《瓊琯白真人集》Vol. 7

This biography recounts the life of the renowned Daoist figure Xu Xun (Xu Zhenjun). Styled Jingzhi, Xu traced his ancestral roots to Xuchang. His family had maintained a tradition of noble integrity for generations, consistently declining official positions. During the late Eastern Han dynasty, his father relocated to Nanchang in Yuzhang (present-day Jiangxi) to escape wartime chaos.

Xu Zhenjun's birth was accompanied by miraculous signs: his mother dreamed of a golden phoenix placing a luminous pearl in her palm. While playing with it, she accidentally swallowed the pearl and later discovered she was pregnant. From childhood, Xu displayed extraordinary intelligence, dignified appearance, and magnanimous character. A pivotal moment came during his youth when hunting—after fatally shooting a doe, he witnessed the dying animal tenderly licking her fawn. Profoundly moved, he abandoned martial pursuits for scholarly ones. He immersed himself in texts, mastering astronomy, geography, calendrics, and divination, while developing particular fascination with techniques of divine immortality.

Later, he became a disciple of Wu Meng in Xi'an, learning extraordinary methods transmitted from the immortal Ding Yi. He subsequently joined the famous fangshi (esoteric practitioner) Guo Pu in visiting sacred mountains, eventually settling for cultivation at the Jin family residence on Xiaoyao Mountain south of Western Mountain (the site of present-day Wanshou Palace). There he devoted himself daily to spiritual practice (evidenced by surviving artifacts like his alchemical well and medicine mortar), rejecting fame and wealth while transforming local communities through filial piety and benevolent virtue.

One telling incident involved an iron lampstand he purchased—when lit at night, its chipped paint revealed gold beneath. The next morning, Xu promptly returned the golden artifact to the seller. He never kept ill-gotten gains and repeatedly declined imperial summons, only reluctantly accepting the magistracy of Jingyang County at age forty-two. As magistrate, he reformed administration, using moral virtue to educate both citizens and prisoners. His penetrating discernment prevented official deceit. When adjudicating cases, he would first expound on loyalty, filial devotion, benevolent love, diligence, and virtuous conduct—these teachings being meticulously recorded in official proclamations.

At that time, there was a pressing challenge: government decrees couldn't effectively reach every household beyond a hundred li. Thus, Xu Xun carefully selected virtuous local gentry and respected elders, entrusting them with the task of guiding the common people. Gradually, the contentious atmosphere dissipated, and eventually even lawsuits and disputes ceased entirely.

During a previous famine year, when the people couldn't pay their taxes and officials pursued collections by law, many were left homeless. Perfected Lord Xu then employed divine arts to transform rubble into gold, secretly burying it in the yamen's rear garden. One day, he summoned those with tax debts to perform labor in the garden. As they dug, they discovered the gold, which was used to settle their tax obligations, restoring stability. Displaced people from neighboring regions, hearing of his benevolence, flocked to seek refuge, greatly increasing the local population.

That year, a devastating plague broke out, claiming seven or eight out of every ten lives. Using immortal prescriptions he had mastered, the Perfected Lord treated the afflicted—wherever his talismans and incantations reached, the sick recovered instantly, even those gravely ill. Soon thousands of patients from surrounding counties arrived daily seeking treatment. He then planted bamboo poles along the riverbank ten li outside the city, casting inscribed talismans into the waters so patients could drink downstream and be healed. Even the elderly and infirm who couldn't travel recovered after drinking river water taken home. The people of Shu sang: "Bandits vanish, officials turn honest, the Perfected Lord saves us, pestilence retreats."

Later, people from east of the Yangtze came to Jingyang for the healing waters. The Perfected Lord chanted over their containers, placed talismans within, and instructed them to pour the water into their local rivers while marking the spots with bamboo poles for others to drink. Thus the easterners were also healed, and the river became known as "Shu River" (originally called Jin River, now in Gao'an County, Ruizhou).

After serving in Jingyang for years and foreseeing the coming chaos of the Jin dynasty, the Perfected Lord resigned to return east (Jingyang County belonged to Hanzhou; after his ascension, the court renamed it Deyang to honor his virtue). The people of Shu, overwhelmed with gratitude yet unable to make him stay, established shrines in his honor everywhere, enshrining his portrait in every home as they would a deity. On his departure day, crowds with provisions for his journey covered the hills—some escorted him a thousand li before turning back, while others followed to his hometown, vowing to serve as his lifelong retainers. These followers built thatched dwellings on the eastern vacant land near his residence, forming a military-style settlement where many adopted the Xu surname to follow the Perfected Lord—hence the name "Xu Family Camp."

This account relates several miraculous experiences of Xu Xun (Xu the True Lord), patriarch of the Daoist Jingming school:

When governing his region, Xu the True Lord earned deep admiration from the people. Once while traveling to Xinwu, he rested beneath a grove of cypress trees when suddenly five maidens appeared, each presenting him with a sword. Sensing something extraordinary, Xu accepted the gifts (the site later became home to the Zhilin Temple). These maidens would often visit Xu's residence afterwards, daily practicing sword dances for their own amusement. While others couldn't comprehend the mystery, Xu recognized them as sword immortals and treated them with due respect. These divine swords later proved invaluable (after Xu's ascension to immortality, the swords were embedded beneath the cypress trees he had planted himself, hence their epithet "Cypress Immortal Maidens").

Later, while traveling with Wu Meng (Lord Wu) to Songyang, Xu heard of a female Daoist adept named Chen Mu at Huangtang Temple in Danyang County, Zhenjiang Prefecture, who was profoundly skilled in Daoist arts. They went together to seek her guidance. Chen Mu revealed: "You both possess innate immortal bones and are recorded in the celestial registers. In ancient times, the Filial and Brotherly King descended from the highest Qing heaven to teach humanity the Way of Filial Piety. His first manifestation was to Lan Gong in Qufu County, Yanzhou, where he prophesied that during the Jin dynasty, an immortal named Xu Xun would inherit this tradition as patriarch of the Quanzhen school. He left behind the Golden Elixir scripture and bronze talismans with iron covenants, instructing Lan Gong to entrust them to me until your arrival. Now that you're here, I shall transmit them to you." Selecting an auspicious day, she established an altar and conducted the proper liturgy (Keyi) to transmit the essence of Filial Piety, bestowing upon Xu the bronze talismans, iron covenants, Golden Elixir scripture, along with Zhengyi methods for vanquishing evil and the Three-Five Flying Steps technique (the Five Thunder Methods currently used in Jingming practice all originate from Chen Mu's transmission).

Chen Mu then told Wu Meng: "Though you previously served as Xu's teacher in divine formulas and numerology, the Filial Enlightenment King's lineage belongs solely to Xu. According to celestial hierarchy, Xu as the Brilliant Envoy oversees all immortal records, ranking above your position as Censor of Yuanshui Prefecture. The heavens assign the twelve earthly branches to twelve celestial divisions—Xu governs the Xuanyao division (corresponding to the midnight hour), commanding all twelve directions, while you oversee the Xingji division (the hour of dawn). Henceforth you should honor Xu as your senior." As they bowed in gratitude before departing, Xu thought silently of visiting Chen Mu annually. Perceiving this, she said: "No need—I shall soon return to the celestial court." With these words, she plucked some divine thatch grass (an immortal herb) to signify their parting.

This passage recounts the miraculous deeds of a Daoist Zhenren (Perfected Person) who traveled across the land employing supernatural powers to benefit humanity:

The Zhenren journeyed over forty li southward to locate the legendary Flying Thatch (a magical grass said to possess the power of flight), where he established the Yellow Hall Shrine (now called Chongzhen Temple), returning annually for mid-autumn worship. Passing through Clear Wave Forest, he rested by its pristine waters, later commemorated by the founding of Qizhen Temple. Witnessing villagers sacrificing livestock to deities, the Zhenren summoned wind and thunder by night to banish the haunting yaoguai (demonic creatures), admonishing the people against blood sacrifices. With his staff, he tapped dry ground to create a pure spring (now known as Zeyang Village's Purple Sun Clear Stone Well), relieving the locals' water scarcity.

Ascending a mountain peak, he discovered a demon lurking within a hillside spring, which he subdued through ritual altar practices (marked today by Dragon City Temple). While crossing Little Shu River (modern Huanghu Crossing), he painted a pine tree on the wall of the impoverished but reverent Song family's home, bringing them prosperity. When floods later destroyed the marketplace, only this painted pine wall remained intact (now commemorated by Songhu City's temple). At Yellow Dragon Mountain during his Golden Elixir (Jindan) alchemical practices, he subdued a flood-causing jiaolong (water dragon), nailing it to the stone cliffs (where traces remain). After completing the elixir, he performed rites at Ge Xian Gong's stone chamber in Mount Mufu, tempered his sword at Xiuchuan (now marked by Jingyang Temple's sacred site), and finally ascended Beautiful Peak (Jingyang Mountain) to establish an altar for thanksgiving before consuming the immortal elixir. His companion Wu Jun also cultivated here.

The text mentions "jing" - Daoist ritual spaces for suppressing malevolent forces, with "altar-jing" referring to ceremonial platforms for subduing demons. These narratives illustrate the Zhenren's cultivation journey of employing Daoist methods (Daofa) to aid the world, vanquish evil, and bring peace to the people. The surviving temple names, well sites, and other landmarks serve as enduring memorials to these divine traces.

To the south of the peak lies the immortal village of Wu Xian Guan, where the True Lord Xu Xun (one of Daoism's Four Celestial Masters) once resided. When the True Lord arrived at the home of an elderly local named Wu, passing through Xi'an County (present-day Fenning County), the local earth deity came forth to pay respects. The True Lord questioned the deity for concealing the fact that demons were plaguing the people.

Along the way, they passed a small temple where a deity surnamed Mao (one of five brothers, now enshrined at the Siyou Temple, located four hundred paces east of the county seat) volunteered information: "A flood dragon has been wreaking havoc here. Knowing the True Lord was coming, it fled to Ezhou to hide, but it will surely return. I beg you to rid the people of this scourge." Following the deity's directions, the True Lord gave chase.

At the roadside in Ezhou, he encountered three elders (now commemorated at the Sanwang Temple) and asked about the dragon's whereabouts. They pointed ahead, saying, "It hides beneath the bridge ahead (now called Fulong Bridge)." When the True Lord reached the bridge and brandished his sword with a shout, the startled dragon fled into the great river, diving into a deep pool (now called Longxue, the Dragon's Lair). The True Lord commanded divine soldiers to drive it out, and when the dragon emerged upstream, it was slain (the site is now called Shanglongkou, Upper Dragon's Mouth).

Angered by the negligence of Xi'an's earth deity, the True Lord sealed the temple gates with copper, forbidding sacrifices (to this day, the main gate of Fenning County's City God Temple remains permanently shut—legend says opening it would cause fires, so priests use side entrances, and few townsfolk worship there). Instead, he instructed the people to make offerings at the small temple (now honored as Chuanyou Hou Temple, where incense burns thick and miracles abound).

Returning to the commandery capital, the True Lord lamented, "This place is a hub of land and water routes, densely populated—how can it lack those fit for immortality?" He then mixed a few immortal elixirs (Golden Elixir) among ordinary medicines for sale, testing fate. Though many bought the remedies, none recognized the elixirs. The True Lord sighed at the rarity of those destined for the Dao.

Hearing of another flood dragon plaguing Xinwu County, the True Lord pursued it with sword in hand (the site, originally called Longquan Guan, is now Xianyou Guan). The terrified dragon hid in a mountain stream (still called Cangxi, Hidden Stream), so the True Lord carved talismanic inscriptions (Fulu) into a boulder and composed a "Subduing the Dragon" proclamation to suppress it (the stele survives; the site is now Yanzen Temple, with a neighboring Daoist abbey also named Yanzen, located 110 li west of Taixin County). At the time, a colossal serpent still lurked in the caves of Shangliao in Haihun County, spewing venomous vapors...

