as if he had witnessed them firsthand. He could also foresee future fortunes and misfortunes, and his predictions never failed to come true.

On one occasion, he encountered his elderly and ailing niece and gave her an immortality medicine to take. At the time, the niece was already seventy years old, but after consuming the medicine, she gradually regained her youth, her complexion becoming as radiant as peach blossoms. Later, when an envoy of the Han dynasty passed through Xihe Commandery, he saw a woman in the eastern part of the city scolding an old man with white hair, who knelt submissively to receive the beating. Finding this strange, the envoy approached and inquired. The woman replied, "This is my son. Years ago, my uncle Boshang Fu imparted to me an immortal prescription (shenfang), and I urged my son to take it, but he refused. As a result, he has aged far worse than I have. That is why I am angry and beating him." When the envoy asked their respective ages, the woman answered, "I am 230 years old, and my son is only 70." Later, this woman entered Mount Hua to cultivate herself and ultimately attained immortality (dexian).

(Note: In the text, "ingesting elixirs" (fuer) refers to consuming alchemical medicines; "immortal prescription" (shenfang) denotes a life-extending formula transmitted by immortals; "attaining immortality" (dexian) means achieving transcendence through cultivation. The story highlights the contrast between practitioners and ordinary people through the reversal of ages, embodying the Daoist ideal of longevity and self-cultivation.)

Mozi (given name Di) was a native of the Song State during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, serving as a high-ranking official there. While ostensibly studying Confucian classics, he secretly devoted himself to Daoist cultivation techniques. He authored ten treatises collectively known as the Mozi, which attracted many followers during his time. The Mohist school rivaled Confucianism, particularly advocating frugality and frequently criticizing Confucius' teachings. Mozi was especially skilled in defensive warfare tactics.

When the renowned craftsman Gongshu Ban (better known as Lu Ban) was constructing siege engines like cloud ladders for the Chu State to attack Song, Mozi immediately set out on foot for Chu. He walked so vigorously that his straw sandals wore out, forcing him to wrap his feet in cloth as he journeyed day and night for seven days straight. Upon meeting Gongshu Ban, Mozi admonished: "You're building cloud ladders to attack Song—what crime has Song committed? Chu has vast lands with sparse population—sacrificing lives to seize surplus territory shows no wisdom; attacking the innocent Song shows no righteousness; knowing this wrong but not dissuading shows no loyalty; giving up after failed persuasion shows no resolve."

Gongshu Ban excused himself: "I've already advised the King of Chu." Mozi then requested an audience with the king. Before the monarch, Mozi posed an analogy: "Suppose a man spurns his own ornate carriage to steal his neighbor's broken cart; rejects his fine silks to steal coarse hemp clothes; disdains his delicacies to steal his neighbor's husks—what manner of man is this?" The king replied: "He must be insane."

Mozi continued: "Chu abounds with resources—the Yunmeng Marshes teem with deer, the Yangtze and Han Rivers swarm with fish; while Song lacks even pheasants and hares, like comparing delicacies to husks. Chu possesses superior timber while Song lacks decent trees, like comparing silks to hemp. Hearing Your Majesty plans to attack Song—isn't this just like that madman?"

Though convinced by the argument, the king insisted Gongshu Ban had already completed the cloud ladders and the attack must proceed. Mozi then unfastened his belt to represent city walls and used wooden chips as siege engines, engaging Gongshu Ban in simulated combat. Through nine different assault strategies, Mozi successfully defended against each. When Gongshu Ban exhausted his offensive tactics, Mozi still had defensive measures remaining.

After conceding defeat, Gongshu Ban hinted: "I know how to deal with you now." Mozi instantly countered: "I know your method too." When the king inquired, Mozi explained Gongshu Ban contemplated killing him, but even so, his disciples had already deployed defensive mechanisms in Song. Ultimately, the King of Chu abandoned his plans to attack Song.

Mozi (founder of the Mohist school) initially believed the state of Song couldn't defend its city walls, but his disciple Qin Guli and three hundred followers had already stationed themselves atop the battlements with defensive devices he designed. When Chu realized even killing Mozi wouldn't breach the defenses, they abandoned the siege. At eighty-two, Mozi sighed: "Worldly glory and riches prove fleeting—better to follow Master Chisong (legendary immortal) in seeking the Dao." He then dismissed his disciples and retreated to the mountains for cultivation.

During his seclusion, Mozi often heard scripture recitations echoing through the valleys at night. One evening, someone draped a robe over him against the cold. Rising to inquire whether the visitor was a mountain spirit or immortal, he was told: "Your virtuous power (De) and single-minded devotion to the Dao have drawn me here." The divine being transmitted to him the Plain Scripture (Su Shu), the formula for Vermilion Flower Elixir, and twenty-five volumes on Five Phases (Wuxing) transformations, noting his innate celestial affinity made self-cultivation sufficient for immortality. After achieving results through these methods, Mozi compiled their essence into five volumes titled Records of the Five Phases (Wuxing Ji), ultimately attaining terrestrial immortality (earthbound transcendence). To avoid the Warring States chaos, he dwelled in remote peaks.

By Emperor Wu of Han's reign, envoys bearing lavish gifts sought his counsel, but he declined. His appearance remained that of a fifty-year-old as he wandered perpetually among the Five Sacred Mountains.

Another adept, Liu Zheng of Pei, possessed vast classical learning yet renounced worldly success for longevity. Journeying thousands of miles to study under masters—even humbly seeking knowledge from social inferiors—he mastered Mozi's Five Phases Records and ingested Vermilion Flower Pills, maintaining a youthful countenance at 180. Skilled in分身 transformation arts, he could multiply from one to hundreds or thousands, transmute armies into forests, or flood enemy camps with illusory waters.

The Biographies of Divine Immortals (Shenxian Zhuan) records two Daoist cultivators with extraordinary abilities.

The first cultivator possessed numerous supernatural powers: He could move others' belongings without detection; make five types of fruit trees instantly blossom and bear fruit, enough to feed hundreds; summon fierce winds and flying sand with a single breath; point at houses, mountains, or vessels to make them tilt precariously, then restore them with another gesture; transform into a beautiful woman or a wooden figure; travel thousands of miles in a single day; command wind and rain, raise mist with a wave, pile earth into mountains, or carve the ground into chasms; freely alter his age and physical size; walk on water without getting wet; summon fish, turtles, and flood dragons from rivers and seas onto land; exhale multicolored clouds spanning ten miles that reached the heavens; and leap hundreds of feet into the air. Eventually, he vanished without a trace.

The second cultivator, named Sun Bo, hailed from Hedong. A man of exceptional literary talent, he authored over a hundred essays and mastered hundreds of thousands of words from classical texts. Only in his later years did he turn to Daoist cultivation, specializing in the esoteric methods of Mozi (founder of Mohism). His abilities included igniting plants, trees, metals, and stones into flames that illuminated dozens of miles; setting his own body ablaze or spewing fire from his mouth; pointing at large trees to wither vegetation, then restoring them with another gesture; and transforming entire armies into figures of fire. Once, while pursuing a runaway slave, Sun Bo told the owner to wait as he hurled a crimson pellet—instantly setting the military camp ablaze with towering flames, forcing the fugitive to flee into capture. He then tossed a blue pellet, extinguishing the fire and restoring all charred objects to their original state. Fires he kindled could not be doused by others; only his own intervention could quell them. He could walk on water without dampness, even escorting hundreds across rivers dry-footed; lay out mats on water surfaces for feasts and revelry, with guests singing and dancing all day without sinking or getting wet. He also effortlessly healed those who sought his aid for illness.

The Story of Ban Meng:

Ban Meng was a figure of unknown origins, with some claiming she was a woman. She could fly through the air all day long and remain suspended mid-air while conversing with people. She also had the ability to sink into the ground—first submerging her feet, then gradually her waist and chest, until only her headscarf remained visible before she completely disappeared. With just a few strokes of her finger on the ground, she could create wells from which people could draw water. She could even summon roof tiles from others' houses, making them fly into her own home. She could gather the fruits from dozens of mulberry trees in someone's orchard into a towering pile, and after ten days or so, with a single breath, return them all to their original branches. By holding ink in her mouth and spitting it onto blank paper, she could produce fully formed, meaningful writing. Later, through drinking wine and consuming elixirs (dan), she lived for over 400 years, her appearance growing ever more youthful, until she finally attained immortality and departed from Dazhi Mountain.

The Story of Master Yu (Yuzi):

Master Yu, originally surnamed Zhang, hailed from Nan Commandery. In his youth, he studied extensively, but when King You of Zhou summoned him to serve as an official, he refused. He lamented: "In this world, each day that passes brings us closer to death and further from life. Those who chase wealth and status without understanding the cultivation of life—once their breath ceases, even if they were kings, lords, generals, or ministers, with fortunes beyond measure—will they not all return to a handful of yellow earth? Only through the pursuit of immortality can one transcend life and death." Thus, he took Master Changsangzi as his teacher, mastering various Daoist arts and founding his own school of thought, composing over a hundred texts on the Dao. His methods focused on "Wu Kui" (a particular cultivation technique) and delved deeply into the mysteries of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), enabling him to deduce the hidden workings of heaven and earth to cultivate the body, heal illnesses, and avert disasters. He could summon fierce winds to snap trees and tear off roofs, transform grass and tiles into livestock, dragons, and tigers, and even multiply himself into thousands of bodies. When crossing rivers, he could spit out water droplets that instantly turned into jewels, their luster never fading. At times, by holding his breath and remaining still, his body would become as light as a feather, floating effortlessly.

This immortal (referring to Tianmenzi) cultivated to a state where his body could remain completely motionless for extended periods. Even when pushed or bent, his posture wouldn't change, maintaining this state for dozens of days before returning to normal. He often practiced with his disciples, transforming clay pellets into horses for them to ride—just by closing their eyes momentarily, these pellets would become divine steeds capable of traveling a thousand miles in a single day.

He could also exhale five-colored clouds from his mouth that rose several zhang high (about 10 meters). When birds flew past, a single point of his finger would make them fall. Standing by water's edge, his incantations would cause fish and turtles to swim ashore. He enabled his disciples to see scenes a thousand miles away by simply lifting their gaze, though such divine powers couldn't be sustained for long.

He often filled vessels with water and blew upon the surface, causing red light to spiral upward. This miraculous water could cure all ailments—taken internally it healed internal diseases, applied externally it treated wounds, both with immediate effect. Later, he entered Kongtong Mountain to refine the Golden Elixir (Jindan), and upon its completion, ascended in broad daylight.

Tianmenzi's original name was Wang Gang, a master of longevity techniques. His scripture states: Yang qi is born during the Yin hour (3-5 AM), embodying the pure essence of Wood; Yin qi arises during the Shen hour (3-5 PM), containing the pure essence of Metal. When Wood and Metal meet, damage is inevitable—thus Yin can overcome Yang. Women applying white powder imitate Metal's whiteness. Therefore, all Dao practitioners must carefully observe the subtle transformations of Yin-Yang's waxing and waning.

He proposed this essential cultivation method: "I guard the Azure Dragon's position (East), while others guard the White Tiger (West); when others lead like the Vermilion Bird (South), I follow like the Dark Warrior (North)—this is the Dao of longevity." Though Yin-aligned people have impatient temperaments, they restrain themselves from easily seeking Yang-aligned assistance, just as Metal won't be bent by Wood; while Yang-aligned individuals may be unyielding, during leisurely activities they become gentle and humble, as Wood yields to Metal. Tianmenzi practiced these principles, living 280 years with a childlike countenance before consuming an elixir and ascending to the Mystic Isle (Xuanzhou).

Another immortal, Jiulingzi (originally named Huang Hua), mastered the secrets of reversing aging and embryonic respiration (a breathing technique). His scripture records: This method can ward off weapons, repel wild beasts, protect both self and family, harmonizing internal and external realms. Practitioners become figures others delight to see and miss when absent—equally suited for military service or distant travels. All conspiracies against them dissipate, and myriad disasters are averted.

This scripture recounts the stories of four Daoist practitioners. Du Jianxie achieved immortality by blocking evil paths and suppressing curses and witchcraft, which attracted virtuous scholars, divine protection, peaceful livelihoods for commoners, thriving livestock, healing of diseases, and resolution of legal disputes. He devoted himself to this practice for over five hundred years without aging in appearance, ultimately attaining immortality by ingesting elixirs.

Beijizi (also known as Yin Heng) emphasized cherishing the inner Shen (spirit) and cultivating one’s nature. He believed that "using iron to refine iron reveals the true Dao," and that "measuring others by oneself leads to divine understanding." He, too, ascended as an immortal after consuming divine elixirs.

Juedongzi (also known as Li Xiu) taught that gentleness overcomes rigidity and that Yin can restrain Yang. He advocated cultivating the Dao with the caution of standing at the edge of an abyss or riding a galloping horse. Living over four hundred years without aging, he authored the forty-chapter Daoyuan (Source of the Dao) before ascending through elixir ingestion.

Taiyangzi (also known as Li Ming), a close friend and disciple of Master Yu, was deeply versed in the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) despite his frequent drunkenness. Though he maintained a youthful complexion at over three hundred years old, Master Yu reprimanded him for neglecting cultivation due to his indulgence in wine. He claimed that wine helped dissolve his arrogance and developed the Seven Jewel Trees method of practice. After achieving immortality through elixirs, he retained a youthful face for five hundred years, though his hair turned white.

These stories embody the Daoist pursuit of longevity through self-cultivation and elixir ingestion.

The Solar Maiden, named Zhu Yi, deeply studied the laws of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and perfected her cultivation methods through continuous contemplation, ultimately attaining profound and subtle realms. Her techniques proved remarkably effective with swift results—at 280 years old, her face retained the rosy glow of peach blossoms, her lips were as red as cinnabar, her skin remained plump and radiant, and her delicate features made her appear like a maiden of seventeen or eighteen. She served the immortal Juedongzi and received from him an elixir of immortality, finally ascending to heaven as a perfected being.

