《三洞群仙錄》Vol. 8

The eighth volume of Records of the Immortals from the Three Caverns (Sandong Qunxian Lu), compiled by Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoist priest Chen Baoguang, records anecdotes of several immortals.

The first section recounts stories of Zhuangzi (venerated in Daoism as the Perfected Lord of Southern Florescence). Guo Pu's Poems of Wandering Immortals from the Jin Dynasty mentions "an aloof official in the Lacquer Garden," referring to Zhuangzi who once served as a minor official there. When King Wei of Chu sent envoys with lavish gifts to invite him to become prime minister, Zhuangzi laughed and told them: "Be gone quickly, lest you tarnish the integrity of this humble lacquer garden keeper." This reveals his transcendent attitude toward worldly affairs.

The second section documents Tang Dynasty recluse Zhang Zhihe (styled Mysterious Perfected Master), who called himself "the angler amidst misty waves" and composed five fishing songs. The first depicts white birds flying by Xisai Mountain, plump mandarin fish among peach blossom waters, and a fisherman in blue bamboo hat and green straw cape serenely angling through slanting wind and drizzling rain. The other four respectively describe: fearless fishermen braving wind and waves in small boats; impoverished yet cheerful boat-dwelling fishermen at Zha Creek; sharing wild rice and water shield soup with friends by Songjiang River before drunkenly napping in fishing boats; and the carefree joy of moonlit fishing songs on Dongting Lake. These poems all express the unfettered mindset of reclusion in rivers and lakes, without yearning for immortality.

The third section tells the ascension story of Su Dan (Immortal Lord Su). One day while sweeping his courtyard in formal attire, celestial cranes suddenly descended on clouds from the northwest. Kneeling to bid farewell to his mother, he said: "The Supreme Venerable Sovereign (Taishang Laojun) summons me to serve as celestial official. The procession has arrived—I can no longer fulfill my filial duties." Before departing, he left a locked cabinet, instructing his mother to knock and call for whatever she needed, but never to open it. Later, overcome by curiosity, she opened the cabinet, releasing two cranes—after which the cabinet lost its magic.

Finally comes the account of Sun Zhen, teacher of Ge Hong (styled Master Who Embraces Simplicity). After completing his Daoist studies under Master Bo He, Sun Zhen received upon departure a talisman-filled case (fulu) with the words: "An ox-cart will come to meet you ahead"—hinting at his imminent ascension. These stories collectively embody the Daoist spiritual pursuit of honoring naturalness and transcending worldly attachments.

The Daoist Master Sun Deng always traveled in an ox-drawn carriage where all provisions appeared spontaneously without question. He strictly warned against opening the carriage's mysterious box. Once while kneeling to receive spiritual guidance, an ox-cart indeed approached him asking, "Are you Master Sun? I was sent by Immortal Bo He to fetch you." Upon boarding, the carriage flew swiftly across rivers without needing bridges, with wine and food continuously provided. One day a disciple secretly opened the box, only to find a painting of an ox-cart inside—whereupon both carriage and master instantly vanished. Later, Sun Deng was often seen traveling with Bo He in this same miraculous vehicle.

The Daoist Xuanyuan Miming frequented the Hengshan mountains and Xiang River region, maintaining friendship with Liu Shifu. Journeying from Hengshan to Taibai Mountain, he learned of Liu's presence in the capital and arrived at his residence by nightfall. There, the famed poet Hou Xi was discussing poetry with Liu by a stove. Finding Ming's appearance unrefined, Hou treated him dismissively. Pointing to a stone tripod on the stove, Ming challenged: "Can you gentlemen compose verses about this?" Though acquainted with Ming, Liu never knew him as a poet and began: "The cunning craftsman carved the mountain's bones (the tripod), hollowed for boiling and stewing." Hou continued: "Straight handle yet holds no power, stopped mouth swallows its voice." Ming laughed quietly: "Is this poetry's limit?" Then he recited over a dozen exquisite couplets with effortless fluency. When both men became tongue-tied, they rose and bowed: "Our master's skill surpasses mortal capacity—we concede defeat."