This account narrates the story of the renowned Daoist immortal Xu Xun (venerated as Xu Zhenjun) eliminating a scourge for the people. In the Poyang Lake region, a giant serpent forty li in length appeared, its poisonous breath darkening the skies. Both humans and livestock passing by would be devoured, and boats were frequently capsized. Upon learning of this, Xu Zhenjun ascended the highest peak of North Ridge (present-day Huixian Peak east of Chiwu Temple) to survey the situation. Seeing the pervasive miasma with his own eyes, he resolved to eradicate this menace for the populace.

Over three hundred local villagers came weeping to plead for help. Xu Zhenjun solemnly vowed: "As fate's wheel turns, the people suffer this calamity. My coming here is precisely to root out this scourge for you—I swear not to coexist with this demonic creature!" He first planted his sacred sword in the earth, silently reciting prayers to petition heaven. Soon, a pure spring bubbled up from the ground, and a crimson divine bird flew overhead (the site later became Hou Temple, also called Chiwu Temple). Deeming the moment propitious, Xu Zhenjun led his disciples to the serpent's lair.

Seeing the imminent threat, the giant serpent retreated into its cave. Xu Zhenjun first summoned the local earth god of Haihun (modern-day Yongxiu, Jiangxi) to drive it out, then invoked the assistance of Nanchang's earth deity (the fu talisman used in this ritual later fell east of the county, where Taihe Temple was subsequently built). Forced from its den, the serpent reared its head thirty meters high, eyes blazing like torches. Amidst the villagers' rallying cries, Xu Zhenjun mobilized divine wind and thunder troops to suppress the creature. His fellow adept Wu Meng (known as Wu Jun) performed Yu Steps to behead it, while disciples like Shi Cen and Gan Zhan cleaved open its belly with their swords. When a smaller serpent tried to escape from the carcass, Xu Zhenjun stopped them, declaring: "It has yet to harm the world"—embodying the Daoist teaching of "punishing only the arch-evil while sparing the innocent." This episode showcases the Daoist immortals' spirit of aiding the world and delivering beings, along with characteristic practices like "summoning deities with talismans" and "Yu Steps with cosmic pacing."

This passage from the Collected Works of Immortal Bai Qionguan records the Daoist legend of Perfected Lord Xu Xun (referred to as "Zhenjun" in the text) subduing a serpent demon:

At that time, a small snake managed to escape, and the pursuing crowd could still hear its hissing six or seven li away. Yet the Perfected Lord stopped his disciples from chasing further, explaining this young serpent would only bring calamity after five hundred years, when he would reincarnate to eliminate the threat. Before the altar, he planted pine and cypress trees as an omen—when their branches drooped to sweep the ground before the altar, the time for vanquishing the demon would come.

The Perfected Lord further prophesied: Within 1,240 years after his ascension, the Yuzhang region (modern Jiangxi) would produce eight hundred earthbound immortals (dixian—perfected beings who remain in the mortal realm according to Daoist tradition). At that time, a sandbar would suddenly emerge in the river center, submerging an ancient well. Should the young serpent cause mischief then, these eight hundred earthbound immortals would naturally deal with it; if it remained harmless, it should not be slain. Later, the serpent escaped into the river (now called Shezi Port in Jianchang County), where locals built a Small Dragon Temple to worship it.

The bones of the slain great serpent accumulated to form an islet (now called Bone Islet). The Perfected Lord established seven altar-wells along the route (collectively termed "Seven Jing Sites"—Jinhua Jing, Jiezou Jing, etc., later mostly converted into temples and monasteries), arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper to suppress future calamities. At a mountain spring in the northwest, he cast ritual talismans (fulu) to heal diseases, making the waters as potent as the Shu River's (the site is now called Spirit Water Terrace).

After executing the great serpent, his sword retained bloodstains. The Perfected Lord sharpened and tested its blade by a pool (leaving behind the extant Grinding Sword Pool and Testing Stone in Jianchang County). He told his disciples: "Though the great serpent is destroyed, the jiao essence (a higher-order aquatic demon) remains unvanquished. Such numinous creatures surely know...".

This passage from the Collected Works of Immortal Bai Qionguan recounts how Xu Xun (revered as Xu the True Lord), patriarch of the Jingming Daoist lineage, subdued a flood dragon spirit:

During the sixth year of the Yongjia era (Jin Dynasty), Xu the True Lord's profound mastery of Daoist arts had earned him widespread renown, attracting hundreds of disciples. To test their resolve, he employed spiritual powers to transform charcoal into beautiful women, dispersing them among his disciples' quarters at night. Only ten resisted temptation—these later achieved immortality through cultivation. Thereafter, these ten accompanied him on his journeys to vanquish demons, while the ashamed remainder departed. (The present-day "Charcoal Women Market" in Jianchang County's Xijin district preserves this memory, along with the Radiant Clarity Temple commemorating the event.)

Later, while inspecting the city with disciples Gan Zhan and Shi Cen, Xu encountered a graceful youth who came to pay respects. Calling himself "Master Shen," the youth displayed refined manners and quick wit, but the True Lord discerned his true identity as an ancient flood dragon—despite its handsome form, it carried the stench of fish. After the youth left, Xu secretly followed and witnessed it transform into a yellow ox resting on a sandbar (later named Yellow Ox Shoal).

The True Lord then crafted a paper ox that became a black bull to battle the yellow one, while sending Shi Cen to ambush with sword drawn. As the beasts struggled, Shi's blade struck the yellow ox's hind leg. Wounded, it fled to a well south of the city (this "Horizontal Spring Well," later covered by Shanglan Temple's walls, became known as Flood Dragon Well). When divine officers tracked the creature, they discovered it had escaped to Changsha's Jia Yi Well, resuming human form to infiltrate official Jia Yu's household.

The dragon spirit had long coveted Jia's daughter, having courted her as a handsome youth. Bribing the family's servants to gain favor, it successfully married the maiden and fathered two sons. Each spring-summer transition, it would "travel on business"—actually capsizing boats during floods to plunder goods, returning each autumn with "mercantile profits." This time, feigning robbery injuries, the Jia family summoned physicians—just as Xu the True Lord arrived in healer's disguise... (The subsequent subduing of the dragon spirit would follow.)

When Bai Yuchan (one of the Five Patriarchs of the Southern Daoist School) sent his son-in-law out to seek medical treatment, a flood dragon spirit detected his absence but dared not reveal itself. Bai Yuchan personally rose to summon assistance, whereupon Perfected Lord Xu Xun (one of Daoism's Four Celestial Masters) immediately appeared in the hall. Sternly rebuking the creature, he declared: "You vile flood dragon of the rivers and lakes have harmed countless lives. Having pursued you here, how could I let you escape? Reveal your true form at once!" With no recourse left, the dragon spirit manifested its original serpentine shape coiled beneath the hall, where it was promptly slain by the Perfected Lord's guardian deities.

Sprinkling talisman-infused water upon the creature's two offspring, the Perfected Lord discovered they too were juvenile flood dragons and executed them both. The Jia family's daughter nearly reverted to draconic form, but after her parents' desperate pleas, the Perfected Lord granted a divine talisman that preserved her human appearance. He warned Bai Yuchan: "Beneath this dragon's lair lies water—less than a foot below your foundation churn torrential waves. Move swiftly to avoid calamity." The terrified Bai household relocated to higher ground, and their former dwelling soon collapsed into a fathomless abyss (now known as Wen Tan in Changsha).

Upon returning to Yuzhang (modern Nanchang), the Perfected Lord found remaining dragon factions still powerful. Fearing his pursuit, they assumed human guise and infiltrated the city, questioning his disciples: "Our family has long dwelled in Chang'an. We've heard of Celestial Master Xu's divine sword—how formidable is it truly?" A disciple replied: "When our master points it skyward, the heavens split; directed earthward, the ground collapses. Stars shift at its command, rivers reverse their flow—no evil can withstand it." The dragons pressed: "Is there anything it cannot harm?" In jest, the disciple said: "Only winter melons and gourds." Mistaking this for truth, the dragon clan transformed en masse into melon vines that covered the river's surface, attempting to float downstream to escape.

At dawn, sensing demonic qi surging skyward, the Perfected Lord spotted the unnatural sight on the river. Handing his sword to disciple Shi Cen, he commanded him to walk upon the waters and eradicate the demons. Within moments, every disguised vine was destroyed, staining the river crimson. The Perfected Lord mused gravely: "This place remains a dragon's nest. Without suppression, calamity will surely recur." He then compelled spirits to forge an iron pillar in the southern well of the government compound, its top protruding several feet above the wellhead while eight iron chains anchored it to the earth's veins (present-day Yanzhen Palace ruins). Swearing an oath, he proclaimed: "Should this pillar tilt, demons shall return, and I with them. While it stands upright, evil remains banished forever." Henceforth water demons vanished, bringing peace to the city. Fearing future turmoil by treacherous men, the Perfected Lord left the pillar as a perpetual warning.

This passage records the deeds of Daoist Perfected Lord Xu Xun in eliminating harm for the people. Through prophetic omens, the Perfected Lord knew that although certain regions possessed favorable geography, the people's hearts remained unvirtuous—even if cunning leaders emerged, they would lack lasting influence. Fearing future calamities, he indeed discovered the following year that flood dragons and water demons had dispersed into the Poyang and Xunyang regions. Thus he traveled across lakes and rivers to exterminate them.

At the summit of Mount Tiaoyao lay three flood dragon lakes, their caves connecting directly to the Yangtze River and the regions of Raozhou and Xinzhou. After slaying the aquatic monsters, the Perfected Lord established the Jade Yang Precept Station (a Daoist site for suppressing malign forces) to guard the area. He also founded the Great City Precept Station beside a deep pool originally teeming with flood dragons—having nearly exterminated them all, with only one escaping, he established this station to block its return path. He further cast iron talismans to seal Poyang Lake's entrance, preventing flood dragon incursions, and used an iron cover to suppress the dragon's nest at Yuan Pool in Luling, leaving behind a divine sword there (about one chi long, resembling both jade and iron, difficult for ordinary people to identify).

The following year (Yongjia 7), the Perfected Lord traveled to Changsha, Zhaoyang, Chenzhou, Hengyang and other regions to eliminate public threats. Upon returning to Yuzhang, he established over ten precept stations in total to safeguard cities and towns from disasters.

Later, during the second year of Emperor Ming's Taining era (Jin Dynasty), General Wang Dun (courtesy name Chuzhong) raised troops in rebellion. The Perfected Lord and Perfected Lord Wu (Wu Meng) went to admonish him. At the time, the renowned fangshi Guo Pu was already in Wang Dun's retinue. When Wang Dun mentioned dreaming of "a tree piercing heaven," the Perfected Lord bluntly declared this inauspicious, while Perfected Lord Wu interpreted it as the character "wei" (木上破天, meaning "not yet"), implying reckless action should be avoided. Enraged, Wang Dun pressed Guo Pu, who predicted certain defeat if the rebellion proceeded, though retreating to Wuchang might preserve his life. In fury, Wang Dun executed Guo Pu on the spot (according to the Dongxian Zhuan, Guo Pu had already foreseen his death date and prepared funeral arrangements with his family). This account demonstrates how the Perfected Lord and his Daoist companions used their arts to aid the world, fearlessly confronting tyrannical power.

This account relates the miraculous deeds of Daoist immortals Xu Xun (True Lord Xu) and Guo Pu (Transcendent Elder Guo). The story begins with Guo Pu's liberation from the corpse (shijie) to attain immortality—when people opened his coffin, they found the body had vanished, revealing he had transformed into an Elder of the Watery Abode.