The Lunar Maiden, named Lu Quan, possessed extraordinary intelligence far beyond ordinary people and was deeply devoted to the cultivation methods of the Jade Master (Yuzi) tradition. Though she had grasped some essential principles, her practice remained unrefined. Lacking a true master at the time, she opened a roadside tavern, secretly hoping to encounter an enlightened adept. After years of waiting, she finally met the passing Solar Master (Taiyangzi). Observing her respectful demeanor and refined speech, Solar Master sighed, "She follows the path of the White Tiger and Soaring Serpent, while I cultivate the methods of the Azure Dragon and Dark Warrior. In all the world, how rare it is to find a kindred spirit!" Overjoyed, the Lunar Maiden had her younger sister test him with numerical riddles of the Five Phases. Solar Master replied, "Exact numbers are elusive—only that the South is three, the North five, the East and West both seven, and the Center one." The sister reported, "This guest is a true master of the Dao!" The Lunar Maiden immediately invited him inside, serving rare delicacies while expressing her aspirations for cultivation. Solar Master said, "We were meant to serve the Celestial Emperor together and share the waters of divine light. You have already entered the gate of the Jade Master and possess the foundation of the Five Phases—how could I withhold guidance?" He then transmitted to her essential techniques for refining the Dao and secret formulas for alchemy. Following these methods, the Lunar Maiden attained immortality, her youthful appearance undiminished even at 200 years of age.

The Mysterious Maiden, named Zhuan He, was widowed young. A physiognomist predicted that both she and her son would die prematurely, prompting her to study the arts of the Jade Master. Once perfected, she could enter water without wetting her clothes, stand upon its surface in thin robes during winter without showing discomfort, and maintain bodily warmth for days. She could also instantly relocate government offices, palaces, or even entire cities—observers would see no difference until she pointed, whereupon the designated area would vanish. Locked doors and chests opened at her touch, mountains crumbled when she gestured, and withered trees revived with another motion. Once, while leading disciples through mountain paths as dusk fell...

This immortal would strike mountain rocks with his staff, causing stone doors to automatically open to reveal complete dwellings within—complete with rooms, beds, curtains, and all necessary furnishings. The kitchen storerooms contained ample wine and food; no matter how far he traveled, whatever he needed would appear when required. He could make small objects suddenly expand to the size of houses, or shrink massive objects down to the fineness of a hair. When wildfires raged across the plains, a single exhalation from him could extinguish the flames, yet his robes remained unburned even when standing in fierce fires. In the blink of an eye, he could transform into an old man or a child, or conjure carriages and horses. Mastering thirty-six magical arts, he was particularly skilled in the divine technique of reviving the dead, saving countless lives. None knew what elixirs he consumed, but his face grew increasingly youthful, his hair black as a raven's feathers, until he finally ascended to immortality in broad daylight.

Nanji Zi (surnamed Liu, given name Rong) possessed a marvelous ability: he could combine powder to form eggs, producing dozens at once. When boiled and peeled, traces of powder remained in the yolks. Rubbing this powder on cups and reciting incantations would transform them into living turtles, which could be cooked and eaten—complete with all internal organs. If the turtle meat was removed, the shell would revert to its original powdered cup form. He could also enchant plain water into fine wine that induced drunkenness. With a mere point of his finger, he could make trees grow instantly; branches broken off and placed indoors remained fresh for days, indistinguishable from living trees. Later, he attained the Dao by consuming Cloudfrost Elixir and became an immortal.

Huanglu Zi (surnamed Ge, given name Qi) possessed divine medical skills. Even if patients were a thousand miles away, simply writing their names for him to treat would cure them—no physical examination needed. He excelled in the art of "Qi restraint" (using vital energy to immobilize external objects), capable of freezing tigers, wolves, and venomous creatures in place, preventing birds from taking flight, even making rivers flow backward for a mile. At 280 years old, he could still lift a thousand jin and outrun galloping horses, with a five-colored cloud aura perpetually hovering ten feet above his head. During droughts, he would summon dragons from deep pools to ascend the heavens, bringing immediate rainfall—a feat he repeated multiple times. Eventually, he mounted a dragon and ascended to immortality; after bidding farewell to family and friends, he never returned.

Ma Mingsheng was originally from Linzi in the state of Qi, surnamed He with the courtesy name Junxian. In his youth, he served as a county clerk. While pursuing bandits, he was severely wounded and fell unconscious, only to be revived by a Daoist priest using divine medicine. From then on, he resigned from his official post to follow his master. At first, he merely sought to learn wound-healing techniques, but upon discovering his master’s knowledge of the Dao of immortality, he devoted himself to serving him for years. Carrying his book chest, he accompanied his master westward to the Nüji Mountain, north to the Xuanqiu Mountain, and south to the Lu River, traversing the realm through hardship until he finally obtained the three scrolls of the Taiqing Shendan Jing (Scripture of the Divine Elixir of Great Clarity). Returning to the mountains to refine and ingest the elixir, he chose to consume only half the dose, becoming an Earth Immortal (a long-lived being who had not yet ascended to heaven). He never stayed in one place for more than three years, constantly moving on. He built houses, hired servants, and traveled by carriage or horseback like any ordinary person. Wandering the human world for over five hundred years, people marveled at his ageless appearance until he finally perfected the Great Elixir and ascended in broad daylight.

Yin Changsheng was from Xinye, a member of the same clan as Empress Yin of the Han dynasty. Despite his noble and wealthy background, he cared little for fame or fortune, focusing solely on seeking the Dao. Hearing of Ma Mingsheng’s attainment, he went to become his disciple, willingly performing menial tasks as a servant for over twenty years. Though twelve fellow disciples gradually left during this time, he alone remained steadfast in his reverence. Eventually, Ma Mingsheng took him to Qingcheng Mountain, demonstrating the art of transforming yellow earth into gold before establishing an altar to transmit the Taiqing Shendan Jing. After returning home, Yin Changsheng also ingested only half the elixir. He refined hundreds of thousands of pounds of gold to aid the common people and traveled the world with his entire family, all maintaining their youthful appearances. In the end, he ascended in daylight at Mount Pingdu, leaving behind nine Daoist texts before his departure.

Throughout the ages, countless individuals have attained the Dao and achieved immortality, too numerous to recount in detail. Since the founding of the Han dynasty alone, forty-five people have attained the Dao and become immortals, making forty-six including myself. Among them, twenty achieved immortality through "corpse liberation" (a Daoist method of feigning death to transcend the mortal world), while the rest ascended to heaven in broad daylight.

The Master Who Embraces Simplicity (Ge Hong referring to himself) says: I have heard the proverb, "Those who never travel by night, how would they know there are fellow night travelers?" How can those who have not attained immortality possibly know how many cultivators in the mountains and forests have actually achieved the Dao? Take Yin Changsheng (a renowned Eastern Han alchemist) for example—though he had not yet ascended after consuming the elixir, through the principle of like attracting like, he naturally could interact and converse with immortals. Thus he knew the number of recent transcendents. Yet worldly people, having never witnessed such things, insist there are no immortals—is this not lamentable?

Those reclusive cultivators dwelling in mountain wilderness find joy in seclusion and contentment in scholarly pursuits. They neither flaunt literary talent nor chase fame, neither seek official positions nor desire prominence. Ordinary people scarcely know them—how much less would they know the immortals? Why should immortals rush to make their existence known to court officials?

In his personal account, Yin Changsheng recorded: In the first year of the Yan'guang era (122 CE) of the Eastern Han, I received the essential formula for refining the elixir from Master He at the northern slopes of Xinye Mountain. Having achieved the Dao, I concealed duplicate copies of the formula in famous mountains. Those predestined to discover them may become perfected beings (zhenren, the Daoist honorific for those who attain the Dao). Practitioners of the Dao come and go freely—why cling to the dusty world? The secret to immortality lies in refining the elixir. While breathing exercises, daoyin (ancient health-preserving techniques), and limb-stretching movements combined with herbal medicines may prolong life, only the elixir enables celestial ascent.

Herein lies the crux of attaining the Dao: Through continuous study and accumulation, one reaches the state of wuwei (non-action), thereby naturally communing with the divine. Those of superior capacity will diligently practice upon hearing this, while those of inferior disposition will merely scoff in disbelief. To demonstrate the elixir's power to confer immortality, Yin Changsheng recorded the scripture on yellow silk—one copy sealed in a patterned stone casket at Mount Song, another inscribed on yellow bamboo slips in lacquer and stored in a blue jade casket at Mount Hua, a third engraved on golden slips within a silver casket deposited at Mount Jing in Shu Province, with a final silk manuscript compiled into a scroll passed down through generations of disciples. Additionally, he composed three treatises for posterity.

The first treatise states: My ancestors served as ministers from the eras of Yao and Shun down to the Han dynasty. Alone among them, I cherished the Dao's pursuit, content as a commoner, holding fast to noble ideals, unwilling to serve kings and nobles.

Hou Sheng, clinging to life, attained longevity—what more could one seek? Transcending the mundane world, he soared straight to the azure heavens, riding the clear wind to wander the void. Qingyao (a celestial maiden) spread her wings yet stood against me. Entering fire, he remained unburned; entering water, he remained untouched. Roaming freely in the realm of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), what worries could remain? He frolicked in the immortal capital, pitying the ignorant masses. Life flows away like a rushing river, turning to dust in the blink of an eye. Yet mortals chase after death, unwilling to pause even for a moment.

The second section states: My sagely master, steadfast as unyielding stone in comprehending the Dao (the Way). He could ascend and descend, transform and change, dwelling alongside the immortals Chisongzi and Wangziqiao. Our fellowship numbered twelve, enduring hardship in pursuit of the Dao for twenty years. Most among us were lax and unfocused, their resolve weak and practice slack. Alas! Their fate was decreed by heaven—the Dao does not grant itself lightly, for it belongs only to the virtuous. Once fallen into the dark abyss, when could they return? Let this be a warning to future seekers: strive diligently and do not be ensnared by worldly riches. Once the divine path is mastered, one may ascend to the highest heavens, with a lifespan as enduring as the sun, moon, and stars—far beyond mere millennia.

The third section recounts: From youth, I cherished the Dao and its De (Virtue), practicing with unbound hair. I left my family to follow my master, journeying east and west, north and south, dwelling in seclusion amid the Five Turbidities (a Buddhist concept referring to the corruption of the age, views, afflictions, beings, and lifespan). For over twenty years, I resided in sacred mountains, enduring cold without adding clothes, hunger without seeking food, longing for home yet not returning, exhaustion without rest. Serving my master with humility and reverence, my face covered in dust, my feet calloused, I finally earned his compassion and guidance. Only then was I granted the essential teachings—a kindness beyond measure. My wife and children, too, were granted extended lifespans, sharing in boundless joy. I refined gold, amassing wealth beyond counting, commanding spirits and ghosts, with jade maidens attending me. My transcendence of the mortal world was achieved solely through the power of the divine elixir. Yin Changsheng (a Daoist immortal) remained in the human world for 170 years, his face still like a child’s, before ascending in broad daylight.

Regarding Lord Mao: Mao Jun, styled Shushen, was a native of Xianyang. His great-grandfather, Mao Meng, styled Chucheng, studied the Dao on Mount Hua. After refining the Golden Elixir, he ascended to heaven astride a crimson dragon—this occurred during the Qin dynasty. A children’s rhyme of the time sang: "The immortal who attained it was Mao Chucheng, riding a dragon to rise to the Great Purity, descending at times to play in Mysterious Isles and Crimson City. The legacy continues with me, Mao Ying. Should the emperor seek it, let him rename the year 'Jiaping.'" This was recorded in detail in historical texts. Emperor Qin Shi Huang, then seeking the path to immortality, heard the rhyme and believed it aligned with his own name, interpreting it as an omen of his ascension. He decreed the renaming of the twelfth month as the "Jiaping Festival" in response. He dispatched envoys to worship the Penglai Isles and sent Xu Fu with young boys and girls to sail in search of the elixir. At eighteen, Mao Jun entered Mount Heng...

This passage recounts the legendary story of the Han dynasty immortal Mao Jun (Mao Ying). After cultivating the Dao in the mountains for twenty years, Mao Jun returned home to find his parents still alive. His parents angrily scolded him: "You unfilial son! Instead of serving and supporting your parents, you've been wandering around pursuing those demonic and delusional practices!" They raised their canes to beat him.

Mao Jun knelt and explained: "I have received the Mandate of Heaven to attain the Dao, but it's difficult to fully cultivate the Way while fulfilling filial duties. Though I couldn't serve you morning and night, I've enabled you to enjoy longevity and our household to remain peaceful. Now that I've achieved Daoist attainment, I can no longer endure such beatings and humiliation—doing so might bring unforeseen consequences." When his father refused to listen and swung the cane, it suddenly broke into dozens of pieces that flew like arrows, some piercing through walls and pillars until the walls collapsed. Only then did his father stop in shock.

His father asked: "You claim to have attained the Dao—can you bring the dead back to life?" Mao Jun replied: "Those who died burdened with heavy sins cannot be revived, but those who met untimely deaths can." His father then asked him to demonstrate with villagers who had died. Mao Jun summoned the local earth god (Shegong) for consultation—his father heard responses in the courtyard but saw no one. The earth god indicated which deceased could be revived, and Mao Jun arranged the procedures, instructing families to open the graves at sunset. The dead opened their eyes and moved, though couldn't yet speak. After being carried out for three days, they could sit up and talk. Dozens were revived this way, living another ten years before truly passing.

Later, Mao Jun's younger brothers Mao Gu (style name Jiwei) and Mao Zhong (style name Sihe) became Han officials with salaries of two thousand dan. When they departed for their posts, hundreds from their hometown came to see them off. During the farewell banquet, Mao Jun said: "Though I hold no official position, on the eighteenth day of the third month I must also assume my celestial appointment. Could you all come to see me off?" The crowd laughingly agreed. Mao Jun responded: "If you honor me with your presence, I shall be deeply moved."

This story demonstrates the supernatural powers of Daoist adepts while reflecting the Daoist dilemma of "loyalty and filial piety being irreconcilable," as well as the belief that cultivation ultimately benefits one's family. The resurrection of the dead exemplifies early Daoist beliefs about "corpse-liberation immortals" (shijie xian).

This passage describes the miraculous phenomena accompanying the ascension of the Daoist immortal Lord Mao (Mao Ying). Before his departure, Lord Mao told his relatives and friends not to prepare farewell gifts. On the appointed day, several acres of wasteland before his home suddenly transformed into a level ground adorned with blue silk canopies and white felt carpets, spacious enough to accommodate thousands. People from near and far marveled at this wonder, and the crowd seeing him off was several times larger than when they had bid farewell to his younger brother.