Daoist Master Tao Tai Bai (Tao Hongjing) often gathered medicinal herbs. One day while resting in Songshan's forests with wine and companions, he heard laughter from pine treetops. Spotting two figures, he called: "You must be immortals—will you share our wine?" A man in ancient garb and a woman descended gracefully. The man explained: "I was a Qin dynasty laborer; she, a palace maiden. We escaped the Lishan calamity together." When Tao inquired about the Golden Elixir (Jindan), they replied: "We were ordinary people who attained flight through consuming pine nuts, having abandoned worldly fires. Life, death, immortality—these distinctions no longer concern us." Breaking a pine branch to tap the wine jar, they sang: "Pine-fed lightness roams peaks high, Red dust's disputes pass us by. Briefly robed to speak of earth, Soon we'll ride the azure sky."

Zhou Ziliang was a disciple of Tao Hongjing (the Hermit Tao), known from childhood for his gentle temperament and dignified demeanor. During the Tianjian era of Emperor Wu of Liang, celestial immortals frequently descended to his dwelling, praising him: "Young Zhou diligently cultivates virtue and merit, never betraying his aspirations." Zhou humbly expressed his unworthiness of such honor. The Director of Destinies (a deity governing lifespans) revealed to him: "Recently at the Eastern Florescence Palace (a Daoist celestial realm), I saw your name inscribed on the azure registers of the immortal bureaucracy, now recorded in the Department of Morning Protection."

When Ouyang Xiu (courtesy name Yongshu) and Mei Yaochen (courtesy name Shengyu) journeyed to Mount Song together, the intoxicated Ouyang glimpsed four crimson characters—"Divine Clarity Grotto"—manifesting on the western cliff face. Though he pointed them out, Mei could perceive nothing. Later, when Ouyang retired to his hometown, he commemorated the vision in verse: "Four cinnabar words carved on cliffs soaring high, / The Divine Clarity Grotto locks celestial towers. / Scanning the distance, no mortal tracks appear— / Surely phoenix cranes await my final hours." Several days after composing this, he passed away.

Hua Tuo (courtesy name Yuanhua), the miraculous Eastern Han physician, mastered medicine using remarkably few herbs. For internal ailments, he administered mafeisan anesthetic before opening abdomens to cleanse organs, excise diseased tissue, then suture wounds with medicinal ointments—recovery followed within five days, complete healing in a month.

Legends tell how Dongfang Shuo was orphaned three days after birth, acquiring his surname ("Eastern Dawn") when found at daybreak. As an adult, he often murmured to himself in empty rooms. Once at Hongmeng Marsh, an elderberry-gathering crone claimed motherhood, until a yellow-browed sage appeared declaring: "This is my son. Every three millennia I renew marrow and bones; every two millennia shed skin and hair—thrice reborn, five times transformed."

The Biographies of Female Transcendents records: Northwest of Moxian County in Mozhou stands the Shrine of Lady Hao. During the Qinglong era of Emperor Ming of Wei, the maiden Hao achieved immortality while picking herbs by Outi Pond with neighbors. Locals later established her shrine, where drought prayers for rain never fail to be answered.

While gathering wild vegetables by the riverside, two azure-clad youths (attired as Daoist immortal attendants) suddenly appeared, announcing that the Duke of the Eastern Sea wished to take the woman as his bride. They spread connected sitting mats across the water's surface, upon which the woman walked, sat, and reclined as if on solid ground, with the youths attending her as they floated downstream. A neighboring woman ran to inform her family, but when they arrived, she had vanished. From afar, the woman called out: "I am blessed to become a water immortal (xian) - please don't worry." Later, a shrine was built by the water where suddenly appeared bluish-white stones - one vertical, one horizontal - about three feet wide and over two feet tall, inscribed with ancient characters identifying them as "The Aunt's Mounting Stones," which remain to this day.

The Song Dynasty text Huangchao Leiyuan records that in Hongzhou's Western Mountains lived a Xu couple who moved freely through the hills, said to be servants of Xu Jingyang (Xu Xun, one of Daoism's Four Celestial Masters). Originally buying rice at Western Ridge for their master, they returned to find Celestial Master Xu had already ascended to immortality with his entire household. The servant Xu Da composed a poem: "Since our enlightened master became an immortal, I still wander this dusty world. Not that I seek to hide my name among mortals - selling firewood for wine brings peace of mind." Later, Celestial Master Xu taught him the arts of terrestrial immortality (earthbound xian), after which he changed his surname to Gan Da - with sightings reported even in recent times.