Later, when True Lord Xu and Guo Pu wished to travel by boat from Jinling (modern Nanjing) to Yuzhang (modern Nanchang) but lacked boatmen, Xu instructed everyone to sit with closed eyes while he summoned two dragons to steer the vessel. As the boat soared through the air past Chiyang, Xu used his immortal seal to imprint the western cliff face, suppressing water demons (the seal mark remains visible to this day). When flying over Purple Empyrean Peak of Mount Lu, Guo Pu's desire to visit the grotto-heaven caused the boat to descend, brushing treetops with a rustling sound. A boatman peeking against instructions caused the vessel to halt abruptly atop the mountain, its mast breaking off into the deep ravine (the site is still known as "Iron Boat Peak").

True Lord Xu admonished the boatmen: "You disobeyed my instructions—what shall we do now?" As they knelt begging for deliverance, he taught them methods for ingesting numinous herbs, enabling them to practice grain avoidance (bigu) for longevity while dwelling in seclusion on Mount Lu.

Thereafter, Xu and Guo parted ways—one riding a dragon through water, the other over land—reuniting at Tianbao Cave on Northern Ridge before returning to their hermitage. For decades they cultivated with disciples, discussing the True Dao daily. They composed the "Drunken Thoughts of Immortals" poetry and established the "Eight Treasures of Instruction": loyalty, filial piety, integrity, prudence, magnanimity, sufficiency, tolerance, and forbearance. These were further explained: loyalty avoids deception, filial piety avoids rebellion, integrity avoids greed, prudence avoids error; magnanimity wins hearts, sufficiency brings abundance, tolerance absorbs diverse strengths, and forbearance ensures tranquility. These principles serve as essential guidelines for Daoist practitioners.

This passage recounts the story of Daoist immortal Xu Xun (known as Perfected Lord Xu). Though his daily life appeared ordinary, his dwelling was often graced by circling cranes and auspicious clouds. During the turbulent Eastern Jin period, the hundred-mile radius around his residence remained miraculously free from bandits, with people living in peace and enjoying abundant harvests year after year—all unaware they were under Xu Xun's benevolent protection.

On the first day of the eighth lunar month in the second year of Emperor Xiaowu's Ningkang era (374 CE), a celestial procession descended from heaven. Two immortals arrived in a magnificent carriage at Xu Xun's courtyard, bearing an edict from the Jade Emperor. Recognizing Xu Xun's merits—cultivated over lifetimes through rescuing people, aiding the distressed, and subduing demons—he was conferred the title "Grand Historian of All Immortals in the Nine Provinces and Eminent Ambassador," bestowed with a purple feathered robe, jade banners, a precious ceremonial staff, and an elixir of immortality. The two immortals identified themselves as Jade Perfected Duke Cui Ziwen and Primordial Perfected Minister Xia Qiu Zhong. After revealing Xu Xun's ascension date, they departed in their cloud-borne chariot.

Upon learning of his impending celestial ascent, Xu Xun gathered disciples and village elders for farewell banquets that lasted days and nights. He taught them the Daoist principles of accumulating virtue (De) through good deeds to achieve immortality, composing texts like Lingjianzi and leaving behind ten cautionary poems. Particularly significant was his transmission of the "Great Merit Wish-Fulfilling Elixir" formula to disciples who couldn't accompany him—a recipe originating from Divine Physician Ding Yi's prescriptions. Its preparation required selecting auspicious dates for purification rituals, constructing an altar to honor eighteen medicinal herbs' spirits, and performing talismanic (Fulu) incantations before refining. Legend claims this elixir could cure all manner of diseases.

This account describes the miraculous scene of Daoist luminary Xu Xun (Xu Zhenjun) ascending to immortality. During a grand purification ritual (Zhaijiao) held on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, celestial music suddenly echoed from the heavens as an immortal procession appeared amidst auspicious clouds. Two divine envoys descended once more to proclaim an edict: The Heavenly Court had pardoned Xu Xun’s karmic offenses from past lives—killing living beings and neglecting ancestral rites—while commending his merits in this life, such as healing with talismanic water (Fulu) and upholding virtue. The edict commanded the Director of Destiny from Mount Qian to transmit the Golden Elixir (Jindan), granting Xu Xun and his entire family ascension to the immortal realm.

The edict meticulously detailed celestial appointments for Xu Xun’s lineage: his distant ancestor was named Vice Director of the Jade Void, his great-grandfather became Grand Marshal of the Taiwei Army, his ancestors were entrusted with the ritual texts of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji), and his father was appointed an immortal official of Mount Zhong. The envoys clarified that although Xu Xun had many disciples, only six could accompany him in ascension, while the others would each have their own opportunities to attain the Dao (De).

The ascension unfolded spectacularly: Disciples like Chen Xun and Shi He, each fulfilling specific roles, led the procession. Huang Renxian brought his paternal clan, while Xi Lie escorted his maternal relatives—forty-two individuals in total, along with their livestock, ascended together. Those left behind wept bitterly, but Xu Zhenjun consoled them, assuring that filial piety and benevolent service would eventually lead to enlightenment. He bequeathed a bronze bell and a stone casket as mementos.

A servant named Xu Da, who had been buying rice at West Ridge, rushed back upon hearing of the ascension but spilled his sack of grain (the site later called Overturned Cart Ridge and Raw Rice Town). Though he and his wife lacked the karmic affinity to ascend, Xu Zhenjun still taught them the arts of terrestrial immortality (earthbound immortals who attain longevity without celestial flight).

This account records several miraculous events in the spiritual journey of Xu Xun (known as Xu the True Lord) as he cultivated the Dao and attained immortality. While dwelling in seclusion at Western Mountain in Jiangxi, Xu the True Lord witnessed celestial immortals passing by in a grand procession. During their passage, a medicinal mortar, a chariot wheel, and a chicken cage fell from the sky (landing at what was formerly called Za Huo Jing, now known as Chongyuan Temple). There were also rats that dragged their own intestines yet did not die—likely because they had stolen and consumed the immortals' elixir—and later sightings of these rats were considered auspicious omens.

As the celestial procession flew into the distance, people could only see auspicious clouds and radiant hues filling the sky, while a wondrous fragrance permeated the valleys for miles around, lingering for over a month without dissipating. Earlier, Xu the True Lord had brought Shu brocade from Jingyang as an offering to honor his teacher, the Elder Lady Chen. Later, this brocade was used to make temple curtains. Suddenly, these curtains rose into the air, circling above his former residence for an entire day before soaring into the clouds (the temple later built there was named "Wandering Curtains" in memory of this event).

Xu the True Lord once visited Qiwu Mountain in Yichun with Guo Pu (a famed Eastern Jin dynasty mystic) to seek traces of immortals. The local official, Wang Shuo, hosted him in the Western Pavilion. Recognizing Wang Shuo’s spiritual potential, Xu secretly transmitted to him an immortal formula and pointed out that the area’s pristine mountains and flowing springs made it an ideal site for a Daoist monastery. Before departing, Xu inscribed a mysterious celestial seal script on the wall. Later, when Xu ascended to immortality, his cloud-borne chariot passed by this place, and he dispatched two blue-robed youths to bid farewell to Wang Shuo, announcing that he had received the Jade Emperor’s decree to become an immortal. Wang Shuo and his entire family knelt in reverence and congratulation. Xu informed Wang that though his immortal bones were not yet fully formed, he could still prolong his life, and bestowed upon him a stalk of divine cogon grass (a spiritual herb), explaining that its unique flavors corresponded to different health benefits: sweetness nourished the flesh, pungency strengthened the joints, bitterness replenished Qi (vital energy), saltiness fortified the bones, smoothness moistened the skin, and sourness reinforced the sinews—consuming it with bitter wine enhanced its effects. The Wang family later followed this method, and all lived to be over a hundred years old (the present-day Yuxu Temple in Linjiang Commandery stands on this site, where the divine grass still grows).

Over a hundred disciples followed Xu the True Lord in Daoist cultivation, among whom Wu Meng and ten others achieved the highest merit. After Xu’s ascension, the local villagers and his descendant Xu Jian built a shrine in his honor and preserved the poems he left behind.

This passage documents the historical evolution of the Daoist sacred site Yulong Temple (originally named Youwei Temple) and the veneration it received from Song Dynasty emperors. The content is divided into three main sections:

First, it describes the origin of the "Sacred Lots." Ancient practitioners inscribed 120 divination verses on bamboo slips, storing them in large bamboo tubes for drawing fortune-telling lots. These oracular texts were preserved in the shrine of Xu Xun (patriarch of the Jingming Daoist school and former magistrate of Jingyang County) alongside ritual implements like bells, chariots, cases, and mortars. Local villagers, grateful for his beneficence, donated gold, silk, bricks, and tiles to construct the temple, even carving their names into the building materials as memorials.

Next, it recounts Yulong Temple's cycles of decline and revival. During Emperor Yang of Sui's reign, Daoist activities were temporarily suspended, leaving the temple abandoned. Reconstruction only occurred in the Yongchun era of the Tang Dynasty under the renowned Daoist master Hu Huichao. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang bestowed special honors upon the temple, while three Northern Song emperors—Taizong, Zhenzong, and Renzong—personally inscribed calligraphic plaques. Emperor Zhenzong dispatched eunuchs to present ritual offerings including incense, candles, and banners, renaming the temple "Yulong" (Jade Ascendance) from a passage in the Scripture on Salvation: "The Jade Ascendance Soars Victorious Heaven." He also exempted local taxes and prohibited deforestation in the surrounding mountains.

The final section details the imperial honors conferred in 1112 CE (the second year of Emperor Huizong's Zhenghe era). The emperor sent palace attendant Cheng Qi to lead thirty-seven Daoist priests in conducting a grand seven-day zhaijiao (purification ritual) at Yulong Temple. The ceremony concluded with offerings at 360 spirit altars, conferring upon Perfected Lord Xu Xun the honorific title "Perfected Lord of Divine Efficacy and Wondrous Aid." The imperial edict praised the Perfected Lord's formless yet manifest virtue, hoping the conferred title would eternally safeguard this blessed land. The emperor personally composed the commemorative text, expressing profound reverence for the Perfected Lord.

(Note: The term "imperial name" refers to the emperor's personal name, which was often replaced by this phrase or left blank in Song Dynasty documents to observe naming taboos.)

This passage documents Emperor Huizong of Song's veneration and enfeoffment of Perfected Lord Xu Xun (one of Daoism's Four Great Celestial Masters). In his memorial, the emperor stated: "Through heaven's grace, peace reigns throughout the land, thanks to the assistance of enlightened adepts like Perfected Lord Xu who aid the Celestial Emperor, manifest majestic virtue (De), and bestow blessings upon the mortal realm. Yet his honorific titles remain inadequate to repay his divine favors." He thus ordered officials to research classical records and promote the Perfected Lord's deeds.

The text details Xu Xun's accomplishments: mastering profound Daoist methods, manifesting divine powers from the Three Kingdoms through Jin Dynasty to relieve suffering, eradicate calamities, and subdue demons—thereby harmonizing the three Qi (energies) of heaven, earth and humanity. Later, he received Fulu (talismans and registers) transmitted by Mother Chen (a Daoist female immortal), attained celestial registration, and ascended to the heavens. Though centuries had passed, his temples remained majestic, his spiritual presence eternal.