When all the guests had gathered, Lord Mao received them as usual. Though no servants were visible, golden plates and jade cups automatically appeared before the guests, along with an endless stream of rare delicacies, exotic fruits, and fine wines never seen before. All were satisfied by the feast. The next day, a celestial entourage arrived to escort him—civil officials in vermilion robes with purple-gold belts, and military officers bearing gleaming weapons and banners, numbering over a thousand.

After bidding farewell to his parents and kin, Lord Mao ascended a feathered canopy chariot (a divine vehicle). His procession rivaled that of an emperor, accompanied by mythical creatures like dragons, tigers, qilin, white cranes, and lions, while tens of thousands of birds circled overhead amidst colorful clouds. The convoy traveled over ten li before suddenly vanishing, leaving onlookers in awe. Lord Mao later settled at Mount Juqu in Jiangnan (now known as Mount Mao), where the mountain's caverns served as abodes for immortals.

The local people built a temple at the mountain's base to honor him. Lord Mao often conversed with devotees from within his canopy, appearing sometimes with a retinue of attendants and other times transformed into a white crane. When people fell ill, they would place ten eggs in the canopy as offerings. After a short while, the eggs would be returned unchanged—if the yolks had disappeared, the sick would recover; if soil appeared inside, they would not. Remarkably, the eggshells showed no signs of being opened. The temple was often filled with celestial music and rare fragrances, accompanied by auspicious clouds and numinous energy. When Lord Mao descended, divine music would sound, sometimes lasting an entire day before he departed.

Under Lord Mao's protection, the local people were spared from floods, droughts, epidemics, and insect plagues, while the mountain remained free of poisonous plants and fierce beasts. Thus, the mountain came to be called Mount Mao. Later, his two younger brothers resigned from official posts in their seventies and eighties to pursue the Dao.

This scripture recounts the cultivation stories of two Daoist perfected beings.

First is the tale of the three Mao brothers: They left home, crossed the Yangtze River in search of their elder brother, and ingested the "Four-Fan Powder" elixir, which restored their youth. After over forty years of secluded cultivation in mountain caves, they finally attained the Dao and became true immortals. The Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) dispatched envoys of the Five Emperors bearing jade tablets and golden registers, bestowing upon them nine sacred ritual vessels and conferring upon Elder Mao the title of "Perfected of Grand Primordiality" (Taiyuan Zhenren), entrusting him with the registers of life and death for the Wu-Yue region. Later, they cultivated further at Mount Qian, where envoys arrived with purple writs, appointing Mao Gu as "Lord of Fixed Records" (Dinglu Jun) and Mao Zhong as "Lord of Preserved Life" (Baoming Jun). All three brothers ascended as high-ranking perfected beings, collectively known as the "Three Mao Lords." On specific days each year, they would reunite atop the mountain, each riding a white crane.

Next is the account of Zhang Daoling's cultivation journey: Originally a great Confucian scholar well-versed in the classics, he later found such learning inadequate for prolonging life and turned instead to the path of immortality. At Mount Fanyang, he refined elixirs according to the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Nine-Cauldron Elixir (Huangdi Jiuding Danjing), gaining the ability to vanish at will upon success. Later, in a stone chamber at Mount Wan, he obtained secret texts and mastered the art of summoning mountain deities. During a time of great turmoil in the realm, he retreated to Yuhang to farm in seclusion. At fifty, he devoted himself wholly to the Dao and achieved complete realization within ten years. Hearing of the simple, virtuous customs of Shu, he journeyed with disciples to Crane Cry Mountain (Hemingshan). After encountering the Supreme Lord Lao, he spent three years refining elixirs according to the prescribed method but resolved to first eliminate harm and benefit the people before consuming them. The Lord then sent a jade maiden to teach him breath regulation techniques (tuna qinghe zhi fa). After a thousand days of practice, he gained the ability to internally observe his five viscera and externally summon divine spirits, as well as mastering the "Three Steps and Nine Traces" (sanbu jiuji), a ritual pacing of the stars emulating the Big Dipper.

(Note: The "Three Steps and Nine Traces" refers to a Daoist footwork method mimicking the positions of the Northern Dipper; the "Nine-Cauldron Elixir" represents an advanced alchemical preparation in ancient practices; "breath regulation techniques" denote cultivation methods for harmonizing respiration.)

The Biographies of Divine Immortals records this account of a Daoist Celestial Master (Tianshi) subduing demons and the thaumaturgic feats of Luan Ba:

In the Shu region, tens of thousands of demons once ran rampant in broad daylight, spreading plague and tormenting the people for years. Later, the Celestial Master (referring to Zhang Daoling) employed his spiritual power to subdue the Six Heavens' Great Demons, banishing these malevolent spirits to the desolate northwest. He established the cosmic rule that humans govern daylight while ghosts may only move at night, thus maintaining proper order between the Yin and Yang realms. As testimony to this decree, the Celestial Master erected a stone stele—to this day, Mount Qingcheng preserves both the ruins of the ancient ghost market and this historic "Celestial Master's Oath to the Demons" monument.

Another immortal, Luan Ba, was a native of Shu who manifested supernatural abilities from youth. He could pass through walls—witnesses would hear only a tiger's roar before seeing him emerge outside. While serving as governor of Yuzhang, he discovered the local temple deity (who could converse with humans) was actually an old raccoon-dog spirit in disguise. Luan Ba exposed its true form through talismanic incantations (Fulu).

During his tenure as Imperial Secretary, at a New Year's banquet, Luan Ba suddenly sprayed wine southwestward. He explained this was his magical intervention to extinguish a fire raging in his hometown Chengdu. When the emperor sent messengers to verify, they confirmed an inexplicable rain had indeed quenched the flames that day—a downpour smelling of wine that came from the northeast.

Luan Ba criticized contemporary Daoist practitioners who focused solely on breathing techniques like the Eight Brocades or Six Healing Sounds, ignorant that true Qi circulation follows natural principles. Though sitting in meditation, their minds flitted outward like moths drawn to flame or flies battering windows—chasing profit while failing to avoid harm. He mocked this as laughable as sea fish borrowing shrimp's eyes to see. Those who don't comprehend the proper domains of day and night, he taught, can never truly attain the Dao. Genuine cultivators transcend worldly attachments, perceiving beauties as plain as the legendary homely woman Mumo, and viewing mansions as mere thatched huts.

This passage elucidates the essential methods for cultivating the Dao to attain immortality. When the mind becomes perfectly clear and undisturbed by distracting thoughts, guiding the circulation of Qi (vital energy) within the body will unblock all the meridians. Maintaining a pure and untainted mental state while nurturing the Great Mystery (referring to primordial Qi) allows one to avoid entanglement in worldly cunning and calculations. At this stage, one can comprehend the function of the Shen (spirit), understand the generation of true Qi, and experience the movement of Jing (essence)—with these achievements, what spiritual goal remains beyond reach?

The hundred articles written by the author all reveal precious secrets of Daoist cultivation. For those who have lost their way in spiritual practice, these teachings serve as an indispensable compass.

The sixth scroll of Biographies of Divine Immortals records the story of Liu An, the Prince of Huainan during the Western Han dynasty (revered in Daoism as the Huainan Prince), and his quest for immortality. This feudal lord was particularly obsessed with the arts of immortals and esoteric techniques, attracting numerous practitioners from across the land to his court. One day, eight elderly men arrived—bent with age and frail in appearance. The gatekeeper, deeming them too old to meet the prince’s standards for recruiting talents, repeatedly denied them entry. The eight elders responded: "If our age is the issue, what difficulty is there in becoming young again?" With that, they adjusted their robes and hats and instantly transformed into youthful boys. Stunned, the gatekeeper rushed to report the marvel. The Prince of Huainan was so excited that he ran out with his shoes on backward to welcome them, paying homage as a disciple and earnestly seeking their teachings on immortality.

These eight immortals introduced themselves as: Wen Wuchang, Wu Qide, Zhi Baiying, Shou Qianling, Ye Wanchun, Ming Jiugao, Xiu Santian (referring to the upper, middle, and lower Dantian), and Cen Yifeng. Each possessed extraordinary powers—they could summon wind and rain, command thunder and lightning, move mountains and drain seas, subdue demons, and even halt the sun and moon or reverse the flow of rivers. At the time, a palace official named Wu Bei, fearing punishment for his past mistakes, falsely accused the Prince of Huainan of treason to the imperial court. Emperor Wu of Han dispatched the Minister of Imperial Clan Affairs to investigate. The eight immortals then warned the prince: "When a subject falsely accuses his lord, divine retribution follows—this is Heaven’s sign for you to transcend the mortal world."

Under the guidance of the Eight Lords, the Prince of Huainan prepared an elixir in a cauldron. After consuming it, he ascended to immortality in broad daylight, accompanied by nearly three hundred family members and attendants. Even the chickens and dogs that licked the remnants of the elixir soared into the heavens, leaving only scattered footprints of people and horses on the mountain rocks. Later, when Emperor Wu learned the truth, he was filled with regret. Though he executed the slanderer Wu Bei, he could never again obtain the elixir of immortality. It was only after the Queen Mother of the West descended to bestow upon him the scriptures of immortality that Emperor Wu attained the method of shijie (a preliminary form of physical ascension). The jade boxes and golden staffs buried with him in the Maoling Mausoleum were precisely the ritual implements prepared for his practice of shijie transcendence.

This passage records the legendary tale of the Han dynasty fangshi (Daoist practitioner) Li Shaojun.

Li Shaojun, styled Yunyi, was a native of Linzi in the state of Qi. In his youth, he was devoted to cultivating the Dao (the Way). He once journeyed to Mount Tai to gather medicinal herbs, practicing grain avoidance (bigu, abstaining from the Five Grains) and techniques of withdrawing from the world to preserve his body. Before achieving success in his cultivation, he fell ill in the mountains, where he happened to meet the immortal Master Anqi passing by. Seeing Li Shaojun’s sincere devotion to the Dao, Master Anqi took pity on him and revived him with a spoonful of "Divine Tower Powder." From then on, Li Shaojun followed Master Anqi, serving him closely.

Together, they traveled extensively—east to Red Wall Mountain, south to Mount Luofu, north to Great Wall Mountain, and west to the Jade Gate, traversing all Five Sacred Peaks for several decades. One day, Master Anqi informed Li Shaojun that he had received a summons from the immortal realm of Mysterious Isle and had to depart immediately. However, as Li Shaojun’s celestial destiny had not yet arrived, he could not accompany him. They agreed that Master Anqi would return for him in six hundred years. After imparting secret formulas and oral instructions for refining divine elixirs (shen dan), Master Anqi ascended to the heavens in a feathered chariot, welcomed by hundreds of immortals.

Afterward, Li Shaojun returned to the mortal world. At times, he worked as a merchant, at others as an official, and sometimes as a healer, frequently changing his name and traveling incognito, so that no one knew he was a Daoist cultivator. It was not until the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, when he heard the emperor was recruiting fangshi, that he lamented his old age and impending death without the means to refine elixirs. He resolved to seek an audience with the emperor. He told his disciples, "I have heard the emperor reveres the Dao. I will seek an audience—if I succeed in refining elixirs, all the better; if not, I shall depart. I have lived in this world for over five hundred years. If I do not seize this opportunity, I will end up as food for insects and ants."

When he met Emperor Wu, Li Shaojun claimed he could transmute mercury into silver and cinnabar into gold, and that consuming these substances would allow one to ascend to immortality in broad daylight, growing vermilion wings and radiating a halo of light. This account illustrates the extraordinary journey of a cultivator from mortal to immortal, as well as a historical glimpse of the interactions between Han dynasty fangshi and imperial rulers.

This passage records the miraculous deeds of the alchemist Li Shaojun. He could ride flying dragons to roam the eight directions and mount white cranes to traverse the nine heavens. He had consumed jujubes as large as melons from the Zhouming Sea and plums the size of vases from Mount Zhong. Claiming to have learned esoteric cultivation formulas from his master Master Anqi, he thereby mastered the Dao of immortality. Emperor Wu of Han held him in the highest esteem, bestowing countless treasures and building him a mansion, convinced he could help him achieve transcendence.

During a banquet, Li Shaojun recognized a hunting ground a ninety-year-old elder had frequented in his youth, astonishing all present. He also accurately identified a bronze vessel in Emperor Wu's collection as an artifact from Duke Huan of Qi's era, proving he was already several centuries old. Yet his appearance remained that of a fifty-year-old, with radiant, rosy skin, while his eyebrows, eyes, and teeth resembled those of a fifteen-year-old boy. Nobles across the land, hearing he could reverse aging, sent vast sums seeking his longevity techniques.

Later, Li Shaojun secretly refined an elixir. As the concoction neared completion, he requested twelve volumes of secret Daoist scriptures from Emperor Wu, containing records of the Five Thearchs (Wudi) and the art of Dunjia (Liujia). In the seventh month of Yuanfeng 4, upon receiving the texts, by the ninth month of Yuanfeng 6, he suddenly pleaded illness in a memorial. He pointed out that despite Emperor Wu's pursuit of immortality, his inability to renounce luxury, warfare, and emotional turbulence—resulting in widespread wrongful deaths and bloodshed—made his mental state utterly incompatible with elixir refinement.

Li Shaojun declared himself too aged and ill to personally observe purification rites, fearing he would not live to ingest cinnabar and ascend like Pengzu. Yet he emphasized the authenticity of the Golden Elixir (Jindan) formula transmitted by Master Anqi, insisting it would work if the cultivation precepts were strictly followed.

This passage recounts the miraculous deeds of Li Shaojun, a fangshi (Daoist adept) during Emperor Wu of Han's reign, who later became an immortal figure in Daoist lore. Li presented the emperor with a minor elixir formula (a type of immortality drug crafted through alchemy), but deliberately withheld the major formula. One night, Emperor Wu dreamed of ascending Mount Song with Li Shaojun when a rainbow-robed messenger arrived astride a dragon, announcing that the Great Unity deity (Taiyi, one of Daoism's supreme gods) was summoning Li.

The next day, Li Shaojun fell gravely ill. Emperor Wu personally visited him and dispatched scribes to record his esoteric techniques, but before they could finish, Li passed away. Strangely, during the enshrouding, his corpse suddenly vanished, leaving only his garments behind like a cicada’s shed skin. Over a hundred days later, someone spotted Li riding a blue mule in Puzhou Market east of the Yellow River. When Emperor Wu ordered the coffin opened for inspection, only a single shoe remained inside, though the nails were perfectly intact.