The Youyang Zazu recounts how Tang Dynasty Daoist priest Xing Hebo once hosted a guest who stroked his beard with uproarious laughter, his grin stretching nearly to his ears. After spirited conversation, the visitor departed. When questioned, Xing revealed: "That was the Heavenly Emperor's Jester-Official (celestial minister of entertainment)."

In the Shenxian Zhuan, a ragged eccentric sold gourd seeds outside Hezhou's southern gate, prophesying they'd prove invaluable within two years - though none understood why. He'd sometimes suddenly cover his ears and scurry away, complaining of "noisy wind-water sounds." The following autumn, catastrophic floods submerged hundreds of households, during which witnesses saw the madman floating downstream on an enormous gourd, still clutching his ears and shouting about the "noisy wind-water sounds."

Eastern Han records describe how Feng Meng (courtesy name Zilian) of Beihai's Duchang County, though impoverished while serving as a local bailiff, had an epiphany when greeting a visiting sheriff: "How can a true man demean himself as another's lackey?" Immediately hanging his official cap on Luoyang's city gate, he took his family across the sea to Liaodong as a recluse, later cultivating the Dao at Laoshan in Langya - his virtuous influence transforming many.

When Princess Nanyang of the Han dynasty married Wang Xian, it was during Wang Mang's usurpation of power. The princess had always yearned for purity and Wuwei (non-action), revering the supreme Daoist principles. She often admired the governing ways of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing of Han, and knew that during Emperor Wu's reign, celestial beings frequently descended to earth. The princess told Wang Xian: "The nation's Qi (vital energy) is exhausted—this isn't something a woman can remedy. I only seek to maintain inner peace, retreat to cultivate the Dao, and distance myself from worldly strife—perhaps this may prolong my life. If I simply follow the current trends, disaster would be unavoidable." She then entered Mount Hua, building a thatched hut to devote herself to spiritual practice. True immortals repeatedly descended to guide her, until finally she attained the Dao and ascended on a cloud. Only a pair of red shoes remained on the mountain ridge—when people went to retrieve them, they had turned to stone. Later generations named that peak "Princess Summit."

The stories of Wang Qing with the white rabbit, and Lü Gong with the green snake: According to Records of Original Transformations, when Wang Qing was tending Zhang Tianshi's (Celestial Master Zhang's) alchemical furnace, he secretly lifted the lid to peek, and a white rabbit jumped out. Everyone exclaimed, "The elixir has escaped!" Just then, a Daoist transformed into a white crane and flew away, soon returning with the rabbit in its grasp to return it to the furnace.

The Miscellaneous Records of the Green Lock recounts that the imperial physician Jia Shixiong possessed a precious ancient iron mirror he long wished to polish. A retired scholar named Hui claimed expertise in mirror polishing, taking medicinal powder from his bamboo case to pile upon the mirror's surface. Claiming he needed more ingredients, he left and never returned. When messengers searched his residence, they found his poem inscribed on the temple gate: "The green snake in my hand soars past the bright sun / Immortal fruits in the cave glow with eternal spring. Know that beyond material forms dwell mist-and-haze wanderers / Not mundane men who polish mirrors in the dust." When Jia examined the mirror again, the powder had vanished, leaving the surface perfectly translucent. This scholar also left a poem for Zhang Ji: "At dawn I roam South Yue, by dusk Cangwu's peaks / A green snake in my sleeve makes my courage bold. Thrice entering Yueyang unrecognized / Chanting aloud, I fly across Dongting Lake."

The accounts of Perfected Lord Qian with the Flying Ribbon Maidens, and Lady Bao with the Silk-Washer: Records of Mount Mao describe how the Qian sisters, female Daoists, secluded themselves in Tao Hongjing's former residence on Mount Mao, reciting the Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Scripture) for thirty years. One day they bid Tao farewell; when asked their destination, they replied, "We go to the golden towers of the immortal realm." Tao composed a farewell verse: "This Daoist sends off celestial guests / Escorting them east of Great Mao Peak / Taihua Mountain lies a hundred thousand leagues away / Gazing afar at disappearing wild geese." The perfected ones responded: "Master stays well where you stay / Weary master seeing us so far / The immortal register bears our names / Names dwelling in Penglai's cavern." They then transformed into flying ribbons entering the cave. By the time the younger sister arrived, the cave mouth had sealed—this is now called Swallow Cave.