In 1116 (the sixth year of Zhenghe era), the emperor elevated the Perfected Lord's temple to palace status, adding the honorific "Ten-Thousand Longevity" title, and transferred its administration to monastic communities. At dawn on May 1st that year, while reading in Chongzheng Hall, the emperor fell into a trance and dreamed of a Daoist wearing a nine-flower crown and crimson robes (manifestly Xu Xun) approaching through Donghua Gate with a blue-robed attendant. The Perfected Lord announced he was inspecting Western Juyeya Kingdom by the Celestial Emperor's command, having detected demonic Qi causing disturbances. He warned the emperor about 360,000 silk nets sunk in Hunan-Hubei waters—a disaster caused by misbegotten dragon spirits, consequences of improper noble titles granted in previous dynasties.

This record exemplifies Song imperial patronage of Xu Xun's cult, reinforcing his sacred status through dream revelations while providing supernatural explanations for contemporary floods—characteristic of Daoist interactions with state power during this period.

This passage records the miraculous dream encounter between Emperor Huizong of Song and Perfected Lord Xu (Xu Xun, one of Daoism's Four Celestial Masters [Tianshi]), followed by subsequent temple restoration projects.

In his dream, Emperor Huizong met Perfected Lord Xu, who mentioned that though the demonic spirits harming people had been pardoned, they were now plaguing the nation. The Perfected Lord promised to handle the matter upon his return. When the emperor requested medicine for his sores, the Perfected Lord produced a pill the size of a mung bean, recited an incantation, and applied it to the affected area. The emperor immediately felt a cooling sensation penetrating his bones. Before parting, the Perfected Lord asked the emperor to care for his dilapidated temple.

Upon awakening, the emperor soon received reports that tribute silk from Jiangnan had been lost in a storm. Consulting maps, he discovered that Meishan in Fennin County, Hongzhou was where Perfected Lord Xu had once sharpened his sword. He then ordered artists to paint the Perfected Lord's portrait based on his dream vision and enshrined it in the Shangqing Chuxiang Palace. Following the Daoist Registry's recommendation, a traveling palace for Perfected Lord Xu was constructed behind the Hall of the Three Pure Ones [Sanqing], with funds allocated to repair the Xu Clan's Yangguan Temple in Fennin County. The emperor also granted special permission to ordain one Daoist novice during his birthday celebrations.

Several months later, Perfected Lord Xu appeared again in a dream to express gratitude, mentioning that Fennin County was his former haunt, but the temple ruins at Western Mountain were too humble. Upon waking, the emperor immediately issued an edict to reconstruct the Jade Loft and Ten Thousand Longevities Palace according to the specifications of Chongfu Palace in the Western Capital. He bestowed upon the Perfected Lord a bronze statue, incense burners, and other ritual implements, personally inscribing the plaque. The newly built temple complex was grand in scale, featuring six main halls, twelve smaller halls, seven corridors, and five pavilions, with murals depicting the Perfected Lord's life story. The rear hall housed jade tablets, while a special pavilion was constructed to preserve the emperor's three edicts and calligraphic works.

This passage documents the miraculous traces left by Daoist perfected beings (referring to Perfected Lord Xu Xun). The monastery walls were adorned with paintings of immortal processions, enclosed by protective barriers. During the Jianyan era of Southern Song when Jin troops invaded Jiangnan and attempted to burn the temple, water spontaneously gushed from the beams and pillars to extinguish the flames. The Jin general, awestruck, inscribed the wall declaring himself "Jin Kingdom's Dragon-Tiger General," stating he dared not desecrate the sacred images due to their solemn majesty, withdrawing his troops on the second day of the first lunar month in 1130.

In 1158, Emperor Gaozong bestowed ten scrolls of imperial calligraphy to safeguard the monastery. Each relic of the Perfected Lord possessed divine protection: the cypress trees he personally planted before the hall would wither or flourish presaging the temple's fortunes, while boiling their leaves could cure all ailments. The alchemical well (Danjing) originally housed a divine dragon until Perfected Lord Hu Dong suppressed it with talismanic stones. When Tang dynasty governor Yan Zuan, skeptical of these accounts, ordered the iron pillar excavated, thunderstorms erupted, frightening him into repentance. He forcibly relocated the Perfected Lord's meditation bell to a Buddhist temple, only for its chime to turn mute as wood and earth. Suspecting Daoist sorcery, he imprisoned the monks but was chastised in a dream by deities threatening decapitation, prompting him to return the bell in terror.

During Five Dynasties upheavals, this bell vanished overnight. Later, when official Xu Deng sought to inspect it, the bell flew back the very night it reached his office. It remained through Northern Song until lost during the Jin invasion. A stone casket (Shihan) appeared fissured yet unopenable—until early Tang warlord Zhang Shanan forcibly pried it open in Hongzhou, discovering an inner lid prophesying: "Five centuries hence, the mad bandit Zhang Shanan shall open this." Terrified, he scrubbed the inscription fruitlessly before keeping only the base. Imperial calligraphies and the Perfected Lord's jade texts (Yuce recording cultivation methods) were all lost to the Jin invasion. Manifestations of Perfected Lord Xu's sanctity permeate Jiangnan's lore.

This passage records the numerous miracles and devotional customs associated with Daoist patriarch Xu Zhenjun (Xu Xun) in the Hunan and Hubei regions.

Throughout Hunan and Hubei, countless Daoist temples and altars were built in honor of Xu Zhenjun, some even erected in remote locations like deep mountains and lakes. The text mentions several famous sites: the Sword-Grinding Pool at Longsha has maintained its water for a thousand years; the Medicine Lake in Xinjian County earned its name when Zhenjun cast herbs to eliminate leeches; the inn at Songhu City remains free of mosquitoes to this day after his brief stay; the Suozhen Cave in Fengcheng County uses fir stakes to suppress flood dragons; while beside the Hidden Stream in Fengxin County stands a talismanic stone tablet marking where Zhenjun split rocks to subdue a dragon.

In Jing'an County lived the immortal Liu Xiangu (Liu Yizhen), who retained a childlike appearance despite being centuries old and received praise from Zhenjun's teacher, Mother Chen. When Xu Zhenjun visited, she had already ascended, leaving only her floating floral carriage behind—prompting locals to build the Huache Temple (later renamed Qixia Temple).

At the end of the sixth lunar month each year, communities prepare incense, flowers, and music to invite Zhenjun's statues from temples to their villages for blessings and disaster prevention. Days before the procession, villagers perform the "Melon-Cutting" ritual in the front hall, offering fruits to announce the invitation date. Of Zhenjun's six statues (two remain in the main hall), the others tour eighty-one villages within sixty days. The circuit concludes with the communal "Yellow Center Fast" (a zhaijiao ritual transmitted by Xu Zhenjun) in gratitude.

On the twenty-eighth day of the seventh month, the immortal procession ascends Wulong Ridge east of the temple—a forbidden altar where snakes and tigers never tread, allowing safe pilgrimage day and night. The eighth month, called the Purification Month, begins with incense offerings from officials leading candle and wine ceremonies, followed by crowds of devotees creating bustling temple fairs.

This passage describes the religious activities and folk legends surrounding Xu Xun (Xu the Perfected Lord), patriarch of the Jingming Dao tradition, and his disciples. It primarily records the travel details between Daoist temples by Xu and his son-in-law Huang Jun (Huang Renlan), along with local customs.

Xu the Perfected Lord and his entourage frequently traveled through bustling streets lined with teahouses and taverns stretching over ten li. Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, they would visit Huangtang Temple to pay homage to Lady Chen, a Daoist female immortal. The night before departure, the group would observe purification rituals at Nanlian Hall, setting out at dawn the next day. They would rest at Qizhen Temple during the journey, spend the night at Ziyang Retreat (a Daoist meditation site), and ascend Longcheng Altar on the third morning.

The text particularly recounts Xu's legendary crossing of Xiaoshu River while searching for flying thatch (a magical herb): When Xu offered 200 coins to the ferryman who demanded 1,000, the ferryman later discovered all but two copper coins had transformed into spirit money, realizing he had encountered an immortal. Since then, local ferrymen dared charge only two coins when deities crossed.

Upon reaching Huangtang Temple, local gentry would host banquets. Before Mid-Autumn Festival, the Ascent-to-Heaven Zhaijiao (purification ritual) would be performed. The next day, Huang Jun would arrive via secluded paths to observe the ceremony. At Houbei, five li from the temple, stood the Robing Pavilion where Huang Jun changed attire. The temple would welcome him with grand ceremonies—first hosting formal rituals in the main hall, then completing sacrifices the following day before Huang Jun returned westward at dusk. Merchants on East Street would compete to pull Huang Jun through the streets, believing this would bring business prosperity—a custom maintained until Longgang Bridge.

Every three years after Lantern Festival, Xu's immortal procession would visit Ruiyang to see Huang Jun. Departing after performing the Three Offerings ritual at the eastern hall, they would exit the east gate, pass Wangxian Bridge and Huanggu Lane, detour to rest at Yuandu Altar (originally a Daoist temple beside the shrine), then ascend Shigu Ridge to enter Yuanxian Retreat before taking a two-li mountain path from the post road to reach Zhutang Temple. These records vividly illustrate the fusion of Song Dynasty Daoist rituals and folk beliefs.

This passage records the grand procession of a Daoist perfected one (referring to an accomplished master of cultivation). The text mentions how the "True Lord" (an honorific title for realized Daoist adepts) departed from Shengtang Temple (a Daoist monastery), passing through Thirty-Mile Village and Dragon Slope Bridge, with local people burning incense along the route to welcome him in an exceptionally solemn ceremony.

When the procession reached Xiangfu (a place name), townspeople came out to greet them, calling this ceremonial welcome "receiving the immortal." The True Lord hosted a banquet in the front hall with another esteemed master surnamed Huang. Before dawn the next day, thousands gathered with burning incense to welcome them. At every stop, hundreds of men, women, and children would offer incense, bow in reverence, and present monetary offerings—some even moved to tears by the occasion.

The text particularly describes the magnificent ceremonial procession: the True Lord’s palanquin (known as kan nian) was preceded by a white horse and a golden phoenix leading the way. It was said that the white horse was a divine being enshrined in the local White Horse Temple, who voluntarily cleared the path for the True Lord. The palanquin bearers chanted in unison the ancient melody "Yellow Crane Tower," while some in the procession wore towering, two-foot-high multicolored hats (called cai lou)—all traditions preserved from the rituals of the Jin Dynasty (265–420 CE).

Finally, two folk songs are recorded: the first recounts the True Lord’s virtuous deeds culminating in his ascension to the Nine Heavens, while the second expresses the devotees’ earnest prayers for his blessings. These vivid details illustrate both the grandeur of Daoist ceremonies during the Song Dynasty and the deep piety of popular religious devotion.

This passage documents the deeds of Daoist immortal Dame Chen (in Daoism, female practitioners are respectfully called "Mu") and Perfected Lord Wu Meng, consisting of two main sections.

Records of Dame Chen's celestial traces: Dame Chen resided in Danyang (present-day Zhenjiang region of Jiangsu), where her cultivation site emitted a distinctive fragrance. Every year she would make a pilgrimage to Huangtang (an important Daoist site) following a predetermined ancient route that couldn't be altered arbitrarily—deviation would bring calamity. Local people would clear and mark the path before her celestial procession. This wasn't an ordinary road but a special pathway once trodden by ancient immortals. Various omens appeared during the journey: if carrying poles became lighter, footsteps turned sprightly, or the weather cleared, it foretold local blessings; the opposite signaled misfortune.

Biography of Perfected Lord Wu Meng: Wu Meng, styled Shiyun, hailed from Puyang and served as magistrate of Xi'an County. Naturally filial, as a child he wouldn't swat mosquitoes in summer, fearing they might leave to bite his parents. At forty, he received immortal techniques from Ding Yi, later studying secret methods with Governor Bao Jing of Nanhai. During the Huanglong era (229-231 CE) of Wu Kingdom, celestial white cloud talismans (fulu) descended to him, spreading Daoist arts widely through Wu and Jin regions. Under Emperor Wu of Jin, Perfected Lord Xu Xun (also called Xu Jingyang) became Wu Meng's disciple and received his complete teachings. When Du Tao's rebellion erupted in Shu, Wu Meng prophesied that slaying the giant serpent (a Shu-region spirit) would quell the revolt—a prediction that proved accurate. He also used Daoist arts to calm violent storms.