The text also documents Li Shaojun healing Dong Zhong, a Han dynasty scholar-official. Dong, originally frail and sickly, received two prepared doses of medicine and a prescription from Li, concocted from rare ingredients like "Wuji grass" and "essence of Earth Sovereign’s fat." After taking them, Dong felt lighter and stronger; by the fifth dose, even his lost teeth regrew. Yet Dong, stubborn by nature, though personally witnessing the divine efficacy, insisted that lifespan was heaven-mandated and mocked those seeking immortality through elixirs.

Through three emblematic episodes—corpse liberation (shijie, the Daoist belief that perfected beings transform their physical form to ascend), posthumous apparitions, and miraculous healing—the passage crafts Li Shaojun’s image as a realized Daoist adept. Simultaneously, it mirrors the Han dynasty’s complex blend of yearning for longevity techniques and lingering skepticism. Details like alchemical ingredients and elixir effects provide crucial early records of Daoist cultivation practices.

This passage recounts several stories about individuals attaining immortality through cultivation:

There was a man named Zhong who obtained the prescription of Master Shaojun (a Daoist immortal) but kept it unused. When he fell gravely ill later, he remembered this medicine. After taking it, his body became light and vigorous, his white hair turned black again, and he lived past eighty. On his deathbed, he told his son Daosheng to continue seeking this formula. Daosheng later met Master Boze and learned that while this medicine wasn't the true Golden Elixir (Jindan), it could extend life for centuries. After taking it, Daosheng lived 370 years before entering the mountains to cultivate the Dao.

The text mentions others who took this medicine—some living 300 years, others 500—remaining free from illness until death while maintaining youthful appearances. The author suggests this was merely Master Shaojun's ordinary prescription, with his superior formulas producing even more miraculous effects. Before departing, Shaojun transmitted the "Six Jia Left-Right Numinous Flight Technique" (a cultivation method) to Dongguo Yan and the "Divine Elixir Soaring Mystery Formula" (alchemical method) to his townsman Kuaizi Shun—both later achieved immortality.

Another story tells of Wang Zhen (courtesy name Shujian) from Shangdang, who began cultivation at seventy. He came across a woodcutter's chant from King Xuan of Zhou's era: "Wrap the golden cloth, enter heaven's gate / Call upon long-lasting essence, inhale mysterious springs / Sound the celestial drum, nourish the mud pellet." At the time, none understood except the Pillar Historian (official title), who recognized it as the secret language of "life-nourishing adepts." These verses contain cultivation secrets—"mud pellet" (niwan) refers to the upper Dantian (energy center at the crown of the head).

This passage recounts the story of a cultivator named Xi Mengjie who studied longevity techniques under his master Wang Zhen.

Wang Zhen was actually the incarnation of the legendary Fisherman from ancient lore, identifiable by distinctive eye characteristics: those who live to eight hundred years have square pupils, while those reaching a thousand develop vertical striations. A man named Zhen once read about these signs but failed to grasp their deeper meaning. After a year of searching, he finally encountered someone who could explain them. The interpreter revealed these were basic health-preservation methods—capable only of prolonging life and restoring black hair—and taught him specific techniques: visualizing a golden headscarf (representing lung essence, or Jing) descending slowly from the Muddy Pellet Palace (upper Dantian) to circulate through the body, which would make the skin radiant; swallowing oral fluids (known as "Mystic Spring") to resist aging, with effects visible in seven days.

Striking the teeth thirty-six times at dawn (called "Heavenly Drumming") could calm the spirit (Shen), while meditating at night on crimson Qi (red vital energy) flowing from the Heavenly Gate (Baihui point) into the brain, transforming into flames that illuminated the entire body—a practice termed "refining the form." Breath retention and swallowing were called "fetal breathing," and consuming saliva beneath the tongue was known as "fetal nourishment." Wang Zhen diligently practiced these methods, abstaining from food for over two hundred years while maintaining a ruddy complexion and extraordinary stamina. Yet he lamented that these techniques merely extended life, falling short of the transcendent immortality achieved through the Golden Elixir (Jindan). Thus, he apprenticed under Kuai Zixun to study the Emergency Prescriptions (Zhouhou Fang).

When summoned by Cao Cao, Wang Zhen appeared no older than thirty, a fact confirmed by villagers who attested to his unchanging youthful appearance. Xi Mengjie trained under him for over a decade, mastering foundational alchemical methods. Later, Wang Zhen ascended Nüji Mountain with three young female disciples to refine elixirs and never returned. Records state he could travel three hundred li in a day, while Xi Mengjie attained even deeper skills: surviving a decade without food by merely holding jujube pits, suspending breath for half a year like a corpse, all while maintaining a normal family life—techniques Wang Zhen had passed down as the "Suburban Hermit" cultivation method. Xi Mengjie, known for his earnest and disciplined nature, inherited these extraordinary arts.

(Note: "Muddy Pellet" refers to the upper Dantian between the eyebrows; "Heavenly Gate" is the Baihui point at the crown of the head; "fetal breathing and nourishment" are Daoist longevity practices mimicking fetal respiration; Emergency Prescriptions denotes portable medical manuals of secret formulas.)

This passage from Biographies of Divine Immortals (Shenxian Zhuan) records the marvelous deeds of several Daoist adepts:

Emperor Wu of Wei (Cao Cao) once built a thatched cottage for the fangshi (Daoist practitioner) Meng Jie. During the reigns of Emperor Hui and Emperor Huai of Jin, people still reported seeing Meng Jie walking the streets of Chang'an. Though Cao Cao actively recruited practitioners of esoteric arts, genuine Daoist adepts refused to disclose their cultivation secrets to him.

Chen Chang lived in seclusion on Zhuyu Mountain for six hundred years, maintaining sacrificial altars through all seasons without consuming earthly food. Without deliberate cultivation practices, he could cure illnesses simply by giving patients water that had been used in his rituals.

Magistrate Liu Gang of Shangyu and his wife Lady Fan were both accomplished adepts. They often competed in magical displays: when Liu Gang set fire from the east, Lady Fan would summon rain from the west to extinguish it; when they enchanted peach trees to fight, Liu Gang's tree would flee beyond the fence; Liu Gang could transform his saliva into crucian carp, while Lady Fan would conjure an otter to devour them; encountering a tiger on the road, Lady Fan tied it with a rope and led it home. Liu Gang always lost these contests. Eventually they ascended to immortality near a honey locust tree by the county office—Liu Gang had to climb several zhang up the tree before taking flight, while Lady Fan rose effortlessly from her bed like drifting mist.

The Holy Mother of Dongling, native of Hailing in Guangling, married into the Du family before becoming Liu Gang's disciple. She mastered shape-shifting and appearing/disappearing at will. Her husband, skeptical of Daoism, often grew angry. The Holy Mother would sometimes travel to heal the sick or...

Here are recorded the miraculous deeds of several individuals who attained the Dao and became immortals:

A woman known as the "Holy Mother" was falsely accused of using sorcery to disrupt households while healing people. When officials imprisoned her, she flew straight out through the prison window. Witnesses saw her ascending higher and higher until she disappeared into the clouds, leaving only her shoes beneath the window. Later, a temple was built in her honor where prayers were remarkably effective. Blue birds often perched at this temple—when people inquired about lost items, the birds would fly over the thieves' heads to identify them. Over time, these marvels gradually faded. To this day in the Hailing region, evildoers inevitably face retribution: major offenses bring death by storm waves or wild beasts, while minor transgressions result in illness or injury.

Kong Yuan subsisted year-round on pine resin, poria mushrooms, and pine nuts, remaining as vigorous as a youth even at 170 years old. At one banquet, he performed the feat of drinking wine while standing upside-down, supporting himself with a cane—a trick no one else could replicate. Later, he carved out a ten-foot-square cave by a riverbank for seclusion, where he could go without food for months before ultimately attaining the Dao at Mount Hua (the Western Sacred Peak).

Wang Lie (courtesy name Changxiu), a native of Handan, consumed yellow essence herbs and refined lead, living to 238 with undiminished youthfulness, scaling mountains with flying speed. In his youth, he befriended the philosopher Ji Kang. Once in the Taihang Mountains, he heard a mountain splitting open—arriving to find a several-hundred-zhang fissure gushing blue marrow-like mud. Shaping it into balls, the substance soon hardened into hot wax-like stones that tasted like rice. Immortal scriptures state this "mountain marrow" appears once every five centuries; consuming it grants longevity matching heaven and earth.

She Zheng (courtesy name Xuanzhen) of Badong recounted Qin dynasty events as if describing the present. He walked perpetually with closed eyes—no one saw them open for decades. When persistent disciples finally begged him, his eyelids parted with thunderclaps, lightning flashing from his pupils and sending them prostrate in terror. The immortal Li Baibai called him "a four-hundred-year-old child."

Jiao Xian (courtesy name Xiaoran), from Hedong, became separated from his family during the late Han dynasty's chaos and fled alone... [text continues]

On the sandy riverbank lived an eccentric man who ate only wild plants, drank river water, and went barefoot without shoes. When Zhu Nanwang, an official from Taiyang County, spotted him and mistook him for a fugitive, intending to dispatch boats to capture him, a fellow villager named Hou Wuyang explained to the authorities that this was merely a madman. The local government then registered him and provided him with five liters of grain daily. People looked down on him, yet his actions never strayed from the proper path—he always walked along the field ridges. When gathering grains, he never took the largest ears; when hungry, he never begged indiscriminately for food; when cold, he never demanded clothes without reason. Whenever he encountered women while going out, he would hide and only emerge after they had passed. He built himself a simple melon shed, kept it meticulously clean, fashioned a wooden bed, and used grass as a mattress. In cold weather, he would light a fire to warm himself, often murmuring and talking to himself.

During the Taihe and Qinglong eras (reign periods of Emperor Ming of Wei during the Three Kingdoms), he once attempted to cross the river with a walking stick. Seeing the swollen waters, he muttered to himself, "Not yet." This made people suspect he wasn’t truly mad. His words often proved prophetic, and eventually, everyone regarded him as a recluse. He lived to the age of eighty-nine before passing away.

Another recluse, Sun Deng (courtesy name Gonghe), hailed from Jijun. Homeless, he dug an earthen cave in the northern mountains of the commandery to live in. He enjoyed studying the I Ching and playing a single-stringed zither, never showing anger. Once, someone deliberately threw him into the water to provoke him, but upon emerging, he only laughed heartily. He once dwelled in Yiyang Mountain, where charcoal burners recognized him as no ordinary man, yet he ignored their attempts to converse. Emperor Wen of Wei, hearing of him, sent Ruan Ji to visit, but Sun Deng remained silent even when questioned. Ji Kang followed him as a disciple for three years, repeatedly asking about the meaning of life, yet received no answer. At their parting, Ji Kang pleaded, "Will you truly say nothing, Master?" Only then did Sun Deng reply:

"Do you understand fire? Fire is born with light yet does not use light—its essence lies in harnessing its radiance. Man is born with talent yet does not use talent—its essence lies in applying it wisely. To sustain fire, one must tend to the kindling; to sustain talent, one must comprehend the Dao (the Way) to preserve life. Now, you possess abundant talent but lack insight—it will be difficult to safeguard yourself in this world!"

Ji Kang failed to grasp this lesson. Later, in his poem Lament from the Shadows, he wrote: "Once I shamed myself by falling short of Liuxia Hui; now I shame myself by failing to match Sun Deng." In the end, no one knew Sun Deng’s whereabouts.

(This account, from Biographies of Divine Immortals (Vol. 6), illustrates the Daoist ideals of harmonizing with nature and concealing one’s brilliance through the lives of two recluses. Sun Deng’s admonition to Ji Kang epitomizes the Daoist principles of "not exhausting one’s talents" and "preserving oneself through wisdom.")

Dongguo Yan, styled Gongyou, was a native of Shanyang who devoted himself to Daoist practices from a young age. Upon hearing that Li Shaojun (a renowned fangshi of the Han dynasty) possessed extraordinary arts, he sought an audience and prostrated himself, begging to serve as an attendant—willing to perform even menial tasks like serving tea and sweeping floors. Recognizing Dongguo's sincerity and reliability, Li Shaojun secretly transmitted to him twelve esoteric techniques before departing, including the "Five Emperors and Six Jia" (Daoist cultivation methods) and "Lingfei Flight Arts" (levitation techniques). He explained: "These too contain the essential secrets for attaining immortality. Diligent practice can lead to ascension." After imparting the oral formulas, Li Shaojun dismissed him.

Returning home, Dongguo Yan consumed the "Lingfei Powder" (immortal elixir), and at night his body would emit light in his chamber. He mastered the Six Jia divination arts, gaining foresight into life, death, fortune, and misfortune for all people—whether acquainted or strangers. He could command spirits, subdue tigers and leopards, and accomplish nearly all miraculous feats. Living in his village for four centuries without aging, dozens of riders astride tigers and leopards suddenly came to escort him away in the 21st year of Emperor Xian's Jian'an reign (216 CE), as witnessed by his neighbors. After bidding farewell to kin and friends, he departed—said to have gone to Mount Kunlun, the immortal abode. Before leaving, he transmitted the divine elixir formula and Five Emperors' Lingfei techniques to Master Yin.

Ling Shouguang of Fufeng obtained the formula for "Vermilion Blossom Pills" (longevity elixir) at age seventy. After consuming them, he rejuvenated to resemble a twenty-year-old. By Jian'an 1 (196 CE), he had lived 220 years.

Liu Jing, styled Taixuan, hailed from Nanyang. Originally a palace attendant under Emperor Wen of Han, he abandoned office to study Daoism under Zhang Jun of Handan. After taking Vermilion Blossom Pills, he maintained the appearance of a thirty-year-old at 130. Later becoming Ji Zixun's disciple, he acquired the Five Emperors' Lingfei arts, Six Jia twelve methods, and the "True Forms of Ten Immortal Isles" techniques. His cultivation bore remarkable fruits—commanding spirits, summoning wind and rain, conjuring celestial banquets (a Daoist art of materializing food), and foreseeing fortunes. He could perform heaven-offering rituals to extend others' lifespans by a decade, though death came inevitably when the term ended—even for skeptics who perished accordingly. He once traveled all Five Sacred Mountains with Wang Zhen and was still alive during Emperor Wu of Wei's (Cao Cao's) reign.