In the secluded valley of Yandong Longhong, Tian Lin once left poetic verses depicting the aura of an immortal realm. Master Qian (a Daoist practitioner) had left traces of his celestial journey in this place—though his senior disciple had departed, the master remained in cultivation. When the junior disciple returned, the stone gate of the cave abode had already closed, leaving only white clouds drifting like silk ribbons and the murmuring spring waters seemingly chanting the Huangting Jing (a key Daoist scripture). The blossoming peach trees and purple irises formed a scene so beautiful it seemed like a natural painted screen left for the mortal world.

The Xianzhuan Shiyi records the story of Baonü from Hanzhong: From childhood, she yearned for quietude and spiritual practice. As an adult, while washing silk by the river, she miraculously conceived during celestial phenomena. On her deathbed, she instructed her family to bury her in the western mountains using an ox-drawn carriage. The spirit carriage crossed the river without a driver, and her family witnessed only celestial music amid five-colored auspicious clouds as she ascended in feathered transformation, leaving an empty coffin behind.

Zhang Bai (styled Baiyunzi), originally a Confucian scholar, turned to Daoist cultivation after failing the imperial exams and experiencing bereavement. He often sat in meditation by breaking ice to enter freezing waters, his body enveloped in rising steam. Inscribed poems at Master Cui’s tavern compared him to a Peach Blossom Spring immortal, until he finally dissolved into transcendence.

The Cuoshuo recounts Zhang Zhihe’s (a Tang Dynasty Daoist) attendants: The fishing lad was responsible for angling, while the firewood maiden gathered herbs and brewed tea—embodying the refined simplicity of Daoist living.

The Shenxian Zhuan tells of Wang Lao, a devout Daoist, visited by a ragged priest; another fragment mentions Zhang Ji’s "breaking the melon" metaphor (referring to penetrating profound mysteries), though the text is regrettably incomplete. These stories collectively illustrate the Daoist ideal of ordinary individuals attaining transcendent states through cultivation and awakening to the heavenly Dao.

A Daoist priest and his wife stayed at the Wang family's home for over a month when suddenly his entire body became covered with festering sores. Old Wang, the host, busied himself seeking medical treatment, but the priest said mundane medicines were unnecessary—all he needed was several hu of fine wine to soak in for a cure. Old Wang prepared the wine, and the priest had it poured into a large vat. After adding medicinal powder, he immersed himself in the wine vat. Two days later when he emerged, his beard and hair had turned completely black, his face looked youthful, and his skin was as smooth as congealed cream. He then invited Old Wang's entire family and their laborers, who were threshing wheat, to drink the wine. When everyone was thoroughly intoxicated, the priest asked, "Would you like to ascend to heaven?" Suddenly, an auspicious wind arose, and multicolored clouds lifted the entire household—people, chickens, and dogs alike—into the sky, where the sound of wheat-threshing could still be heard. To this day, west of Yijun County, there remains a place called "Immortal Ascension Village."

Yang Wengong recorded in Tanyuan: When Zhang Ji lived outside the city walls, a recluse named Lü Xianweng visited him. Zhang Ji hastily put on his shoes backward to greet him. The recluse asked for brush and paper and wrote a seven-character poem in the "eight-part" calligraphic style, subtly hinting at future ministerial rank. The final line read, "Success shall come in the 'broken melon' year" (ancient term for sixty-eight years of age). Later, Zhang Ji indeed became chancellor at sixty-eight, fulfilling the prophecy.

The Collected Records of Immortals recounts: Lady Yunhua was the twenty-third daughter of the Queen Mother of the West, named Yaoji. Once, returning from the Eastern Sea, she passed by Mount Wu and became enchanted by its perilous peaks and secluded valleys, lingering at a natural altar formed by giant rocks. At that time, Yu the Great was taming floods when violent winds shook the cliffs beyond control. By chance encountering Yaoji, he knelt seeking aid. She commanded her attendants to bestow upon Yu talismanic registers (fulu) for summoning spirits and dispatched divine generals to assist in mountain-clearing and channel-dredging. When Yu later climbed the high mountains to pay respects, he saw Yaoji transform—now into stone, now into wispy clouds scattering, now gathering as fine rain, then morphing into flying dragons or cranes in countless forms, ever elusive. Later, Chu minister Song Yu recounted this to King Xiang of Chu. Failing to grasp the path to immortality within the tale, the king merely built a Terrace Palace at Gaotang to offer sacrifices to her.