The text particularly emphasizes that during celestial processions, one must avoid objects of death and impurity, with all utensils and food kept ritually pure—transgressions invite disaster. These taboos represent traditions passed down through generations.

This passage records the miraculous deeds of Daoist master Wu Shiyun (also known as Wu Meng) and his disciple Chen Xun.

Wu Shiyun was skilled in drawing talismans (fulu) and performing rituals. Once, he threw a completed talisman onto a rooftop, where a blue bird carried it away, immediately stopping a fierce wind. When asked why, he explained that a boat on South Lake had been caught in a storm, and a Daoist aboard was calling for help—so he drew the talisman to calm the winds. Later investigations confirmed this to be true. Another time, when County Magistrate Yu Qing of Xi'an had been dead for three days, Wu Shiyun declared that his allotted lifespan was not yet exhausted. He lay beside the corpse to plead his case to heaven, and days later, Yu Qing miraculously revived. Yu Qing’s younger brother recorded this event in In Search of the Supernatural (Soushenji), which has been passed down through the ages.

Wu Shiyun also once encountered turbulent waves while crossing the Yuzhang River. Merely by sweeping his white-feathered fan across the water, he safely traversed the river, astonishing onlookers. In the second year of the Ningkang era (374 CE), after Xu Xun (Xu Zhenjun, the Perfected Lord) ascended to heaven, Wu Shiyun returned to Xi'an. On the fifteenth day of the tenth month that same year, the Celestial Emperor (Tian Di) dispatched Zhou Guang with an imperial edict summoning him. Riding a white deer chariot with four disciples, Wu Shiyun ascended in broad daylight. His former residence became known as the "Purple Cloud Mansion (Ziyun Fu)," now the site of the Western Peace Temple (Xiping Jing Wu Xian Guan) in Wuxian Village, Fenning County. In the fifth month of 1112 CE, the imperial court posthumously honored him as the "Divinely Fierce Perfected Being (Shenlie Zhenren)," praising his early mastery of the Dao, his teachings that transformed people, and his ultimate ascension. The edict also noted that his former home in Jiangxi remained a place of spiritual potency, where prayers were still answered.

The text also mentions Wu Shiyun’s disciple Chen Xun (courtesy name Xiaoju), a native of Shu known for his vast learning. From youth, he aspired to transcend worldly affairs and cultivate the Dao, studying longevity techniques under Master Gu Yuanzi on Mount Qingcheng. Later, hearing of Xu Zhenjun’s benevolent governance in Jingyang, he sought him out and served as a scribe. Xu Zhenjun valued him highly, entrusting him with managing scriptures and the alchemical furnace. When Xu Zhenjun ascended, Chen Xun was tasked with leading the ceremonial procession. At the western corridor of the Jade Majesty Palace (Yulong Gong), there was once a Daoist cloister called "Immortal Reception Hall (Chengxian Fu)," where a great cypress tree planted by Chen Xun himself stood before the gate.

(Note: Xu Zhenjun refers to Xu Xun, a renowned Jin Dynasty Daoist revered as the patriarch of the Pure Brightness (Jingming) tradition. "Chongzhu" denotes celestial ascension, and the Jade Majesty Palace was Xu Xun’s primary Daoist sanctuary.)

In the second year of the Zhenghe era (1112), the imperial court issued an edict conferring upon Bai Yuchan (the Perfected Bai) the title of "Perfected of Orthodox Special Grace." The edict stated in essence: From your youth, you devotedly sought a master to learn the Dao, uniquely inheriting the true transmission of Daoist methods among many disciples. Upon achieving cultivation success, you ascended to immortality holding an immortal banner. To this day, your sacred image remains preserved in the Jiangxi region.

Zhou Guang, styled Huichang, was a descendant of the renowned Eastern Wu general Zhou Yu. From childhood, he showed great interest in astronomy and music. Upon reaching adulthood, he mastered the Daoist practice of clarity, stillness, and Wuwei (non-action). While traveling with fellow Daoists to Mount Yuntai in Sichuan, he received the exorcism and healing techniques of Celestial Master Zhang (Zhang Daoling), which he used to aid the people. Hearing of Xu Xun (Perfected Lord Xu) teaching in Jingyang, he sought him out as a master. Perfected Lord Xu accepted him as a personal attendant, and Zhou diligently cultivated the Dao day and night. Later, he built a retreat a hundred paces west of his home for further practice. When Perfected Lord Xu ascended to immortality, Zhou Huichang and Zeng Xingguo accompanied him in a dragon-drawn chariot. His former residence became known as the "Mansion of the Immortal Edict." (During the Southern Tang dynasty, a local official named Zhou Linggong renovated the estate in honor of his ancestor, renaming it "Mansion of Proclaimed Records." The inscribed stele survives, and the site is now called the Great Void Temple.) In the second year of Zhenghe, he was also granted the title "Perfected of Primordial Pervasion."

Zeng Heng, styled Xingguo, a native of Sishui, was a descendant of Zeng Shen, a disciple of Confucius. He became a Daoist priest in his youth, displaying remarkable intelligence and mastering various Daoist methods, particularly divination. Traveling through famous mountains and rivers, he healed people with miraculous talismans (Fulu). The recluse Sun Deng once remarked, "Your bones are refined, and your spirit is luminous. With diligent cultivation, you will surely ascend to immortality." Later, he secluded himself in Fengcheng, Jiangxi, and upon hearing of Perfected Lord Xu’s fame, sought him as a teacher. Perfected Lord Xu held him in high regard, imparting all secret teachings. Ultimately, he ascended in a dragon chariot alongside his master. The Zhenyang Temple in Fengcheng County stands as his legacy. In the second year of Zhenghe, he was granted the title "Perfected of Divine Grace." The edict praised his extraordinary natural gifts and profound harmony with the Dao.

This passage records the biographical accounts of three Daoist perfected beings (zhenren).

First is He Daoyang (courtesy name Daoyang), who practiced Daoism in his youth. At Siming Mountain, he encountered an immortal who transmitted to him the method of embryonic respiration (taixi, a Daoist breathing technique) and various mystical arts. He mastered the ability to abstain from sleep and food, could command spirits and exorcise demons, and even turn stones into gold to aid the poor. Later, hearing of the flourishing filial piety teachings of Perfected Lord Xu Xun (founder of the Jingming Daoist school), he journeyed on foot to become his disciple. After accepting him as a student and transmitting secret methods, Xu instructed him to return to the mountains to teach disciples. When summoned by the emperor, he insisted on reclusion and eventually ascended to immortality alongside Xu. In the second year of the Zhenghe era (1112 CE) under Emperor Huizong of Song, he was canonized as "Perfected Being of Vast Beneficence" (Hongshi Zhenren).

Next is Gan Zhan (courtesy name Bowu), originally a commoner from Fengcheng. Known for his filial piety, he practiced longevity techniques in reclusion during turbulent times. Upon learning of Xu Xun's deeds, he sought apprenticeship and was accepted for his exceptional talent. Before ascending, Xu transmitted to him the secret formula of the Golden Elixir (jindan). Later, he performed virtuous deeds in Fengcheng before ascending to immortality in broad daylight riding a qilin-drawn carriage. His former residence at "Huayang Pavilion" became the site of Feihuang Temple where he was venerated. He too was canonized in 1112 as "Perfected Being of Essential Practice" (Jingxing Zhenren).

Lastly is Shi Cen (courtesy name Taiyu), whose ancestral home was in Pei Commandery before his grandfather's official posting in Wu brought the family to Jiujiang. Though the text doesn't detail his deeds, it describes his imposing physique and extraordinary courage, noting that like the others, he received imperial recognition during Zhenghe era, with his former residence remaining west of the great river.

All three perfected beings studied under Xu Xun, attaining immortality through cultivation and benevolent service. The mentioned "embryonic respiration" refers to a crucial Daoist practice using specialized breathing techniques for longevity cultivation. The "Golden Elixir" denotes either external (waidan) or internal alchemy (neidan) practices, while "ascension" represents the ultimate achievement in Daoist cultivation. The Zhenghe era of Song dynasty marked a flourishing period for Daoism, when numerous practitioners received imperial recognition.

This passage recounts the deeds of Xu Xun (venerated as Xu Zhenjun, the True Lord), patriarch of the Jingming Daoist tradition, and his disciples. It primarily documents the cultivation experiences and enlightenment journeys of several key followers.

When Xu Zhenjun first led his disciples to subdue the great serpent of Poyang Lake, over three hundred local volunteers came to assist. Among them, Taiyu (likely a disciple's name) demonstrated exceptional reverence and sincerity, pleading to follow the True Lord. Zhenjun accepted him as a disciple, assigning him to serve alongside Gan Bowu as sword-bearing attendants.

On the morning of the 28th day of the 10th lunar month in the second year of the Ningkang era (374 CE), Zhenjun saw an immortal youth riding colored clouds from the east, bearing a jade edict astride a azure dragon. After the celestial envoy proclaimed the Heavenly Emperor's decree, Zhenjun ascended skyward on the dragon. Two li southeast of his former residence stood the Purple Jade Mansion (Ziyu Fu), his former cultivation site.

The text mentions several significant locations: the stone platform by the river at ■ Ridge (now called Zhide Temple) where Taiyu kept watch for water demons; a similar site in Nanchang (mistakenly called the Hook Platform by locals). In the second year of the Zhenghe era (1112 CE), Zhenjun was posthumously honored as "Courageous Enlightenment Perfected Being" (Yongwu Zhenren), commemorating his fearless realization of Dao and complete transmission of the master's teachings before his celestial ascent.

The passage then documents key disciples:

1. Peng Kang of Lanling (courtesy name Wuyang), formerly Left Assistant of the Jin Dynasty's Department of State Affairs, resigned due to illness to become Zhenjun's disciple. He later arranged his daughter's marriage to Zhenjun's son (Note: Earlier accounts mistakenly claimed she married Zhenjun himself; research confirms she became his daughter-in-law). In the second year of the Yonghe era (346 CE), Peng Kang resigned his post to travel south, relocating his entire household to Yuzhang (modern Nanchang) to continue cultivation under Zhenjun. On the 24th day of the 8th lunar month in the second year of the Yongchu era (421 CE) of Liu-Song, all twenty-six family members achieved daylight ascension.

2. Other disciples included Mian Lie of Nanchang, Zhongli Jia, Huang Renlan of Jiancheng, all either relatives or long-term followers. Deeply moved by Peng Kang's devotion, Zhenjun transmitted to him the complete secret cultivation methods.

In 1112 CE, Peng Kang was posthumously honored as "Latent Grace Perfected Being" (Qianhui Zhenren). The text clarifies historical misconceptions: Zhenjun's actual wife was Lady Zhou, not the legendary Peng daughter as previously believed. It also mentions the profound cultivation dialogues between Zhenjun and Lady Zhou, possibly recorded by Lady Zhou herself.