(Supplementary notes: "Six Jia" refers to the six cyclical jia days in the Daoist sixty-year calendar cycle, crucial for cultivation; "celestial banquets" denote the Daoist miracle of summoning exquisite meals; "Vermilion Blossom Pills" were legendary immortality elixirs of antiquity.)

Hearing of an accomplished Daoist master, Huangfu Long followed him to learn the arts of nourishing life. The master transmitted to him two secret methods: one was the Nine-Sons Mica Pill (a mineral-based elixir refined from mica and other substances), and the other was the art of the bedchamber (an ancient method of cultivating life and practice). After taking these as instructed, Huangfu Long’s appearance gradually grew younger—his hair did not turn white, his teeth did not fall out, and he lived for over 300 years, though it is unknown whether he achieved immortality. In the third year of Emperor Wen of Wei’s Huangchu era, the master entered Mount Heng and vanished. He had once told Huangfu Long: The key to nourishing life lies in swallowing the "jade spring" (the saliva in the mouth, known as Yuquan in Daoist practice) every morning at dawn. The method is to rinse the mouth upon waking, wait until saliva fills the mouth, swallow it, then tap the teeth fourteen times, repeating this three times. This is called "refining the essence" (lianjing, a method of cultivating vital energy) and can prolong life. As for the art of the bedchamber, it is not something ordinary people can master—it is as dangerous as trying to rein in startled oxen or horses. He cautioned Huangfu Long to restrain his desires but worried that he might not attain immortality.

Yan Qing was a native of Kuaiji, living in poverty and often burning charcoal in the mountains. One day, he encountered an immortal who told him his bones were extraordinary and suited for cultivating immortality. The immortal gave him a silk scroll (a sacred text written on silk) and instructed him to store it in a clean vessel placed high up, also teaching him how to consume "stone brain" (a mineral-based elixir). After following these instructions, Yan Qing often had a dozen or so immortals secretly assisting him. Whenever he transported charcoal, spirits would push his boat, though others only saw the boat moving on its own. Later, he practiced bigu (a fasting method abstaining from grains) and entered Mount Xiaohuo to cultivate.

Bo He, styled Zhongli, first studied under Master Dong, learning the arts of daoyin (guiding and stretching exercises) and bigu. Later, he went to Mount Xicheng to study under Lord Wang. Lord Wang told him: The secrets of immortality are not easily obtained. I must go to Yingzhou (a legendary immortal mountain), but you must focus on gazing at the stone wall in this cave chamber. In time, you will see writing. Bo He looked for three years: the first year, he saw nothing; the second, faint traces of characters appeared; and by the third, he clearly saw sacred texts such as the Central Scripture of Great Purity (Taiqing Zhongjing), the Divine Elixir Formula (Shendan Fang), the Writ of the Three Sovereigns (Sanhuang Wen), and the Chart of the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue Tu). When Lord Wang returned, he declared that Bo He had attained the Dao and helped him refine an elixir. After consuming half the dose, Bo He gained longevity, while the remaining half was transformed into fifty catties of gold to aid the poor.

Zhao Qu was a native of Shangdang who suffered from leprosy for many years. Despite all treatments, nothing worked, and he was on the verge of death.

The Biographies of Divine Immortals (Shenxian Zhuan) records several accounts of cultivators attaining immortality:

There was a man named Qu who was abandoned by his family in a mountain cave, where he wept day and night. A passing immortal took pity on him and gave him a pouch of medicine (actually pine resin), teaching him the method of ingestion. After consuming it for over a hundred days, Qu not only recovered from illness but developed skin luminous as jade. The immortal told him the mountains were rich in pine resin, and prolonged consumption could lead to eternal life. When Qu returned home, his family initially thought they were seeing a ghost. He persisted in taking the resin until his body became light and his strength multiplied, still having all his teeth and hair at 170 years old. Later he could see strange lights and tiny celestial maidens at night. At over 300 years old, his appearance remained childlike until he finally entered the mountains and became an immortal.

Gong Song was a brilliant scholar who wrote over 200 volumes of Daoist texts. Through consuming mica (a mineral medicine), he attained the status of terrestrial immortal (a rank below celestial immortal) and later achieved full immortality on Zhuyu Mountain.

Rongcheng Gong cultivated the Mysterious-Simple Arts (an ancient longevity technique) and gained limitless lifespan.

Dong Zhongjun from Linhuai practiced breath cultivation (a method of refining the body through controlled breathing) and lived over 200 years without showing signs of aging. When falsely imprisoned, he feigned death, only to suddenly vanish as guards carried out his "corpse."

Qian Pingji of Pei County entered the mountains to cultivate the Dao during the early Han dynasty, yet showed no aging by Emperor Guangwu's reign. He employed the liberation-through-feigned-death technique (shijie), returning to his hometown over a century later.

Wang Zhongdu from Hanzhong was tested by Emperor Yuan of Han during midsummer—made to stand under scorching sun while surrounded by ten blazing stoves (demonstrating his mastery of Daoist arts).

This passage records the extraordinary deeds of several Daoist practitioners:

Cheng Wei's wife was skilled in esoteric arts. As a Han Dynasty court official obsessed with alchemy (waidan, or external alchemy), Cheng once accompanied the emperor on a trip without adequate clothing. His wife miraculously manifested two bolts of silk from thin air. Later, when Cheng failed in his alchemical experiments following the "Secret Treasures from the Pillow" text, his wife found him heating mercury in a bamboo tube over charcoal. She added a mysterious powder, transforming the mixture into silver within moments. When Cheng pressed for the secret, she explained that Daoist practice requires destined affinity. Despite his alternating threats and coaxing—even plotting to beat the formula out of her—the wife went mad, running naked while smearing mud on her body until she died, refusing to reveal the method. She believed Daoist arts must only be transmitted to worthy recipients, preferring death over improper disclosure.

Ji Zixun (styled Da) from Linzi in Qi served as an official in youth before studying Daoism under Li Shaojun. Beginning with medical arts, he discovered his master possessed longevity techniques and formally became a disciple. Recognizing his sincerity, Li gradually taught him embryonic respiration (a form of internal breathing resembling fetal respiration), embryonic nourishment (qi absorption for vitality), and facial rejuvenation methods. After two centuries of practice, Ji maintained youthful appearance while quietly studying the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) and composing essays. In his later years, Li transmitted the "Great Art of Illusory Transformation of the Child of Impermanence"—all proving remarkably effective. Once when holding a neighbor's baby... [Supplementary Notes]

1. Huangbai shu: A branch of waidan specializing in metallurgical transformation to create gold and silver

2. Embryonic respiration/nourishment: Advanced cultivation techniques mimicking fetal breathing and nutrient absorption

3. These stories illustrate the Daoist precept of "not transmitting the Dao lightly," along with concrete longevity practices pursued by adepts

This account recounts several miraculous deeds performed by a mysterious figure named Zixun.

A family had just buried their newborn child who died at birth. Out of deep respect for Zixun, they suppressed their grief. Later, Zixun returned carrying a child, which the terrified family initially refused, fearing it was a ghost. Zixun explained this was their original child reborn. The infant recognized its mother and joyfully reached for her. After Zixun departed, the couple exhumed the grave and found only a six-inch clay figurine in the coffin, while the resurrected child grew up healthy.

Zixun could also restore black hair to the elderly. Simply by sitting with white-haired elders through conversation overnight, their hair would turn jet black by morning—an effect lasting one year and two hundred days. Yet sometimes he deliberately withheld this transformation, demonstrating his complete mastery over such divine manifestations.

When powerful officials in the capital heard of Zixun, they desperately sought his audience. A young Imperial Academy student living near Zixun was approached: "Your scholarly toil seeks rank and wealth, does it not? Secure us Zixun's visit, and we'll elevate your status." The student began serving Zixun diligently—sweeping courtyards, standing in reverent attendance. After nearly two hundred days, Zixun confronted him: "You seek no Dao—why this devotion?" As the student faltered, Zixun unveiled his knowledge: "Those dignitaries wish my presence. Why begrudge them a visit that brings you fortune? Tell them I'll come on such-and-such date."

When the appointed day arrived without Zixun moving, the anxious student's parents were reassured: "Would I make him break trust? We depart at mealtime." Though Zixun seemed tardy, the student later realized the master had miraculously appeared in the capital precisely when promised. Through these episodes, the text reveals Zixun's powers over life, death, and rejuvenation, coupled with his penetrating insight yet compassionate aid to worldly seekers.

This passage recounts the miraculous deeds of the immortal Zixun. When Zixun arrived in the capital, he could travel over a thousand li in half a day. A scholar wished to meet him, and Zixun asked, "Who wants to see me?" The scholar replied that many desired an audience but dared not trouble him to come—they merely wished to know his residence so they could visit him. Zixun responded, "There’s no need for them to come. I’ve already traveled from a thousand li away—must I now deal with so many people? Go today and inform everyone to decline other guests, for at noon I will personally visit each household."

The scholar relayed his words to the noble officials, who all cleaned their homes and waited. At noon, Zixun appeared simultaneously in twenty-three different places, with one Zixun present in each location. The nobles were secretly delighted, each believing Zixun had come to their home first. The next day, when they compared notes, they realized a Zixun had visited every household—all identical in dress and appearance, though his answers varied according to each host’s questions. The hosts all prepared feasts, and Zixun ate at every home. This event astonished people far and wide.

Later, when these nobles wished to see Zixun again, he told the scholar, "They think I must possess extraordinary features like double pupils, but in truth, there’s nothing special about me. I won’t go again." With that, he departed. Just as he left, the nobles’ carriages and horses crowded the roads. The scholar informed them, "The man riding the black donkey eastward just now was Zixun." They gave chase on horseback, glimpsing the donkey ambling slowly in the distance, yet no matter how hard they pursued, they could never close the gap—always remaining over a li behind. Eventually, they gave up.

In his youth, Zixun studied under Li Shaojun (a renowned Han dynasty fangshi, or esoteric master). He was humble and cautious, devoting himself to the profound mysteries of the Dao (the Way). He frequently sought guidance from enlightened teachers and had already mastered the subtleties of various arcane arts.

Ge Xuan, styled Xiaoxian, was a native of Danyang. From childhood, he displayed extraordinary intelligence and exceptional talent, delving deeply into Confucian classics and the works of various philosophical schools. When both his parents passed away during his teenage years, he lamented: "Since there exist methods for attaining immortality in this world, why shouldn't I pursue them?" He then retreated to famous mountains and great rivers, seeking out extraordinary individuals and consuming divine herbs like lingzhi mushrooms. Later, he studied the Scripture of Golden Liquor and Nine Elixirs under the immortal Zuo Ci. Through devoted practice of purification rituals (Zhaijiao) and liturgy (Keyi), Ge Xuan moved the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) and the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji Zhenren) to descend upon Tiantai Mountain, where they transmitted to him thirty-six volumes of Daoist scriptures including the Lingbao Jing.

Years later, the Supreme Lord Lao appeared again accompanied by three Perfected Ones, their heads encircled by halos, riding a jade carriage of eight radiances, with jeweled canopies and banners illuminating the sky and tens of thousands of celestial officials in attendance. The Supreme Lord commanded the Scripture Attendant Immortal Wang Sizhen to open a nine-light jade casket, from which he extracted thirty-six scriptures including the Dongyuan Dadong Jing, along with two types of Shangqing purification methods: The first was "the fast of abandoning form and emptying the mind" - practiced in solitary stillness through breath regulation and spiritual cultivation to forget bodily existence; The second involved solemn altar ceremonies following the Supreme Truth rituals - first liberating nine generations of ancestors, then praying for family blessings, and finally performing personal repentance.

Additionally, six Lingbao purification methods were transmitted: The Golden Register Fast (Jinlu Zhai) harmonizes Yin-Yang and protects the state; The Jade Register Fast (Yulu Zhai) safeguards imperial consorts and nobility; The Yellow Register Fast (Huanglu Zhai) redeems deceased relatives and absolves ancestral transgressions; The Bright Truth Fast (Mingzhen Zhai) specifically liberates ancestors and resolves karmic debts; The Three Primes Fast (Sanyuan Zhai) atones for personal precept violations; The Eight Nodes Fast (Bajie Zhai) offers seasonal blessings for seven generations of ancestors and oneself. Other methods like the Cavern Spirit Fast (Dongshen Zhai), Supreme Unity Fast (Taiyi Zhai), and Mud and Charcoal Fast (Tutan Zhai) were also transmitted, all of which Ge Xuan diligently practiced in strict accordance with the Supreme Lord's teachings.

He became particularly adept at healing illnesses, exorcising evils, and subduing demons, even mastering the art of bodily transformation. When Sun Quan of Wu sought to summon him for official appointment, Ge Xuan reluctantly maintained guest etiquette while refusing subservience. One day he told his disciple Zhang Gong: "Worldly entanglements have hindered my elixir refinement. At noon on the thirteenth day of the eighth month, I shall depart." On that appointed day, Ge Xuan donned ceremonial robes, entered his meditation chamber, lay down and ceased breathing while maintaining lifelike complexion. After three days and nights of incense-burning vigil, a sudden midnight tempest tore off roofs and felled trees amid thunderous roars, extinguishing candles. When the wind abated and candles were relit, Ge Xuan's body had vanished without trace.

Zuo Ci, styled Yuanfang, was a native of Lujiang. In his youth, he mastered the Confucian Five Classics and was skilled in astrology and divination. Witnessing the decline of the Han dynasty's fortunes and the impending chaos across the land, he lamented: "In this decaying age, higher office brings greater peril, and more wealth hastens death. The fleeting glory of this world is not worth coveting." Thus he turned to Daoist arts, particularly excelling in the Six Jia spirit techniques, gaining the ability to command deities and spirits, and even conjure food and wine from thin air.

While cultivating in deep seclusion at Mount Tianzhu, Zuo Ci discovered the Scripture of the Nine Elixirs and Golden Liquor (Jiudan Jinye Jing) within a stone chamber, thereafter mastering miraculous transformations. When Cao Cao summoned him, he confined Zuo Ci in a sealed room under guard, cutting off all food while providing only two liters of water daily. After a year, Zuo Ci emerged with unchanged vitality. Cao Cao remarked: "I thought no man could live without eating." When Cao Cao sought to learn his arts, Zuo Ci replied: "Cultivating the Dao requires purity and non-action (Wuwei) — unsuitable for one of your exalted status." Enraged, Cao Cao plotted his assassination.