Song Yu's "Rhapsody on the Goddess" ostensibly depicts romantic love between man and woman, yet harbors licentious undertones. How can such writings be used to profane the true purity of immortal beings?

Zhuangzi once described divine beings dwelling on Mount Gushe (a legendary immortal mountain). Their skin was as pure as ice and snow, their grace as delicate as a maiden's. They consumed no earthly grains, subsisting only on wind and dew, riding clouds and driving flying dragons to roam beyond the Four Seas.

During the Yuanjia era of the Liu Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties, there was a youth named Yuanjia who possessed extraordinary talents—he could perform six tasks simultaneously: drawing a circle with his left hand while drawing a square with his right, reciting classical texts from memory, counting a flock of sheep with his eyes, composing a forty-character poem on the spot, and even writing calligraphy with his feet. Contemporaries called him the "Divine Child."

In the Five Dynasties period, the Shu Daoist Zhang Suqing painted twelve portraits of immortals, which were praised in verse by Ouyang Jiong, while the Vice Director of the Ministry of Waterworks, Huang Jucai, inscribed them in the "Eight-Part Script" calligraphic style. The three were collectively hailed as the "Three Perfections."

The Biographies of Immortals records that during the Eastern Han, the fangshi (esoteric master) Luan Ba heard of a temple deity on Mount Lu that could converse with humans. Before he arrived, the temple god fled. Tracking it down, Luan Ba discovered the spirit had transformed into a scholar in Qi, even marrying the governor’s daughter. Recognizing its true form as a fox spirit, Luan Ba forced it to reveal itself with talismanic spells and executed it.

Another tale tells of Fei Changfang, another Eastern Han fangshi, who served in Runan Commandery. Every year, demons would impersonate the governor’s procession and parade through the streets. Once, Fei Changfang commanded the demon to reveal itself on the spot, and the creature stepped down from its carriage to beg for mercy. Fei rebuked it for impersonating an official, whereupon the demon reverted to its true form—a giant turtle.

These passages record several immortal tales from Daoist tradition:

The story of Bie Changfang: He was ordered to deliver talismans (fulu) to Lord Gebei (a water deity), shedding tears at their parting. When people later followed to observe, they found the divine turtle had already died by the water's edge.

The tale of swords transforming into dragons: During the Jin dynasty, purple qi appeared between the constellations of Dipper and Ox. Lei Huan identified it as the vital essence (jingqi) of precious swords ascending to heaven. Digging four zhang deep beneath the prison foundation at Fengcheng in Yuzhang, they discovered a stone casket containing two swords—one named Dragon Spring (Longquan), the other Great River (Tai'e). Lei Huan presented one to Zhang Hua while keeping the other. After Zhang Hua's execution, his sword disappeared. When Lei Huan's son later crossed Yanping Ford wearing the remaining sword, it leapt from his waist into the water. Divers saw only two intertwined dragons emitting radiant light as they swam away. Lei Huan had predicted such numinous objects would eventually transform, proving true.

The account of the Moon-Piercing Raft: During Emperor Yao's thirtieth year of reign, an enormous floating log appeared on the Western Sea, glowing at night but extinguishing by day. Mariners observed its light fluctuating like stars and moonrise. This celestial raft circled the four seas for twelve years to complete one heavenly circuit, repeating endlessly—thus named the "Moon-Piercing Raft."

The legend of Zhang Jiuge: During the Qingli era of Northern Song, a Daoist named Zhang Jiuge appeared in the capital. Summoned by Prince Yan, he borrowed silk fabric and golden scissors to cut butterfly shapes—each fragment transforming into living butterflies that alighted on the prince's robes and ladies' hairpins. At his recall, they reassembled into silk, though one remained missing, caught by a palace maid.