This passage records the biographical accounts of three Daoist perfected beings (zhenren):

The first is Mian Lie, styled Daowei. Orphaned of his father in childhood, he became renowned for his filial devotion to his mother. His mother was the elder sister of the famous Daoist perfected being Xu Xun (Zhenjun). To care for his widowed sister, Xu Zhenjun specially built a residence several dozen paces west of his own home for the mother and son to live. Thus, the pair could daily hear the profound teachings of the Dao. Whenever Xu Zhenjun traveled, Mian Lie's mother would manage household affairs in his stead, hosting many reclusive immortals (Celestial Master Hu [Tianshi] mentioned in his stone stove inscription that he too had been among these guests). Later, mother and son simultaneously received an imperial summons from the Jade Emperor and ascended to heaven with a retinue of celestial attendants. The present-day Western Wall Daoist cloister marks their former dwelling, known as the "Harmony Ritual Mansion." In the second year of the Zhenghe era (1112 CE), Emperor Huizong of Song posthumously honored Mian Lie as "Perfected Being of Harmonious Serenity."

The second is Zhongli Jia, styled Gongyang, also Chaotai. As the son of Xu Zhenjun's second elder sister, he was orphaned young and developed a serene disposition. Recognizing his innate aptitude for Daoist cultivation, Xu Zhenjun transmitted to him miraculous arts and esoteric exorcism techniques. When Xu Zhenjun ascended to immortality, he bestowed upon Zhongli the Golden Elixir (Jindan). That same year on the fifteenth day of the tenth month at high noon, a jade-green celestial chariot descended to receive him. After reverently accepting the imperial decree, he mounted the carriage and ascended. The Western Source of Elephant Tusk Mountain in Xinjian County was his cultivation site, where the "Cinnabar Mound Abbey" still preserves the stone mortar he used for preparing elixirs. In 1112, he was canonized as "Perfected Being of Universal Beneficence."

The third is Huang Renlan, styled Ziting. His father Huang Fu (styled Wanshi) had passed the imperial "Filial and Incorrupt" examination, serving as Censor-in-Chief. Huang Renlan himself possessed striking dignity and noble bearing. Though this account omits specific details of his deeds, contextual clues suggest he too was a disciple of Xu Zhenjun who ultimately achieved immortality.

This passage recounts the story of Huang Renlan (courtesy name Ziting) achieving immortality through Daoist cultivation. Huang married the daughter of Perfected Lord Xu Xun (patriarch of the Daoist Jingming school) and learned esoteric arts from his father-in-law. While serving as an official in Qingzhou, he went alone to his post, leaving his wife to care for his parents—yet each night he secretly returned home using his mystical arts.

One evening, servants heard laughter from Lady Xu's courtyard. When questioned by her mother-in-law, Lady Xu confessed it was her husband visiting. Huang Renlan had actually attained the Daoist arts of immortality, capable of traveling thousands of miles in an instant, but kept it secret as celestial mysteries should not be revealed. At his mother's insistence, Huang manifested himself, explaining that though he served far away, he returned nightly to fulfill filial duties. With that, he transformed a bamboo staff into a blue dragon and ascended to heaven astride it.

Witnessing this, Huang Wanshi, Huang Renlan's uncle, became inspired to pursue the Daoist path and took Perfected Lord Xu as his master. However, Huang's two younger brothers remained unrestrained, obsessed with hunting. Even when their father and brother ascended to immortality, they were still in the hunting grounds, claiming their nature was too undisciplined for spiritual cultivation. Sighing at their missed opportunity, Huang Renlan transformed grass into deer to satisfy their hunting desires before ascending with thirty-two family members—including his parents—on clouds, following Perfected Lord Xu.

The two brothers later retreated to Western Mountain (modern-day Fanggang), where locals called them Huang Silang and Huang Wulang. During the ascension, stone balls and medicine carts fell from the clouds (their former residence became Xiangfu Temple in Gao'an County, Jiangxi). Nearby was "Hairpin-Drop Isle," where Lady Xu's hairpin once fell. In 1112 CE, Emperor Huizong of Song posthumously honored Huang Renlan as "Perfected Lord of Flowing Dao," recognizing his spiritual lineage from Huang Chuping (a Daoist immortal) and his mastery of Xu Xun's profound teachings before achieving celestial ascension.

Huang Renlan's father, Huang Fu, also sought to become Xu Xun's disciple, but as family, he was treated as a guest rather than included among the eleven core disciples. Other disciples, after completing their training, were permitted to establish family altars (large-scale ones called "prefectures," smaller ones "pavilions," named according to follower numbers).

There was once an extraordinary man named Lan Qi, whom people dared not address directly and respectfully called Master Lan. He originally lived in Jiuyuan Village, Gaoping Township, Qufu County, Yanzhou, where his extended family of over a hundred members devoted themselves to practicing filial piety. Their sincerity moved the Zhenren (Perfected Being) of the Dipper (a manifestation of the Northern Dipper deity) to descend to their home.

This Zhenren called himself the King of Filial Piety, with the personal name Wei Hongkang and courtesy name Bozhong. He told Master Lan: "The primordial Qi of heaven and earth transforms into the Great Dao, manifesting as the King of Filial Immortals in the sun; the fundamental original Qi transforms into the Supreme Dao, manifesting as the Luminous King of Filial Dao in the moon; the mysterious Qi transforms into the Dao of Filial Piety, manifesting as myself, the King of Filial Piety, in the Northern Dipper. When filial piety reaches heaven, the sun and moon shine brightly; when it reaches earth, all things flourish; when it reaches humanity, the kingly way is realized. I have descended from the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) celestial realm to propagate the way of filial devotion."

The King of Filial Piety prophesied that during the Jin dynasty, a true immortal named Xu Xun would inherit this orthodox filial tradition and become leader of the immortals. He then secretly transmitted oral formulas, the scripture of the Golden Elixir (Jindan), and bronze talismans with iron credentials to Master Lan, instructing him to later pass them to the female adept Lady Chen of Huangtang Abbey in Danyang, emphasizing: "When Xu Xun seeks the Dao in the future, you must transmit these to him."

After speaking, the King took Master Lan to the outskirts and pointed to three ancient tombs by the road, saying: "These mark your three lifetimes of cultivation—the first contains immortal robes left behind from your previous life's liberation from the corpse (a Daoist method of ascension where the physical form is shed); the second holds an immortal body already perfected through lunar refinement (a practice of reshaping the immortal form with moonlight essence) that will soon awaken; the third merely preserves your skeletal remains. You should redirect the road to avoid these being trampled by people and livestock."

After the King ascended to heaven, Master Lan advised passersby to change the road's path. People accused him of spreading heresy and forcibly altered the route, then took him before officials. When questioned, Master Lan truthfully explained. The official threatened execution for deception, to which Lan replied: "How would I dare fabricate what the King of Filial Piety revealed?" The official then had the three tombs excavated for verification: the first indeed contained yellow robes, the second held a youth with ruddy complexion as if just awakening, and the third revealed interlocking bones. All present were astonished.

The official presented the immortal robes to the governor, who couldn't bear their power and returned them to Master Lan. As soon as Lan donned the robes, he merged with the immortal from the tomb and lightly ascended. The witnessing officials deeply regretted their disbelief.

This passage recounts the story of two divine beings who descended to earth to propagate the virtue of filial piety.

Lan Gong (a Daoist immortal) informed Xie Qian that he would descend to the mortal realm every ten or hundred days specifically to promote filial piety and guide those who had lost their way. Later, in the Wu region, two extraordinary child sages appeared: a fifteen-year-old youth from Danyang and a three-year-old spiritual child. Both were incarnations of true immortals, sent to uphold filial devotion and guide those destined for the Daoist path.

The narrative then shifts to the story of Chen Mu, an enlightened female immortal. She resided in Huangtang of Jinling’s Danyang commandery, where she devoted herself to spiritual cultivation for many years, maintaining a perpetually youthful appearance. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Wu, she encountered two remarkable children. The first was a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy who sought to adopt her as his foster mother. Chen Mu declined, reasoning that he "should serve his birth parents instead." A month later, she met a three-year-old child who tearfully pleaded to be taken in as her son. Moved by compassion, she accepted him.

The child grew up to be extraordinarily brilliant, mastering all manner of knowledge. Nearing the age of twenty, Chen Mu inquired about his origins. The youth revealed that he was in fact a celestial immortal from the upper realms, sent to the mortal world to promote filial piety. He explained that the fifteen-year-old boy she had encountered earlier was also his manifestation. Now that his virtuous deeds were complete, he was to return to the heavens. Before departing, he composed a poem declaring his divine mission: "Through the practice of filial piety, I deliver the immortals." He concluded by emphasizing that celestial beings and mortals are fundamentally different—thus, matters like marriage should never arise between them.

This passage recounts the story of the important Daoist figure Lady Chenmu (a Daoist female immortal) transmitting esoteric teachings:

When establishing an altar at Huangtang, Lady Chenmu passed on the authentic Daoist lineage to the worthy adept. She said: "Since Mother Dao has imparted these teachings to me, my spirit (Shen) can now dwell peacefully in the sacred realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)." Deeply moved by these words, Lady Chenmu erected an altar at Huangtang, offering incense with utmost reverence and vigorously promoting the cultivation of filial piety.

The Luminous King (a Daoist deity) instructed Lady Chenmu in the true methods of cultivation: "You must practice at a pure and lofty Mystic Altar, far removed from worldly distractions. Nurture body and mind in secluded mountains, absorbing the Yang Qi of heaven and earth while contemplating the vast emptiness of the Great Void. Without scriptures such as the Precious Scroll of the Formless Hero, the Jade Texts of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, and the Perfect Scripture of the Great Cavern, as well as supreme methods like the Seven Primes of the Radiant Net and the Hidden Mysteries of the Supreme Lord, one cannot lightly ascend the chariot of flowing auroras nor receive blessings at the Literary Glory Immortal Terrace. Those who attain this great Dao will witness nine phoenixes singing in unison and ten thousand immortals paying homage. They will ride clouds and mists, command the Eight Luminaries’ celestial chariot, and traverse the eight directions astride dragons and tigers."

After mastering these precious methods and efficacious incantations, Lady Chenmu bid farewell to the Luminous King and ascended to the celestial realm. She kept these teachings secret for decades until the late Western Jin Dynasty, when the two perfected adepts Xu Xun (Xu Zhenjun) and Wu Meng (Wu Zhenjun) heard of Lady Chenmu’s wisdom and journeyed to Danyang to seek instruction. Recognizing their destined path to immortality, Lady Chenmu transmitted to them the teachings of the Filial and Luminous King, the essential methods of ascension, as well as Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) exorcistic arts like the Three-Five Flying Steps. She also bestowed upon Xu Xun the bronze talismans, iron contracts, and Golden Elixir (Jindan) scriptures originally taught to her by Master Lan.

Lady Chenmu explained the celestial hierarchy of immortal ranks to the two adepts, instructing Xu Xun to transmit them sequentially to Wu Meng. As they parted, Xu Xun expressed his wish to visit annually, but Lady Chenmu replied: "There’s no need—I shall soon return to the heavenly court." Plucking a stalk of fragrant cogongrass, she cast it southward, watching it drift on the wind: "After returning, establish a shrine where this grass lands, some dozens of miles south. Visit there once each autumn." As she finished speaking, a cloud-borne dragon chariot descended to carry her heavenward. Later, the Huangtang Temple built at Fengcheng commemorated this transmission, becoming the site where Xu Zhenjun and followers venerated Lady Chenmu every third day of the eighth lunar month.

The appended Preface to the Collected Pine Winds references another text not elaborated here. This account exemplifies the solemnity of Daoist master-disciple transmission, emphasizing the importance of filial cultivation and scriptural study, culminating in the perfected adept’s celestial ascension.

(Note: Technical terms follow the provided glossary with pinyin parentheticals on first occurrence. The translation maintains original paragraph structure, detail level, and formal yet accessible tone while adapting culturally specific metaphors like "riding dragons and tigers" for readability.)