Anticipating this, Zuo Ci requested retirement to his homeland. "Why this sudden departure?" Cao Cao asked. Zuo Ci stated plainly: "Since you intend to kill me, I beg leave to depart." Though Cao Cao denied it, he hosted a farewell banquet. During the feast, Zuo Ci proposed: "Before my long journey, may we share this cup?" As the wine remained unheated in winter cold, Zuo Ci stirred it with his sword, which dissolved like ink in water. When Cao Cao assumed "sharing" meant drinking first, Zuo Ci instead divided the wine with his hairpin — drinking half and offering the rest. As Cao Cao refused, Zuo Ci drank both portions and tossed the cup toward the ceiling beam, where it swayed precariously. While all guests stared, he vanished instantly, later reappearing at his residence.

Determined to execute him, Cao Cao ordered his capture. Zuo Ci disappeared among a flock of sheep. When soldiers shouted "The Lord summons Zuo Ci!", an old ram knelt on forelegs and spoke human words: "Truly?" As guards approached, hundreds of rams simultaneously transformed into identical kneeling, talking elders, making identification impossible.

This scripture recounts the legendary Daoist immortal Zuo Ci (a renowned transcendent in Daoism) displaying his supernatural powers to outwit the warlords Cao Cao and Liu Biao. When pursued by soldiers, Zuo Ci merged into a flock of sheep—suddenly the lead ram knelt and spoke human words, and as the pursuers discovered all sheep kneeling in identical postures, Zuo Ci vanished without a trace. Later, after being imprisoned, he miraculously appeared simultaneously inside and outside the cell as two identical figures, leaving the jailers unable to distinguish the real one. When Cao Cao ordered his execution, seven identical Zuo Cis suddenly appeared at the execution ground; though the soldiers captured six, they all promptly disappeared.

During a citywide manhunt, Zuo Ci employed magic to make every citizen appear with one eye, wearing blue hemp headscarves and single-layered robes, rendering the soldiers incapable of identifying him. Someone beheaded a "Zuo Ci" and presented the head to Cao Cao, only to find it had transformed into a bundle of straw. Later, Zuo Ci reappeared in Jingzhou, where Governor Liu Biao (a warlord of the late Eastern Han) sought to kill him. Zuo Ci then demonstrated his powers: with just one jug of wine and a bundle of dried meat, he feasted ten thousand soldiers, with the provisions never depleting; he then intoxicated dozens of guests with endless drink. Astonished, Liu Biao dared not harm him further. Finally, Zuo Ci left Jingzhou for Eastern Wu, where he visited another Daoist practitioner, Xu Sui (a local fangshi of Dantu).

These stories exemplify classic Daoist narratives where immortals employ shape-shifting, multiplication, and other supernatural feats to humble the powerful and enlighten the worldly.

This passage records the miraculous deeds of two Daoist immortals.

First is the story of Zuo Ci (courtesy name Yuanfang): Once when Lord Xu was away, guests deceived Zuo Ci by saying the host wasn't home. After Zuo Ci left, strange phenomena occurred with the ox carts—the oxen were seen walking atop poplar branches. When people climbed to look, the oxen disappeared, only to reappear when they descended. Thorns a foot long suddenly grew from the cart wheels that couldn't be cut or removed. Terrified, the guests reported to Lord Xu, who immediately recognized Zuo Ci's passing and scolded them for deceiving a transcendent being. He sent messengers to apologize, and the anomalies vanished only after Zuo Ci's anger subsided. Later when Zuo Ci visited Sun Quan, the ruler respected his Daoist arts but an envious courtier named Xie Song slandered him. During an outing, Sun Quan ordered Zuo Ci to walk ahead while plotting to stab him from behind. Yet Zuo Ci in wooden sandals with a bamboo staff maintained a hundred-pace lead no matter how they chased, forcing Sun Quan to abandon the attempt. Finally, Zuo Ci informed Ge Xian'gong (Ge Xuan) of his plan to refine the Nine-Cycle Elixir in Huo Mountain, ascending as an immortal after its completion.

Next is the account of Wang Yao (courtesy name Boliao): A native of Poyang with a wife but no children, he cured every illness he treated. Rather than using talisman water or medicine, he'd simply spread an eight-foot cloth to sit upon, healing patients instantly. When confronting evil spirits, he'd draw prison lines on the ground to reveal their true forms—usually foxes or snakes—which when slain and burned would cure the afflicted. He carried a small bamboo case that even his decades-long disciple Qian never saw opened. One stormy night, Wang Yao had the disciple carry this case on a nine-section staff through the rain, yet neither got wet. Two torches mysteriously guided them thirty li to a mountain.

Xu ascended a small mountain and entered a stone chamber, where he found two people already inside. He took out the bamboo case carried by his disciple and opened it to reveal three five-tongued bamboo mouth organs (a type of instrument). Xu took one for himself to play, giving the other two to the figures in the stone chamber. The three sat together playing for a long time, and when Xu bid farewell, he collected all three instruments back into the case for his disciple to carry. As the two figures escorted him out, they said, "You should have come earlier—why did you linger in the mortal world for so long?" Xu replied, "I will come as promised."

A hundred days after returning home, rain fell again. One night, Xu suddenly packed his belongings, taking out a hempen robe and headscarf he had stored away for over fifty years without wearing. His wife asked, "Are you leaving me?" Xu answered, "I am only departing temporarily." When she asked if he needed money, he said he would go alone. Weeping, she watched him personally shoulder the bamboo case and leave—never to return. Over thirty years later, a disciple saw Xu on Mati Mountain, noticing his face had grown even more youthful. It turned out he had become an Earth Immortal (a rank below Celestial Immortal).

Chen Yongbo, a native of Nanyang, obtained the "Seven-Mile Powder" formula from the Prince of Huainan. After compounding and taking the medicine for twenty-one days, he suddenly vanished. His seventeen-year-old nephew Chen Zengzu also took the formula but was restrained by his father, who tied his feet and locked him in a sealed room under guard. After twenty-eight days, he too disappeared. The formula originally claimed immortality could be achieved in thirty days, yet both uncle and nephew vanished before completing the cycle, deterring later generations from attempting it. In truth, they had been welcomed by celestial officials to ascend—a sight invisible to mortal eyes.

No one knew the name of the Old Man of Mount Tai. When Emperor Wu of Han toured eastward, he saw the old man hoeing by the roadside, with several feet of white light radiating above his head. Though appearing to be in his fifties, the old man's face was as ruddy as a child's, and his skin had an extraordinary luster. The emperor asked what arts he practiced. The old man replied that at eighty-five, he had once aged to the brink of death until a Daoist taught him bigu (abstaining from grains), consuming white atractylodes rhizome, drinking water, and crafting a divine pillow filled with thirty-two herbs—twenty-four corresponding to the solar terms and eight to the eight winds.

Wu Yan (courtesy name Zidu) was a native of Beihai. When Emperor Wu of Han encountered him at the Wei Bridge, he noticed a ten-foot-tall auspicious purple cloud hovering above the man's head. The emperor summoned him and inquired: "How old are you? What spiritual practice have you cultivated to manifest such extraordinary signs?" Wu Yan replied: "Your subject is 138 years old, possessing no exceptional abilities—just persistent cultivation." Emperor Wu then summoned Dongfang Shuo to examine this man, to which Shuo reported: "This man understands the arts of the bedchamber (ancient health-preserving cultivation methods)."

After dismissing his attendants for a private audience, Wu Yan confessed: "At sixty-five, I suffered severe illness—aching back, freezing feet, bitter mouth, painful joints, barely able to stand. After seventy-three years practicing this method, not only have my ailments vanished, but I've fathered thirty-six children, with a physique now robust as a youth's." Emperor Wu reproached him: "To withhold such life-nourishing techniques from your sovereign shows disloyalty!" Kowtowing, Wu Yan explained: "Though these bedroom arts follow the Dao, they involve intimate yin-yang matters too delicate to mention. Moreover, their practice defies convention—few can persevere—hence my reluctance to present them." The emperor ultimately learned the method. Wu Yan lived over two hundred years before achieving daylight ascension after ingesting cinnabar (an immortality elixir revered by ancients). Emperor Wu also practiced these arts—though imperfectly—yet outlived all other Han rulers.

Heshang Gong (the Riverside Sage, named for his Yellow River dwelling) lived during Emperor Wen of Han's reign, studying the Daode Jing in a riverside hut. When Emperor Wen promoted Daoist learning—mandating officials master Laozi or forfeit court attendance—a scriptural dilemma arose that none could resolve. Courtier Pei Kai recommended: "Near Shan Prefecture's riverbank lives a recluse versed in Laozi." When imperial envoys brought their query, Heshang Gong declared: "The supreme Dao transcends all..."

This passage records the deeds of two accomplished Daoist masters. First is the story of Master Heshang:

Emperor Wen of Han heard that an enlightened master lived by the river and personally went to visit. Master Heshang remained inside his thatched hut without coming out. The emperor sent a messenger to say: "All under heaven belongs to the ruler, and all within the four seas are the ruler's subjects. Among the Four Greats of existence (the Dao is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and the ruler is also great), the sovereign occupies one. Though you possess Daoist arts, you remain my subject—why such arrogance? I can bestow wealth and honor or reduce men to poverty." Hearing this, Master Heshang clapped his hands and laughed heartily, then suddenly ascended into the air, hovering over a hundred feet above ground. Looking down, he replied: "I touch neither heaven above, nor connect with earth below, nor dwell among mortals—how then am I your subject? Can you still control my wealth or poverty?" The emperor was astounded, realizing he'd encountered a true immortal. He hastily descended from his carriage to kneel and apologize, admitting his inadequate virtue while inheriting great responsibilities, and begged for instruction. Master Heshang then bestowed upon him a two-volume commentary on the Dao De Jing (Classic of the Way and Virtue), saying: "Study this carefully and you'll understand. For seventeen hundred years this text has only been transmitted to three people—you are the fourth." With that, he disappeared. Later, Emperor Wen built a terrace in the western mountains to gaze afar, but never saw him again. People believed that though the emperor revered Daoism, his faith remained impure—thus Master Heshang manifested supernatural powers to enlighten him.

Next is the account of Liu Gen:

Liu Gen, styled Jun'an, was from Chang'an. In his youth he mastered Confucian classics. During Emperor Cheng of Han's reign, he was nominated as Filial and Incorrupt (a Han dynasty recruitment system) and served as a court gentleman before abandoning office to cultivate the Dao. He secluded himself in a stone chamber on Songshan Mountain's perilous five-thousand-zhang peak. For years he wore no clothes, his body hair growing one or two feet long, yet his face remained like a youth of fourteen or fifteen—with deep-set eyes and yellow beard three or four inches long. Sometimes while sitting with others, he'd suddenly appear wearing a tall hat and black robes, with observers unaware of the transformation process. The governor of Yingchuan once claimed his ancestor had been Liu Gen's contemporary. Wang Mang repeatedly sent envoys to summon him, but he refused. When an official named Wang Zhen came to pay respects, Liu Gen remained silent throughout.

Immortal Cao Zhao visited the mountain hermit Jinggen, delivering only Magistrate Xie's greetings without further conversation. Later, when newly appointed Gaofu Jun took office as governor of Yingchuan Commandery (modern Yuzhou, Henan), a devastating plague broke out, claiming over half the population—including the governor's entire household.

Governor Gao dispatched an envoy named Zhen to seek plague-prevention methods from Jinggen. After kowtowing to convey the request, Jinggen revealed the technique: "Excavate a three-foot pit along the Tai Sui (Grand Jupiter) meridian, fill it with sand, then saturate it with wine." The governor implemented this, and the sick recovered instantly, with the plague vanishing completely. This method proved consistently effective in subsequent applications.

When new governor Shi Qi assumed office, he denounced Jinggen as a sorcerer and demanded his execution. Despite unanimous opposition from local officials, Shi Qi persisted. Forewarned by messengers, Jinggen remarked: "What does the governor require of me? I shall go. Refusal might implicate you all." He proceeded to the commandery office.

Amidst a hall filled with guests, Shi Qi stationed fifty armed guards behind Jinggen and demanded: "Do you possess Daoist arts?" Jinggen replied: "I do." Shi Qi challenged: "Can you summon spirits for me to witness? Failure means death." Calmly responding "This is simple," Jinggen borrowed writing materials from Shi Qi's desk.

As he drew a talismanic fu (fulu), his brush struck the steps with metallic resonance. His subsequent clear whistle echoed beyond the city walls, inspiring awe in all who heard. Suddenly, the southern wall split open, revealing four scarlet-clad officers leading dozens of red-armored soldiers escorting a prison cart through solid masonry.

At Jinggen's command, the cart halted, revealing an elderly couple—bound, blindfolded, and tightly restrained. These proved to be Shi Qi's deceased parents. The governor collapsed in shock, weeping uncontrollably. His spirit-parents wept and scolded: "In life, you failed in filial duties during career struggles; in death, you dare offend an immortal official, causing our humiliation! How can you face the living?"

Prostrating desperately, Shi Qi begged Jinggen for mercy. Only then did Jinggen order the scarlet guards to release the bound spirits.

A man named Qi was led out of the hall when suddenly the southern wall split open. A carriage passed through and vanished. Qi became mentally disoriented as if possessed, while his wife abruptly fell into a deathlike coma. After a long time, she revived, claiming to have seen Qi's previously captured ancestors in a furious state. They demanded to know why he had offended the Great Immortal and caused their punishment, vowing to come for his life. Within a month, Qi and his entire household died sudden, violent deaths.

Wang Zhen, a temple official at Mount Shaoshi, often encountered the immortal Cheng Gonggen and noticed he always wore a joyful expression. Kneeling and kowtowing, Wang begged to learn the method of attaining immortality. Gen recounted his early years of mountain cultivation, traveling everywhere yet failing to attain the Dao. Later on Mount Hua, he met a divine being riding a white deer, accompanied by a retinue of over a thousand jade maidens (celestial maidens), four of whom—young girls of fifteen or sixteen—held colorful banners and ceremonial regalia. After repeated prostrations and pleas, the deity halted and asked, "Have you heard of Han Zhong?" Gen replied that he had. The deity revealed himself: "I am he."