The story of Huang Chuping: Originally a shepherd, he was taken by a Daoist master to cultivate the Dao (xiudao) at Golden Flower Mountain (Jinhua Shan) and never returned. After years of searching, his elder brother Huang Chuqi encountered a Daoist in the marketplace who revealed his younger brother's whereabouts.

The Register of the Immortal Multitudes from the Three Caverns records several miraculous accounts of Daoist practitioners:

Huang Chuping (later venerated as a Daoist immortal) followed Daoist masters in his youth. When his elder brother came searching for lost sheep, Chuping claimed they were east of the mountain. The brother found only white stones until Chuping commanded them - whereupon the stones transformed into sheep.

Li Shunxing experienced a celestial encounter at age eleven: thousands of flying immortals descended, filling his home with divine radiance. A celestial official retrieved scriptures glowing with nine-colored auroras to transmit to him. Later summoned by Emperor Wen of Wei, he was honored as "Master Alchemist Li." At thirty-eight, he feigned mortal illness and "died." On his burial day, witnesses saw him appear on Mount Li, declaring he would protect the nation from northern barbarian customs. When his coffin was opened, it proved empty - leading the court to establish a shrine for him at Shayuan.

Wang Yan's daughter Wang Jinxian, then crown princess, faced capture during the Luoyang invasion. When threatened by Hu invaders, she denounced them fiercely before drowning herself in protest. Her maidservant Liuchu followed suit. The immortal Han Xihua of Mount Song rescued both, guiding them to Huayang Palace Grotto for cultivation. Liuchu (originally surnamed Tian) owed this opportunity to her grandfather Tian Feng's accumulated virtue during his lifetime.

Meng Qin mastered the esoteric arts of Zuo Ci and Liu Gen (Eastern Han thaumaturges), earning widespread reverence. When Fu Jian, ruler of Former Qin, accused him of manipulating minds and ordered his execution, soldiers came during a banquet - only for Meng Qin to transform into a whirlwind and vanish.

To the east of the city, someone reported encountering an unexpected stream that was impossible to cross.

The Zhen'gao records that Fan Qiulin served as the Guardian of Life (a Daoist immortal position) at Huayang Palace and was skilled in producing long, resonant whistles. His whistles varied dramatically—sometimes resembling a chorus of a hundred birds, other times like a gale sweeping through the forest, or even the pounding of war drums. Before long, swirling clouds of Qi would gather above his head, stirring winds so powerful that the entire grove of trees would tremble in response.

The Xianzhuan Shiyi recounts the story of Chen Xiufu, also known as Chen Qizi. Once, at a banquet hosted by the governor of Banan, a courtesan insulted him. Chen merely smiled and glanced at her, whereupon she immediately grew a beard several feet long, weeping and begging the governor for help. After the governor interceded, Chen recited an incantation and had her drink a cup of wine, after which she soon returned to normal.

The Guangji tells of Xu Xiangu, daughter of the Northern Qi minister Xu Zhicai. Though already hundreds of years old, her appearance remained that of a woman in her mid-twenties. She was a master of prohibitive spells and traveled widely among famous mountains and rivers, often spending nights in caves or temples. Once, while lodging at a temple, several unruly monks made lewd remarks toward her. Facing their taunts, Xu Xiangu sneered, "Though I am a woman, I have left my family to cultivate the Dao. I fear neither wild beasts nor venomous creatures—why should I fear vermin like you?" With that, she removed her outer robe and prepared to sleep, deliberately extinguishing the lamp. The monks were secretly delighted, but by dawn, they found she had long since departed—while they had remained frozen like corpses, unable to speak all night. Only after Xu Xiangu had traveled several miles away did they regain their mobility.

The Shenxian Zhuan records that Liu An, the Prince of Huainan, treated scholars with great respect. Once, eight elderly men came seeking an audience. The gatekeeper said, "His Highness seeks the arts of immortality—yet you are all too old." The Eight Elders replied, "If His Highness insists that only the young possess the Dao, then we shall become young." With that, they transformed into youths with faces as rosy as peach blossoms.

The Gaodao Zhuan describes how Master Yan Da (courtesy name Daotong) had aspired to leave the mundane world and cultivate the Dao since childhood. Along with Wang Yan, Su Daobiao, Cheng Faming, Zhou Huasheng, Wang Zhenwei, Shi Daole, Yu Changwen, Zhang Facheng, and Fu Daochong—ten men united by their shared pursuit of Daoist arts—they formed a close-knit group of practitioners. The world called them the "Ten Elders."