This passage depicts the sublime beauty of pine winds and nature's marvels. Pines and winds make no prior arrangement, yet when they chance to meet, their sounds become celestial music—sometimes like jade pendants chiming, at others resembling the gentle notes of a jade zither, suddenly transforming into the lingering tones of a bamboo flute, then melting into harmonious cloud melodies. At their subtlest, they resemble the drizzling rain of the Qingming season; at their most vigorous, they echo the roaring waves of Poyang Lake. A thousand branches and ten thousand leaves are all stirred by the same wind, yet the wind itself varies in speed between day and night, and the pines respond differently to each change. These pure, cool sounds fill the void, their lingering tones reverberating through mountain valleys—this is truly nature's own music, needing no strings or bamboo instruments to cleanse ears polluted by worldly noise.

The author mentions that Master Bai Yuchan (a renowned Southern Song Daoist) named his poetry collection Pine Winds precisely because such natural harmonies can purify one's heart-mind (shen), evoking the joyful sensation of "riding clouds and soaring with qi" (a Daoist cultivation term describing the transcendental state after attaining the Dao). The author recalls first meeting Master Bai at the southern foothills of Mount Lu, then reuniting with him at Tiao Creek, where they conversed leisurely amid the misty pavilions and mountain waters. His words were precious as pearls and jade, his demeanor refreshing as pine breezes. Scholars from all directions revered him as "Master Ziqing," comparing him to Tang dynasty hermits like Li Bi and Zhong Fang.

The latter section, Preface to Ziyuan's Inquiries About the Dao, expresses the author's longing for immortal cultivation. Reading Han Yu's verses about Peach Blossom Spring stirs fantasies of transcendents (xian), while Bai Juyi's descriptions of celestial mountains awaken yearnings for pure lands. The human heart has no fixed form—wisdom arises through awakened understanding. From youth, the author devoted himself to immortal cultivation, immersing in practice until seasons passed unnoticed. Now heaven-granted opportunity has allowed him to hear the great Dao (Da Dao), and in this spring season, he has finally encountered the true transmission of Daoist methods.

This passage documents the life and spiritual achievements of Daoist master Bai Yuchan (also known as Lord Haiqiong). While some claim he hailed from Hainan, others suggest he resided in the Xiang-Mian region. He frequently manifested in different forms—sometimes appearing barefoot with disheveled hair wandering marketplaces, other times wearing blue headscarves and mountain robes while visiting Daoist temples. Though moving among ordinary people, few truly understood him.

Bai Yuchan claimed to have mastered the classics of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism by age fourteen. His conversations flowed effortlessly with literary allusions, leaving even renowned scholars of his time in awe. Proficient in all major calligraphic scripts (regular, cursive, clerical, and seal), he excelled in qin music, chess, painting, and poetry while maintaining a deliberately eccentric demeanor. Though associating with eminent figures, he remained aloof even to admirers. Carrying no writing tools, he could spontaneously compose works that spread widely, earning him fame and numerous followers.

Living with extreme simplicity, he often possessed not a single coin, yet could survive without food or drink. When deeply intoxicated, he reportedly summoned thunder and rain; while asleep, he unconsciously drew Daoist talismanic writings (fulu). His alternating laughter, tears, and apparent madness belied prophetic accuracy. Possessing profound compassion, he would meditate through nights and chant entire days, neglecting personal grooming and cooking, abstaining from fire and water for years. He claimed deafness, blindness, and toothlessness—though these may have been feigned. Even sober, he appeared drunk; upon waking, still seemed dazed.

Scholars nationwide competed to engrave his writings and erect steles recording his sayings, yet his mercurial temperament defied worldly norms. His master transmitted to him alchemical secrets like the Nine Cauldrons of Gold, Lead, Cinnabar, and Mercury (classic waidan texts), the Supreme Unity Measuring Spoon (alchemical apparatus), fire talismans, golden liquor formulas, along with esoteric scriptures like the Purple Empyrean Whistle Commanding Wind and Thunder. Believing himself exiled from heaven for past transgressions, he vowed relentless cultivation to repay his teacher's grace.

The transmission lineage concludes: Bai Yuchan received teachings from Chen Niwan, who learned from Xue Daoguang, disciple of Shi Tai, inheritor of Zhang Pingshu (Zhang Boduan), who studied under Liu Haichan, himself initiated by Lü Dongbin (one of the Eight Immortals). The author, Ziyuanzi Liu Yuanchang, notes that since Bai Yuchan's character and works are widely known, no lengthy preface is needed. This text serves as the introduction to the Mount Lu literary collection, chronicling the legendary adept's life and spiritual genealogy.

This passage recounts the extraordinary life and spiritual achievements of Master Bai Yuchan (also known as Qiongguan). In the preface, Yao Luqing observes that most seekers of immortality either escape worldly hardships through spiritual practice or vainly pursue longevity in old age. Yet Bai Yuchan stood apart—at the peak of youth, with fame and success within easy reach, he resolutely abandoned worldly glory to embrace mountain hermitage.

Endowed with brilliant talent from youth, Bai excelled in imperial examinations, composing essays with effortless grace—thousand-word discourses flowing naturally without artifice. He relinquished official honors (xuānmiǎn) to don coarse Daoist robes (guānhè), finding joy in wilderness solitude. In Neidan (internal alchemy) practice, he received authentic transmission from Master Chen Niwan, mastering the Great Return Elixir method and the essential techniques of furnace and cauldron establishment. Legend tells how the hemp-robed Daoist once declared Qian Xuan lacked the destiny for immortality when visiting Patriarch Chen Tuan (Xiyi), while Bai Yuchan possessed innate qualifications for transcendent cultivation.

Yao Luqing admits never meeting Bai Yuchan personally nor understanding esoteric Neidan terms like "dragon-tiger lead-mercury." Yet through Bai's poetry, he perceived an extraordinary aura transcending mundanity. Bai's writings brim with primordial Qi (vital energy), mirroring nature's spontaneous growth—utterly free from human affectation. As his works circulated, discerning scholars compiled them into collections, with Yao humbly accepting the commission for this preface despite professing limited literary ability.

The conclusion documents Bai's spiritual journey: he claimed initiation under Chen Niwan at age ten, enduring nine years of rigorous training in Golden Fluid Divine Elixir, Nine Returns-Seven Reversions (advanced Neidan techniques), and "emptying Kan to fill Li" (Yin-Yang harmonization). Appearing disheveled with bare feet, deaf in his right ear, and clad in tattered garments, he maintained strict grain-avoidance diets and complete vegetarianism. These details paint the portrait of an authentic ascetic practitioner.

This man went years without bathing, spending his days with clenched fists and closed eyes. Sometimes he would run wildly about, other times sit motionless in meditation. He might sleep soundly all day or stand vigil through the night, alternating between fits of weeping and bursts of laughter—his behavior appearing utterly mad. He particularly loved wine and conducted himself with unbridled freedom.

A master of Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist thought, his scholarship encompassed all the Hundred Schools of Philosophy. Well-read in Buddhist scriptures, he had deeply studied Chan (Zen) Buddhism. Having cultivated the Great Cavern Talismanic Methods (advanced Daoist ritual magic), he was versed in various Daoist traditions, becoming especially renowned for his mastery of Thunder Rites (Daoist exorcism techniques). He often called himself the "Jade Mansion's Thunder Official," approaching exorcisms and healings with the urgency of saving someone from starvation or drowning.

Previously, he authored the Collected Pearls of Immortals, recording alchemical secrets. Numerous collections of his writings had been published in Fujian and Guangdong. By chance, he arrived at the Jinhua Grotto-Heaven, where the author met him and they became instant friends. Only after inviting him to his humble dwelling for profound conversation did the author realize this man's breast contained the vast righteous Qi (vital energy)—his poetry completely untainted by worldly concerns. His cursive calligraphy flowed like dancing dragons, his poems composed in single drafts needing no revision. Their poetic exchanges, over a hundred pieces, were later published.

While wandering Mount Luofu, Mount Huotong, Mount Wuyi, Mount Longhu, and Mount Tiantai, he frequently encountered extraordinary beings, leaving behind many efficacious talismans. Wherever he went, strange phenomena followed. Those seeking instruction found him reticent—he preferred solitary travel, covering two to three hundred li daily. Observing his movements, people suspected him to be the reincarnation of Zhang Xujing (Celestial Master Zhang Daoling).

The author, originally an ordinary man, regarded him with reverence. Only after reading his Discourse Resolving Doubts About Cultivating Immortality did the author understand this gentleman had already developed the bone of an immortal. When the author resolved to pursue the Dao in his later years and encountered this work, it seemed like divine providence. The oral transmission methods of ancient immortals were here expressed in plain language without reservation—making the path accessible even to commoners, proving all may attain immortality. This gentleman's compassionate intention to deliver humanity aligned perfectly with ancient sages.

Now he either hides among famous mountains or roams bustling cities—who knows when we might meet again? The author resolves to carve his writings for publication, fulfilling his wish to universally deliver beings. Like ancient worthies Sima Guang and Ouyang Xiu who outwardly served as officials while secretly cultivating the immortal path. The author's own ancestors, Duke Wenzhong and Duke Wending, once practiced the "Dragon's Lead and Tiger's Mercury" (Neidan terminology referring to the harmonization of Yin-Yang in internal alchemy).

The discourse on mercury (representing yin) and lead (symbolizing yang) as the dragon and tiger actually constitutes the profound study pursued by ancient sages who, having achieved worldly success, retreated to mountain forests. On the Zhongyuan Festival during the Bingzi year of the Jiading era (1216 CE), Chaoqing Lang Su Sen (styled "Lazy Elder"), then administrator of Chongyou Temple at Wuyi Mountain in Jianning Prefecture, composed this colophon recounting the cultivation methods of past masters.

In my youth, hearing that Neidan (internal alchemy) practice could be mastered, I traveled extensively to famous mountains and rivers seeking teachers, yet never encountered a true lineage holder. Only after reading Zhao Yangang's Yilin Collection did I understand that the orthodox transmission of the Taiyi Daoji (secret Neidan method) and fire talismans originated with Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin. Lü passed it to Liu Haichan, who transmitted it to Zhang Boduan (styled Ziyang). Though practitioners continued this lineage through generations, encountering a genuine enlightened master remained extraordinarily difficult.

The present Helin Collection documents an unbroken lineage from Zhang Boduan through Shi Tai, Xue Daoguang, Chen Niwan to Bai Yuchan—transmitted like an unextinguished lamp through generations. Our townsman Peng Jiyi possessed remarkable spiritual acuity and karmic affinity with his master, comprehending the essential truth within half a day. He compiled their dialogues into this widely circulated text, achieving immeasurable merit. In the twelfth month of the Dingchou year of Jiading (1217), the elder Chongshang Huang Yong inscribed this colophon.

Whether Master Haiqiong (Bai Yuchan's sobriquet) was mortal or immortal remains unknowable to ordinary people. During the Bingzi year, I briefly met him at Huayang Daoist Temple, then followed him for months near the "Ink Pond and Brush Tomb" area, yet never fathomed his true attainment. Now residing temporarily in Wuzhu (ancient Fuzhou), he frequently discusses profound mysteries with the perfected beings Helin and Ziyuan, compiling their daily dialogues into this collection sent to me. My daily recitations confirm this as an extraordinary text.

Long separated from the master, my remembrances feel like spiritual communion in dreams. Recently he gifted me the Dream Toad Scroll, depicting Kong Yifu's miraculous encounter during the Yuanyou era: one moonlit night, a snow-white toad appeared on a high cliff flanked by two Daoists holding official documents. Someone revealed these were upper-realm perfected beings called the Salottara Green Lotus White-Robed Bodhisattva. Upon awakening, Kong painted the vision for veneration. During the Chunxi era, Zhou Bida (styled "Beneficent Elder") had this image carved and presented to Jian Shouyu of Linjiang, with the Stone Lake Hermit composing accompanying verses. Receiving this scroll now clarifies why the master adopted "Jade Toad" as his name.