Gen poured out his heart: since childhood he had yearned for longevity but never met a true master; following esoteric texts brought no results, making him doubt his destiny for immortality. Now encountering an authentic immortal, he begged for secret teachings. Moved by his tearful sincerity, the deity relented: "Your immortal bones allowed you to see me. But your marrow lacks richness, your Qi and blood are deficient, your primordial energy weak, your mental power diminished, your sinews stiff, and muscles slack. Neither herbs nor Qi cultivation would yet work. To attain longevity, you must first nourish yourself for twelve years before taking higher-grade elixirs."

The deity elaborated on immortality's tiers: some ascend directly, some roam the Five Sacred Peaks, some survive on Qi alone, some achieve liberation via corpse liberation (where the physical body remains while the soul ascends). All depend on elixirs, but medicines have grades, and immortals have ranks. Without mastering bedroom arts (ancient longevity techniques) and Daoyin (Qi exercises), mere elixirs won't suffice. The supreme method is the Ninefold Cyclically Transformed Elixir and Taiyi Golden Liquor, granting instant ascension. Next are cloud-mother and realgar elixirs, enabling cloud-riding, dragon-taming, and ghost-commanding. Common herbal medicines merely cure illness or prolong life.

This passage elucidates the Daoist principles of cultivating immortality and eliminating the "Three Corpses" (sanshi). A spiritual seeker consulted an immortal being about longevity techniques, to which the divine sage replied: Merely consuming grains to supplement Qi (vital energy) cannot grant true immortality—it may extend life for a few centuries at most, but death remains inevitable.

The celestial master revealed the essential method: To attain eternal life, one must first eradicate the Three Corpses—three malevolent spirits residing in the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers). Once these are removed, the practitioner’s will becomes steadfast, and worldly desires dissolve. The master imparted five divine formulas, explaining that these corpse-demons ascend to heaven on the full and new moons to report human transgressions. The Director of Fate (Siming Shen) then shortens the offender’s lifespan accordingly.

The body’s benevolent deities seek to preserve life, but the Three Corpses crave early death. Upon death, the righteous spirits disperse into formlessness, while the Three Corpses transform into ghosts who feast on ancestral offerings. Thus, they constantly scheme to hasten mortality. Dreams of battling villains symbolize the internal struggle between these opposing forces.

Following the immortal’s teachings—ingesting elixirs, refining Qi, and preserving Shen (spirit)—the practitioner ultimately achieved transcendence. The text also documents mystical phenomena: talismans (fulu) summoning objects when cast to the ground, disembodied voices responding unseen, or the sounds of whipping and bloodstains appearing without source. The master instructed him to focus on breathwork (xingqi) and Shen cultivation, adhere to the Three Bonds and Six Disciplines (core Daoist precepts), and repent transgressions—all time-honored methods for attaining immortality.

In the end, the adept retreated to Mount Jitou for solitary practice, ascending as an immortal. Through this narrative, the text vividly illustrates Daoist theories and practices concerning the elimination of the Three Corpses and the path to transcendence.

The story of Master Hu (Hugong) goes like this:

This mysterious figure's true name remains unknown. The over twenty volumes of talismans (fulu) circulating in the world today—including the Summoning Troops Talisman, Summoning Spirits Talisman, and Imperial House Healing Talismans—all originate from Master Hu, hence collectively called "Master Hu's Talismans." At that time in Runan Commandery, there was a market inspector named Fei Changfang who suddenly noticed Master Hu arriving from afar to sell medicine at the marketplace. No one recognized him. He never haggled over prices for his medicines, yet they cured every illness. Master Hu would tell patients: "After taking this medicine, you'll surely vomit something specific, and you'll recover by a certain day." The results always proved as accurate as his predictions. He earned tens of thousands of coins daily but casually gave them to the poor on the streets, keeping little for himself.

Master Hu had a peculiar habit: he always hung an empty gourd above his seat. After sunset, he would shrink his body and leap into the gourd. No one knew where he went—only Fei Changfang, watching from his upstairs post, saw this clearly and realized he was no ordinary man. Thus Fei began diligently cleaning Master Hu's seat daily and offering him food. Master Hu accepted without thanks. This continued for a long time, with Fei never slackening nor daring to make any requests.

Recognizing Fei's sincerity, Master Hu finally told him: "Come back tonight when it's dark and no one's around." Fei obeyed, and Master Hu instructed: "When you see me jump into the gourd, follow me in." Fei tried stepping forward and found himself inside before he knew it. Within the gourd, instead of seeing the vessel, he beheld radiant towers and palaces, with dozens of attendants surrounding Master Hu. The master confessed: "I'm an immortal serving in the celestial court, temporarily banished to the mortal realm for negligence. Only those with immortal destiny can perceive me."

Fei immediately knelt and said: "That a lowly mortal like me has earned your grace is like dead wood meeting spring. I fear my filthy flesh is unworthy to serve you..." Master Hu replied: "Your humility pleases me, but speak of this to no one." Later, Master Hu invited Fei to drink upstairs: "I've some wine—let's share it. The wine is downstairs." Fei sent servants to fetch it, but dozens couldn't lift the cask. Master Hu simply smiled, went down himself, and lifted the wine with a single finger.

This passage recounts the miraculous experiences of the immortal Fei Changfang, a renowned fangshi (esoteric practitioner) of the Eastern Han dynasty. When Fei studied the Dao under the immortal Húgōng, the master balanced a wine vessel no larger than a clam shell on his fingertip—yet the two drank from it until dawn without exhausting its contents. Húgōng later announced his imminent departure, asking if Fei wished to accompany him. Though tempted, Fei worried his family would notice his absence. Húgōng then gave him a green bamboo staff, instructing him to feign illness at home, place the staff on his bed, and slip away unnoticed.

His family, mistaking the bamboo staff for Fei's corpse, mourned and held funeral rites. Húgōng first tested Fei by leading him into a den of tigers that bared their fangs at him—Fei remained unshaken. Next, he was confined in a stone chamber suspended by ropes that venomous snakes gnawed at, yet he stayed composed. Though Húgōng acknowledged his teachability, when presented with foul excrement writhing with maggots, Fei recoiled. With a sigh, Húgōng declared him unfit for celestial immortality but worthy of becoming an earthly transcendent (a deathless sage among mortals), bestowing upon him fulu (Daoist talismanic registers) to command spirits, heal illnesses, and avert disasters.

For his return journey, Húgōng had him ride the bamboo staff, which transported him home instantly. His terrified family thought they were seeing a ghost until opening the coffin revealed only the staff. When Fei later cast the staff into Gepi Lake, it transformed into a blue dragon. He discovered that a single day in the immortal realm equaled a year in the mortal world. Thereafter, his spirit-summoning incantations never failed—he would suddenly glare and rebuke invisible offenders during conversations, explaining he was chastising lawbreaking ghosts.

In Runan Commandery, spectral disturbances often occurred, with demons parading like a grand prefect's procession, complete with gongs and drums circling the city walls. When Fei Changfang arrived at the prefectural office, he encountered this ghostly retinue...

The Biographies of Divine Immortals records the miraculous deeds of several perfected beings who attained the Dao:

Regarding the story of Fei Changfang: When he arrived at the government office gates, the prefect hurried inside, leaving Changfang alone. The demons and spirits, knowing his formidable power, dared not approach and sought to flee. Changfang sternly commanded them to be seized, forcing the spirits to descend from their carriage and prostrate themselves in the courtyard, kowtowing and begging for reform. Changfang rebuked them: "You foolish old ghosts know no better—daring to recklessly storm a government office with your entourage without cause. Do you not realize this is a capital offense?" He then restored the spirits to human form and gave them a talisman (fulu), ordering them to deliver it to the Lord of Ge Slope. Weeping, the spirits kowtowed and departed. Changfang sent someone to secretly follow them and witnessed the spirits erect the talisman by Ge Slope before strangling themselves with it. Later, when a great drought struck the eastern sea, Changfang traveled there and saw the people praying for rain. He declared: "The Lord of the Eastern Sea has committed offenses—I previously imprisoned him at Ge Slope, but now he should be pardoned." Immediately, heavy rain began to fall. Once, while traveling with companions, Changfang spotted a yellow-turbaned scholar wearing animal skins and riding a saddleless horse. The man dismounted and kowtowed. Changfang said: "Return the horse at once, and I shall spare your life." When questioned by his companions, Changfang explained: "This was a fox spirit who stole the horse of the local earth god."

Concerning Yin Gui (courtesy name Gongdu): A native of Taiyuan, he mastered the Five Classics and excelled particularly in astrology and the esoteric diagrams of the Hetu and Luoshu (ancient divination texts). In his later years, he devoted himself to Daoist cultivation, regularly consuming three portions daily of Solomon's Seal (huangjing, an immortality herb), living for centuries without aging in appearance. He claimed his ancestor Yin Xi had met Laozi at a grass hut during the reigns of Kings Kang and Zhao of Zhou to receive teachings on the Daoist scriptures, and that King Mu of Zhou later rebuilt the Louguan Terrace to support cultivators. Gongdu resided at Louguan, stating he frequently met his ancestor Yin Xi and received Daoist methods, enabling him to become invisible and vanish at will. The Su family of Bingzhou venerated him for generations, with descendants always seeing him as a man of fifty. Whether wandering the human world or practicing in mountains, he could foresee the rise and fall of nations and predict fortunes with unerring accuracy. In the twelfth month of the first year of the Yongkang era (300 CE) of Jin, he passed west of Luoyang seeking lodging, but the host refused him due to wax deity sacrifices.

The immortal named Gongdu knocked on a household's door, and the host welcomed him in, offering wine and food while preparing several hu measures of grain to feed his green mule. Yet Gongdu neither ate nor drank, and his mule likewise refused the fodder. Before departing the next day, Gongdu said to the host: "You are the kind who doesn't stand by when others face hardship. Though initially reluctant to host me, you later showed warm hospitality. Though neither I nor my mule partook of your offerings, we remember your kindness. I now give you an immortal elixir—keep it with you. Next year, war will erupt, leaving corpses strewn across the land. This medicine will protect your entire household."

The following year, the rebellion of Prince Sima Lun of Zhao indeed broke out in Luoyang, claiming tens of thousands of lives. Locals who joined the fighting perished, while those who stayed home were slaughtered—only the family that possessed the elixir remained unharmed. Gongdu always carried several dozen lacquered bamboo tubes at his waist, each containing immortal medicine. Dying patients revived when given a dose to hold in their mouths. During great plagues, applying a date-pit-sized pellet to one's door safeguarded whole families; the sick recovered immediately.

Gongdu's disciple Huang Li lived on Luhun Mountain, where tiger attacks were frequent. Gongdu instructed him to cut large trees into pillars, burying one each a li (about 500 meters) outside the four directions of his home, then sealing them with an immortal seal. From then on, tigers vanished. When strange birds roosted on rooftops, Gongdu wrote a talisman (fulu) and pasted it where the birds cried—that very night, the birds died beneath the charm, ending the calamity.

A filial son grieving his parents lacked the means to bury them. Hearing of his plight, Gongdu sighed: "Can you obtain several jin of lead?" The son procured dozens of jin, which Gongdu took to a mountain hut. As the lead melted in a furnace, he stirred in an elixir the size of a date, transforming it all into silver. "I give this to you for the funeral, seeing your poverty," he said. "But keep it secret."

Another scholar, fined a million coins for accounting irregularities, faced imprisonment after selling all his assets to no avail. Gongdu told a wealthy acquaintance: "Could you lend a million to save him? It will be repaid within twenty days." The rich man complied, and Gongdu passed the sum to the desperate man.

This passage recounts the miraculous deeds of two Daoist practitioners.

The first story is about Gongdu. Someone gave him a hundred taels of tin, which he melted in a furnace. After adding a small square of divine medicine, the tin transformed into gold. He sold the gold for a million coins and returned the money to its original owner. Later, Gongdu traveled to Mount Taihe in Nanyang to cultivate the Dao and eventually attained immortality.

Next is the story of Jie Xiang, a native of Kuaiji. Well-versed in Confucian classics and the teachings of the Hundred Schools of Thought, he was also skilled in writing and secretly practiced Daoist methods. He once studied the art of Qi restraint (qijin) at Mount Dongyue, mastering many extraordinary abilities: he could ignite fire on straw to cook a chicken without burning the straw; he could prevent any fires from being lit or any roosters or dogs from making a sound within a mile for three days; he could make everyone in a marketplace unable to stand up from their seats; and he could conceal his form or transform into plants, trees, birds, or beasts. After hearing of the secret method of the Ninefold Cyclically Transformed Golden Elixir (jiuzhuan jindan), he traveled thousands of miles in search of it but failed to find it. He then retreated to the mountains to meditate, hoping to encounter an immortal.

Once, exhausted, he lay down on a rock, and a tiger came to lick him. Upon waking, he said to the tiger, "If Heaven sent you to protect me, stay. But if the mountain spirit sent you to test me, leave." The tiger then departed. Later, in a valley, he discovered many purple stones emitting light. He picked up two and continued his journey until he met a beautiful immortal maiden, about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in multicolored robes. She instructed him to return the stones to their original place before meeting her again. After Jie Xiang complied, the maiden told him, "You still carry worldly Qi (qi). You must first abstain from grains (bigu) for three years before returning." Three years later, when he returned, she was indeed still there and bestowed upon him the alchemical formula for immortality, saying that obtaining it would lead to transcendence.

Jie Xiang later stayed at the home of his disciple Luo Yanya. On one occasion, he overheard several scholars debating classical texts without resolution and couldn’t resist stepping in to clarify. Realizing he was no ordinary man, the scholars secretly reported him to the authorities. Knowing this, Jie Xiang prepared to depart.

Ge Xuan (style name Xiaoxian) feared being constrained by official duties, but Sun Quan persistently urged him to stay. Later, Sun Quan issued an edict summoning Ge Xuan to Wuchang, treating him with great reverence and honoring him with the title "Lord Jie." He specially built a residence for Ge Xuan, furnished with imperial curtains, and bestowed gifts worth a thousand pieces of gold over time. Ge Xuan taught Sun Quan the art of invisibility, and when tested, he could enter and exit the palace and court gates without being noticed.