The Shenxian Zhuan also recounts Zhao Sheng plucking immortal peaches and Tian Shi summoning celestial dates. The Han-dynasty Celestial Master (Tianshi) once led his disciples up the sheer cliffs of Yuntai Mountain.

On a steep cliff grew a peach tree as thick as a man's arm, its branches hanging over a bottomless abyss. When large peaches ripened on its boughs, the Celestial Master (Tianshi, Daoism's honorific for enlightened masters) told his disciples: "Whoever retrieves these peaches shall receive the essential teachings of cultivation." Over two hundred disciples peered over the edge, but all trembled with fear, their legs shaking and bodies drenched in cold sweat. None dared look down for long, eventually retreating in defeat. Only Zhang Sheng (a renowned Daoist immortal) leaped onto the tree from above, gathering an armful of peaches with perfect composure. The Celestial Master distributed the peaches among the disciples and later transmitted supreme Daoist methods to Zhang Sheng, enabling him to achieve daylight ascension.

Master Tian Shiwen from Gulang devoted himself to practicing the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen) scriptures, persistently consuming elixirs, refining primordial Qi (vital energy), and maintaining rigorous purification rituals without interruption. His blessings and healing rituals never failed to produce miraculous recoveries. When Chen Gang invited him to perform a ritual, divine beings suddenly descended, dropping several celestial jujubes upon the altar—fruits unlike any earthly variety.

The origins of Yi Mengchang remain mysterious; he adopted his name ("Double Sun Dreamer") after dreaming of two suns. During the late Tang dynasty, he wandered mountains and rivers wearing coarse Daoist robes, refusing official posts. Fond of wearing flowers, he once inscribed poetry at the immortal platform of Sikong Temple in You County: "Only green pines play with sunlight, / No cloud-riding cranes secretly beguile." He also composed verses praising yellow hollyhocks: "Dew collects in golden cups like spilt wine, / Sandalwood graces fair maidens with exotic fragrance." Later achieving liberation from the corpse (a Daoist immortalization method where the physical body disappears), his coffin was found empty when opened.

During Duke Jing of Song's reign, a master astrologer was offered high ministerial rank, towers of jade, rare delicacies, and fine silks to serve at court. Suddenly, a wild man clad in straw garments and carrying a bookcase knocked at the gate. The duke respectfully received him in the main hall. This sage could foretell future events, recount past occurrences, observe celestial omens at night, and divine with trigram charts by day—yet refused fine clothes and delicacies. When asked about governance, he replied: "Neglecting virtue (De) invites calamity; ruling through virtue summons heavenly blessings." The duke, deeply impressed, bestowed upon him the surname "Zi" and name "Wei"—hence the famous Ziwei. Before departing, Ziwei left prophecies resonating through eight musical tones for ten thousand generations, gifting three sacred treasures.

The origins of Wan Baochang remain unknown. As a child, he already possessed profound understanding of musical temperament. One day in the countryside, he encountered over a dozen magnificently dressed figures with splendid carriages and ceremonial guards. These beings addressed him: "The heavens observe your innate comprehension of music and wish to impart the Eight Tones (ancient musical instruments) to you during these chaotic times. The music of this world has become corrupted, and you have yet to learn the true refined music." They seated him and meticulously explained the music of well-governed and chaotic eras throughout history. Wan Baochang memorized everything, after which the celestial beings ascended skyward. From then on, he became omniscient regarding human music.

Wei Yan, styled Jingzhao, traveled to Sichuan after failing the imperial examinations. In the Zheng family garden, he beheld several dozen celestial maidens in resplendent attire with retinues, their adornments unlike anything seen in the mortal realm. A fairy addressed him: "I've newly composed a piece called 'Purple Clouds.' Since the emperor reveres the Dao of immortality, I wish to transmit this melody through you to the Tang emperor. Will you undertake this task?" Wei Yan replied: "I'm merely a scholar, unversed in music—this truly exceeds my abilities." The fairy responded: "In that case, I shall transmit it directly to the emperor through dreams. But since you've come here, it shows your connection with the Dao—I'll gift you three treasures." She ordered attendants to bring forth a jasper cup, a millet-patterned jade pillow, and a purple jade box, all radiantly luminous. After receiving these gifts with gratitude, Wei Yan turned to find the garden had vanished.