Once, Sun Quan asked Ge Xuan to demonstrate his transformation skills. Ge Xuan instantly made various fruits and vegetables grow before their eyes. As they discussed which fish was best for making kuai (sliced raw fish), Ge Xuan said, "Mullet is the finest." Sun Quan replied, "But that fish lives in the sea—how can we obtain it?" Ge Xuan answered, "It can be done." He had a pit dug in the courtyard and filled with water, then took a fishing rod and bait, casting the line into the pit. Shortly after, he pulled out a mullet. Sun Quan was amazed and delighted, asking if it was edible. Ge Xuan said, "I caught it precisely for Your Majesty to enjoy as kuai—of course it can be eaten." He then had the imperial chef slice it.

Sun Quan added, "The envoy from Shu hasn’t arrived yet, and I’ve heard that Shu ginger pairs best with kuai. The ginger here isn’t as good—how can we get some?" Ge Xuan replied, "Simple." He gave a man five thousand coins and hid a talisman (fulu) inside a bamboo staff, instructing him to close his eyes, mount the staff, and buy ginger once it stopped moving. The man did so and in an instant arrived in Chengdu, unaware of his location until he asked and learned it was Shu. While buying ginger, he happened to meet attendants of the Wu envoy Zhang Wen, who was on a mission to Shu. Both parties were astonished, and the man entrusted Zhang Wen with a letter for his family. By the time the ginger buyer returned, the kuai in the kitchen had just been prepared.

Ge Xan could also accurately read all kinds of talismanic scripts as easily as reading books. Skeptics brought him unlabeled miscellaneous talismans to test him, but he identified each one correctly. A man who grew millet in the mountains often had his crops stolen by monkeys. Hearing of Ge Xuan’s mystical abilities, he sought a method to drive them away. Ge Xuan said, "It’s easy. Tomorrow, when you see the monkeys in your field, shout: 'I’ve already told Lord Jie, and he orders you not to eat the millet!'" The man thought Ge Xuan was joking but tried it the next day—sure enough, the monkeys fled back to the trees and never returned.

Ge Xuan repeatedly requested to leave Wu, but Sun Quan would not permit it. Later, Ge Xuan predicted that on a certain month and day...

This passage recounts a miraculous encounter between Sun Quan (styled Zhongmou, posthumously titled Great Emperor, referred to here as "the Late Lord"), ruler of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, and the immortal Jie Xiang (styled Yuanze). Sun Quan sent Jie Xiang a box of pears as a gift. After consuming them, Jie Xiang appeared to die suddenly. Sun Quan arranged funeral rites, yet that very afternoon, Jie Xiang was seen in Jianye (modern Nanjing), where he delivered the pear seeds to the imperial gardens for cultivation.

When Sun Quan later opened the coffin, he found only a memorial tablet inscribed with magical talismanic writings (fulu). Longing for the immortal, Sun Quan converted Jie Xiang's former residence into a temple, frequently visiting to make offerings. During these rituals, white cranes would often alight upon the altar, lingering for extended periods before departing. Later, Jie Xiang's disciples encountered him on Mount Gaizhu (a sacred Daoist mountain), noting his appearance had become more youthful than before.

This narrative exemplifies the Daoist practice of "corpse liberation" (shijie) – a feigned death allowing transcendence. By consuming celestial pears, Jie Xiang achieved apparent death while actually attaining ascension. In Daoist symbolism, white cranes represent either mounts or manifestations of immortals, frequently appearing as signs of divine presence. The story embodies the Daoist principle of "perfected form and spirit" (xingshen jumiao), where adepts gain the abilities of rejuvenation and transformative freedom.

Dong Feng, styled Junyi, was a native of Houguan County (present-day Fuzhou, Fujian). During the reign of Sun Quan of the Wu Kingdom in the Three Kingdoms period, a young man served as the local magistrate. He met Dong Feng, who was then in his thirties, without realizing his mastery of Daoist arts. Fifty years later, after leaving office, this former magistrate passed through Houguan while assuming another post. His old subordinates came to greet him, and Dong Feng appeared among them—looking exactly as he had half a century earlier. Astonished, the former magistrate asked, "Have you attained the Dao (the Way)? When I served here, you were this age. Now my hair is white, yet you remain youthful." Dong Feng simply replied, "A mere coincidence."

Later, Du Xie, the governor of Jiaozhou, died of poisoning and had been dead for three days. Dong Feng, then in Lingnan, heard the news and rushed to the scene. He placed three medicinal pills into the deceased’s mouth and instructed attendants to gently tilt Du Xie’s head to aid swallowing. Within the time it takes to eat a meal, Du Xie suddenly opened his eyes, his limbs began to move, and his complexion gradually returned. By midday, he could sit up, fully revived. Four days later, Du Xie regained speech and recounted his near-death experience as if it were a dream: he saw dozens of black-clad figures escorting him onto a funeral carriage, taking him through a crimson gate straight to a prison. Each cell there held only one person, and after he was locked inside, the entrance was sealed with earth. In his dazed state, he suddenly heard someone announce, "The Celestial Sovereign Taiyi has sent an envoy to summon Du Xie!" Immediately, someone dug open the earthen wall with a shovel and led him out. Outside, he saw a carriage with a red canopy bearing three figures, one of whom held a tally and called him aboard. Just as the carriage neared the gate on its return journey, he awoke.

After his revival, Du Xie built a tall pavilion in his courtyard specifically for Dong Feng. Dong Feng abstained from ordinary meals, consuming only dried fruits and dates, occasionally drinking wine. Du Xie prepared three daily feasts, and Dong Feng would appear to dine. When moving between floors, Dong Feng came and went like a fleeting bird, leaving no trace of ascent or descent. After a year, Dong Feng abruptly bid farewell. Despite Du Xie’s tearful pleas, he insisted on leaving. Asked if he needed a boat for his journey, Dong Feng replied, "No vessel—just a coffin." Du Xie promptly arranged one. At noon the next day, Dong Feng suddenly passed away, and Du Xie oversaw his burial. Seven days later, an acquaintance arrived from afar, reporting that he had seen Dong Feng dressed in official robes with attendants—revealing that he had achieved liberation from the corpse (shijie), the Daoist transcendence where adepts shed their physical form to ascend as immortals.

This passage records the miraculous deeds of the immortal Dong Junyi. When treating patients, Dong would first have them sit indoors with their eyes covered by five layers of cloth to prevent movement. A mysterious creature would then appear to lick the afflicted area. Though the process was excruciatingly painful, once the creature departed, the patient would be cured. After twenty-some days, new skin would grow, smooth as polished jade.

During a severe drought, Magistrate Ding Shiyan brought wine and meat to request rain. Dong Junyi remarked that summoning rain was simple, but hinted that his own roof was leaking. The magistrate immediately sent workers to build a new bamboo house. Just as they were preparing mud for repairs, Dong said no water needed to be fetched—and that very night, heavy rains came, ending the drought.

Dong followed a unique rule in his mountain medical practice: patients cured of serious illnesses were to plant five apricot trees, while those with minor ailments planted one. Over years, this grew into a forest of over 100,000 trees, where even wild beasts played beneath the canopy without damaging them. When the apricots ripened, he placed a granary at the forest's edge, allowing people to exchange one measure of grain for one measure of fruit. Once, when someone took more apricots than the grain they offered, tigers in the forest would roar and chase them until the excess was returned. This apricot-for-grain system both aided the people and maintained nature's balance.

This passage from Biographies of Divine Immortals records the miraculous deeds of two Daoist practitioners. First is the story of Dong Feng (courtesy name Junyi):

When practicing medicine in his apricot grove, Dong Feng would have recovered patients plant apricot trees—five saplings for serious illnesses and three for minor ones. Within years, the grove flourished. He allowed buyers to measure their own apricots, exchanging them for grain. Once, a man took extra apricots and was immediately chased by three or four tigers. Terrified, he stumbled and spilled his haul. Another thief was pursued home by tigers and killed, but miraculously revived after his family returned the stolen fruit. Thereafter, none dared deceive him.

Dong Feng used the grain from apricot sales to aid the poor, distributing over three thousand hu annually while still having surplus. When a local magistrate's daughter was possessed by a demon, Dong Feng performed a ritual summoning a giant white crocodile. After ordering its execution, the girl recovered and the magistrate gave her to him in marriage. Later, Dong Feng ascended as an immortal. His wife and adopted daughter continued tending the grove, where tigers still chased cheaters. Amusingly, when the son-in-law stole temple robes claiming immortal connections, the temple deity dreamt: "For the immortal's sake I'll overlook this—but what disgrace!"

The second figure, Li Gen (courtesy name Ziyuan) of Xuchang, was followed since youth by Zhao Jia. At eighty-four, Li retained youthful looks. In Shouchun's Wu Taiwen household, he taught alchemy (Waidan), demonstrating immunity to fire/water and conjuring banquets for twenty with exotic ingredients. Foreknowing Shouchun's impending war, he urged the Wu family to relocate—a prophecy fulfilled.

Notably, Dong Feng ascended after a century in the mortal world, perpetually appearing thirty; Li Gen displayed abilities like bilocation and precognition, embodying Daoist cultivation ideals of "preserved youth and longevity" (驻颜长生) and "foreknowledge" (未卜先知). These tales reflect Han-Jin period imaginations of transcendent Daoist powers.

This account recounts the miraculous deeds of two ancient Daoist practitioners.

Regarding Gen (a Daoist cultivator): When soldiers came to arrest him, he instantly vanished along with all his books and belongings. The troops searched through granaries and clothing chests but found no trace. Later, Gen suddenly reappeared in his original seat and prophesied that the Wang family of the Grand Commandant would be exterminated, and Taowen's younger brother would die within ten days for leaking secrets - both predictions came true. A woman married to Gen peeked at his cultivation notes and discovered he had begun practicing Daoism during Emperor Wu of Han's Yuanfeng era (around 110 BCE). By calculation, Gen would have been over 700 years old at that time. Taowen noted Gen had square pupils - according to immortal scriptures (Xianjing), this was a characteristic of those who live eight hundred years. Gen told his disciples that although he hadn't obtained the supreme secret of alchemical immortality, he had achieved the state of terrestrial immortality (earthbound immortal, Dixin - long-lived but not ascended), with lifespan matching heaven and earth, no longer being an ordinary mortal.

Regarding Li Yiqi (a Shu region cultivator): Tradition holds he lived during Emperor Wen of Han's reign and had neither wife nor children. He could use talismans (Fulu) to make people travel a thousand li per day - just by writing with cinnabar on their feet. When people discussed distant commanderies, he could mold miniature landscapes from clay that would vanish moments later. He often lived in earthen caves dug at Chengdu street corners, wearing only a single robe year-round with hair barely five inches long, sometimes remaining in his cave for a hundred days without food or emergence. When Liu Bei sought to attack Wu to avenge Guan Yu, he summoned Li Yiqi to inquire about the campaign's fortune. Li remained silent but requested paper and brush instead.

The Biographies of Divine Immortals (Shenxian Zhuan) records several extraordinary individuals who attained immortality through Daoist cultivation:

There was a man named Yi Qi who possessed the magical ability to transform paper cutouts into soldiers, horses, and weapons—only to tear them apart with his own hands moments later. He once drew a large human figure on the ground and buried it, which later manifested as an omen foretelling Liu Bei's (styled Xuande) military defeat and death. Yi Qi spoke sparingly in daily life, and the people of Shu would divine fortunes by observing his expressions—a joyful countenance signaled prosperity while sorrow presaged impending disaster. Over a hundred days before Deng Ai's invasion of Shu, he suddenly vanished, later reemerging as a recluse in Mount Langya where he was never seen again.

Wang Xing was originally an ordinary villager from Yangcheng, neither literate nor practicing Daoism. When Emperor Wu of Han encountered an immortal from Mount Jiuyi with earlobes reaching his shoulders on Mount Song, he learned that nine-jointed calamus growing on rocks could confer longevity. Though the emperor abandoned its consumption due to heat intolerance, Wang Xing persistently gathered and consumed the herb upon hearing this, miraculously preserving eternal youth. By Cao Cao's era, neighbors claimed he perpetually appeared fifty years old, capable of walking three hundred li daily before disappearing without trace.

Huang Jing (styled Boyan) served as a minor official in Wuling during his youth, later abandoning officialdom to cultivate the Dao at Mount Huo for over eighty years. He specialized in breath regulation (a Qi cultivation technique) and grain avoidance (Bigu) practices, ultimately continuing his ascetic training at Mount Song, the Central Sacred Peak.

This passage records the miraculous deeds of several ancient Daoist practitioners. Wang Ziyang once sought the secret of longevity from an adept, who told him that true cultivation does not lie in elixir consumption, but in natural practice. The adept taught him a method: visualizing the "auxiliary star" (a Daoist technical term referring to specific acupoints within the body) within himself, imagining it transforming into a red-robed youth. Through this specific cultivation practice, one could eliminate the "Three Corpses" (Daoist concept of three harmful spirits residing in the human body) and achieve longevity.

Lu Nüsheng from Changle maintained robust health resembling youth despite eating only sesame and atractylodes (two medicinal herbs) for over eighty years, completely abstaining from grains. She could walk three hundred li daily. Villagers claimed she lived over two hundred years before finally riding a white deer accompanied by jade maidens into Mount Hua to attain immortality.

Gan Shi, originally from Taiyuan, excelled in breathing techniques (tuna), abstained from grains, consumed asparagus root (a medicinal herb), and mastered the arts of the bedchamber (ancient health cultivation method). After living over three hundred years, he entered Mount Wangwu to become an immortal.

Feng Junda of Longxi consumed Solomon's seal (a medicinal herb) for over fifty years, then practiced mercury refinement techniques at Mount Niaoshu. At a hundred years old, he maintained the appearance of a thirty-year-old. Often riding a black ox to practice medicine, he earned the nickname "Black Ox Daoist" for his miraculous cures. In his two hundredth year, he entered Mount Xuanqiu to attain immortality.

These accounts reflect ancient Daoist cultivation practices pursuing longevity through herbal consumption, breathing techniques, and sexual cultivation arts, incorporating both Chinese medicinal knowledge and spiritual practices. Modern readers should note that certain methods mentioned—such as mercury consumption—are now known to be hazardous to health.