Qin Shuyin now serves as an immortal official (a Daoist administrative position overseeing celestial beings) on Mount Hua. After Zhou Yi's death, he became a commander of ghost officials in the underworld (a netherworld official position). Zhou Yi, styled Boren, hailed from Ancheng in Runan and served as Minister of Works during the Eastern Jin dynasty. In the first year of Yongchang reign, when Wang Dun rebelled, Zhou Yi was captured and executed at the southern gate of Stone City at age fifty-four. Posthumously, he was honored as Grand Master of Splendid Happiness with the posthumous title Marquis Kang.

One day, Jia Dan sent strong men down a dry well to retrieve documents, where they indeed discovered several Daoist scriptures. He assigned over ten scribes to copy them. Just as they finished transcription, a Daoist priest stormed in, shouting Jia Dan's name and rebuking him: "How dare you steal..."

The Register of the Immortals from the Three Caverns records several stories of Daoist practitioners:

The tale of Fu Shentong: Orphaned in childhood, he made his living herding cattle. While tending the oxen, he frequently encountered a Daoist priest. Over time they became acquainted, and the priest asked if he wished to become a disciple. The Daoist led him into an underwater grotto-mansion, impeccably arranged with medicine pouches and an alchemical furnace. Fu was tasked with tending the furnace fire while learning the arts of alchemy (Daoist techniques for elixir preparation). After three years, Fu secretly hid some elixirs when the priest was away. Upon discovering this, the Daoist sighed: "I intended to transmit the true essence of the Great Dao, but with such thievery, even mastered techniques won't benefit your longevity," then departed.

The account of Master Liao Chong: During the Tang dynasty, Jiang Fang erected a stele for Master Liao at Jingfu Mountain in Lianzhou. Liao Chong, styled Qingling, resided at Jingfu Mountain. His reputation shone like celestial golden tablets, his dwelling resembled rosy-clouded immortal realms. With crane-like refinement and serene detachment, he dwelled among mortals yet remained unburdened by worldly cares, ranking alongside ancient immortals like Fusang Gong, Tao Hongjing (the renowned Southern Dynasties Daoist), and Celestial Master Zhang (Zhang Daoling, founder of Daoism).

The legend of Liu Ping'a: As magistrate of Ping'a in Jiujiang during the late Eastern Han, his exceptional medical skills saved countless lives, treating patients' suffering as his own. Later, an immortal transmitted to him the "Way of Hidden Preservation" (a cultivation method), through which he refined himself by absorbing solar and lunar essences. Dwelling in elevated immortal halls, his countenance became jade-like in radiance.

Zhang Shouzhen's three swords: During the Jianlong era of Emperor Taizu of Song, the Black Killer Deity descended and declared: "Your virtuous conduct qualifies you to expel malign influences." He then bestowed three sword techniques: forged from bronze and iron, then consecrated by divine power. The first sword subdued local earth deities and water demons; the second countered mountain and wilderness spirits; the third specialized in vanquishing harmful ghosts.

Yang Bao's miraculous encounter with the sparrow: Recorded in Sequel to Accounts of Strange Matters, Yang saved a yellow sparrow pursued by a hawk, nursing it back to full plumage. The sparrow flew by day and returned at night, later transforming into a yellow-robed youth to repay kindness (a classic illustration of the Daoist principle "virtue begets blessings").

This passage recounts a wondrous tale: A youth dressed in yellow robes claimed to be an emissary of the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu, a revered Daoist goddess). He reminisced how, while carrying out the Queen Mother's orders to journey to the Penglai Immortal Isle in ancient times, he had been attacked by a fierce owl. Fortunately, this noble gentleman had rescued him. To repay this life-saving kindness, the youth presented the gentleman with four jade rings and precious treasures, prophesying: "These shall protect your descendants, ensuring their virtue (De) remains pure and their official ranks may rise to the Three Dukes (highest positions in ancient government). These treasures will bring prosperity to your lineage, with four successive generations attaining renown as illustrious figures under heaven."