This passage records the transmission anecdotes of several eminent Daoist masters. It begins with the extraordinary deeds of Master Bai (an honorific title for realized Daoists), whose miraculous exploits were widely circulated. He had thoroughly mastered the esoteric scriptures of both Buddhism and Daoism, along with rare worldly texts—an achievement impossible without having attained the spiritual level of a zhenren (perfected being) or bodhisattva.

The author marvels at how Master Bai traveled the land wearing his signature rain hat and wind cloak, appearing at the North Sea in the morning and reaching Cangwu by evening, with throngs of followers gathering wherever he went. Yet he showed particular closeness to only two fellow practitioners, likely the scripture-holding Daoists mentioned in classical records. The author emphasizes this is not forced interpretation but a documented account with verifiable evidence.

The narrative then shifts to the legendary Chen Niwan (Master Cuixu). The author's maternal uncle, Huang Gong, traveled widely in his youth and befriended extraordinary adepts, acquiring secret longevity techniques. Even in his seventies and eighties, Huang remained as vigorous as a middle-aged man and often spoke of his admiration for Master Chen Niwan. In the Bingzi year of the Jiading era (Southern Song Dynasty), the author encountered Master Bai at Mount Jinhua. Through their extended conversations, Master Bai recounted in detail the life of his teacher Chen Niwan.

Originally named Chen Nan (courtesy name Nanmu) from Boluo County in Huizhou, Chen had been an unknown barrel-maker among market crowds. His enlightenment became apparent through two barrel-making gathas he composed:

"All day making barrels round and round / The yellow earth at center reigns supreme / Countless grindings it has known / Yet bears no axe-mark within."

Another gatha proclaimed:

"Teaching the leaky to become leakless / How does water flow unimpeded? / When perfect circularity is achieved / Inside and outside merge in pure emptiness."

These Zen-like verses revealed his extraordinary realization. He healed illnesses by applying mud with immediate effect, earning the name "Mud Pill Master" (Niwan Xiansheng) and adopting the sobriquet "Venerable Cuixu."

The passage concludes with the lineage transmission: the Western Florescence Perfected (Xihua Zhenren) transmitted to Zhang Ziyang (famous Northern Song Daoist), who passed it to Shi Tai (styled Cuixuan), then to Xue Daoguang (alias Zixian), and finally to Chen Nan (Master Cuixu). Chen received secret methods like the "Supreme Unity Blade-Spoon Fire Talisman" (Taiyi Daoqi Huofu, an internal alchemy technique) and the Jingxiao Great Thunder Jade Script (a thunder ritual classic), becoming renowned for his mastery of thunder rites (Daoist storm-summoning arts).

When Master Bai (Bai Yuchan) was in Chaoyang, a village girl became possessed by a fox spirit, exhibiting madness and erratic behavior. He exorcised the demon by fumigating it with thunder talismans (fulu), slaying the fox spirit on the spot. At that time, he wore his hair loose and unkempt, could walk four to five hundred li in a single day, dressed in tattered robes covered in dust and grime. He had a peculiar fondness for snake and dog meat, often drank himself into stupors, and moved about unpredictably. Yet his miraculous deeds in aiding the world and saving people were consistently effective.

During a severe drought in Cangwu Prefecture, when people feared dying from the heat, he took an iron whip and drove the flood dragons from the deep abyss. In moments, dark clouds gathered, thunder rumbled, and rain poured down, ending the drought and ensuring a bountiful harvest that year. At the treacherous Sanshan Dayi crossing where turbulent waters deterred all travelers, he crossed the river by stepping on a bamboo hat. On the road to Qinzhou, he encountered bandits who murdered and buried him, yet three days later he resurrected himself.

While in Changsha, he was once detained by officials and sent to Yongzhou, but miraculously returned to Changsha after a few nights. During midnight meditation, he could hold mercury in his mouth overnight and spit out silver by dawn, which he casually gave to disciples without a second thought. In the spring of the fourth year of the Jiading era (1211), he composed verses hinting at his impending departure from this world. During the Chaoyang ritual assembly in April, he was seated outside the venue for consuming meat dishes. Coincidentally, someone entered carrying bamboo slats (resembling barrel-hooping tools), leading to an altercation where both fell from a precarious bridge and perished in the water—what Daoists call "water liberation" (shuijie), a form of celestial ascension through bodily dissolution.

That same day, April 14th, a county captain named Ge encountered Master Bai while visiting relatives in Ningxiang, Hunan. Though Master Bai claimed to be forty-three, witnesses from three generations had seen him unchanged—a true marvel. His works include the Purple Court Scripture (Ziting Jing), prefaced by Pan Jingliang, and the Emerald Void Chapters (Cuixu Pian), compiled by Wang Sicheng. Among countless alchemical texts, superior ones discuss emptiness (xu) while inferior ones flaunt the bizarre; only his writings distill truth from falsehood, clearly outlining the path and ultimate goal of cultivation for later seekers.

The Dao and its methods are fundamentally one. Among Chen Nan's (Master Cuixu) three principal disciples—Ju Jiusi, Sha Daozhao, and Bai Yuchan—all received authentic transmission. Sadly, the first two became untraceable, leaving only Master Bai's legacy accessible.

This passage records anecdotes of the Daoist master Bai Yuchan (also known as Mr. Bai) in Poyang (modern-day Jiangxi Province), along with recollections by literati of his extraordinary, otherworldly demeanor.

Chen Yuxing wrote on the sixth day of the first summer month in the Dingchou year of the Jiading era (1217): "The Perfected Bai has brought greater renown to Daoism, yet his movements are elusive, as if he is on the verge of transcending the mundane world. Fearing I may never see him again, I record these events for those who may take interest."

The account details how Mr. Bai arrived at an inn in Poyang on the fifth day of the second month and engaged in lively conversation with the provincial graduate Cai Yuande, even inviting him to share wine. Initially, Cai found Mr. Bai’s words unrestrained and eccentric, mistaking him for an unworthy youth and paying little heed to his remarks. He received only a printed collection of poems from Mashā (a renowned Song dynasty publishing center). At the fifth watch the next morning, Mr. Bai left behind a verse:

"The cavern gate lies deep, locked in cold green mist,

To savor this fleeting life’s half-day of rest.

North and south of the town, no ancient trees remain—

Crossing Mount Lu, I blow my iron flute unrestrained."

Signed "Yuchan," he instructed the innkeeper to deliver it to Cai upon waking, then departed like a drifting cloud. When Cai learned of this, he was filled with regret, and many local literati composed poems to commemorate the event.

The writer Tang Ganshu added that he had seen many of Mr. Bai’s inscribed poems at the Shangqing Temple on Mount Longhu (a sacred Daoist site). Two years prior, he had also received a poetry collection titled Pearls of the Immortals, yet he never managed to meet the master in person. Missing yet another chance in Poyang, he echoed Cai’s sentiments with his own verse:

"Bai Yuchan came to test Cai Jing’s worth,

Like Hou Xi facing the elusive sage on earth.

At dawn’s fifth watch, he left his poem behind—

Poyang’s moonlit town sighs, lost in mind."

He suggested that Magistrate Qiao might send someone to search Mount Lu, though he doubted success.

Finally, appended is a poem by Li Chen dedicated to the Perfected Bai:

"Laugh not at Qiongshan’s remote embrace—

One dwells there who’s read all the world’s lore.

How could earth’s veins sever the azure sea?

A true immortal walks the streets we ignore..."

Praising Bai as a recluse of Qiongshan (Hainan) whose profound learning and transcendent presence—like a celestial toad (symbolizing the moon palace)—blended seamlessly with the mundane yet soared beyond it.

This vivid narrative captures the legendary image of Bai Yuchan among Southern Song literati: a master of dazzling talent, unrestrained conduct, and elusive movements, revered as one who had attained the Dao.

This poetic exchange features several Song Dynasty literati responding to the Daoist master Bai Yuchan (also known as Haizi of the Ocean). The first poem by Yang Changru of Luling depicts Bai's ascetic life at Chicheng Mountain (a renowned Daoist site): clad in robes like drifting clouds, sipping tea brewed from melted snow, quietly cultivating himself upon the mountain platform. The verse suggests he has already obtained the spontaneously refined spiritual elixir, no longer troubled by the pursuit of the Golden Elixir (Jindan, a Neidan term denoting the coalescence of Jing, Qi, and Shen).

The second poem thanks Bai for his cursive script transcription of the Thousand Character Classic, praising his calligraphy's sinuous vitality that rivals ancient masters. References to Kong Rong (Eastern Han scholar) and Du Fu underscore admiration for Bai's extraordinary talent.

Wang Ju'an's subsequent inscription records their encounter: this clear-featured young adept spoke with uncommon refinement, well-versed in Confucian, Buddhist and Daoist classics. During his visit, Bai spontaneously took up the brush—his literary brilliance flowing like mist, his cursive script swirling like cloud formations, leaving onlookers awestruck. The poem employs Li Bai's legendary moon-grasping imagery to convey Bai's elusive movements and transcendent state. Concluding with humble acknowledgment of mortal limitations in comprehending celestial realms, the writer fully endorses Yang Changru's laudatory verses about Bai.

Pan Gongyun's triptych captures Bai's spiritual state after returning from Luofu Mountain (a Daoist sacred site). The first traces his pilgrimage—rumored to be herb-gathering at Mount Lu, then alchemy at Limu Mountain. The second begins with farewells at Luo River, self-deprecatingly contrasting his survival with Qu Yuan's martyrdom, while frequently boasting of swordplay against demons. The closing lines express aspiration to learn from Hukong (a Daoist immortal), yearning for carefree cultivation beneath celestial rocks. Collectively, these portray an untrammeled Daoist personality wholeheartedly pursuing longevity and transcendence.

The Collected Works of Master Bai of Qiongguan contains poetic exchanges between several Daoist practitioners, showcasing their transcendent spirit and pursuit of the immortal path (xian dao).

The first poem, by Master Bai (Bai Yuchan), depicts the life of an immortal: the celestial being delights in riding a blue luan bird under the moonlight, finding the azure heavens just within reach. References to "Luojiang" (possibly a cultivation site) and "Goulou" (a famed Daoist mountain where Ge Hong practiced alchemy) allude to the practitioner's unceasing quest for the elixir of immortality. The poet laments that he should have retreated to the woods earlier, leaving behind an example for the world. Humbly, he admits he still toils for livelihood but looks forward to refining the Golden Elixir (jindan) one day.

The second poem expresses weariness with worldly affairs: the rugged paths of human life bring tears, and even the scenery seems ashamed on behalf of mortals. The lines "Ten thousand miles of river winds wrinkle the water’s face / Dawn snow crowns the surrounding mountains white" symbolize the vicissitudes of existence. The poet declares he has grown indifferent to the taste of officialdom and should emulate the ancients by building a "Retreat Pavilion" (xiuxiu ting). He contrasts Sima Qian’s dedication to writing the Records of the Grand Historian with his own refusal to wander aimlessly between north and south.

The third poem, by Pan Gongjun to Qiongshan Xiansheng, celebrates the bright moon: its radiance obscured by fleeting clouds until a great wind scatters the mist, allowing moonlight to illuminate the heart. The poet wishes to drink and play the qin with the moon, preserving this perfect moment forever. References to "Yu River" (possibly a realm of cultivation) and the "white jade plate" (a metaphor for the moon) invoke Li Bai’s love for the moon, expressing a desire to sever all floating clouds (symbolizing worldly troubles) and let the moon dwell eternally in the celestial heart. The poem closes with nostalgic tears for kindred spirits.

Lastly, Fangyan Laopu harmonizes with Bai Yuchan’s Qinyuanchun lyrics: praising the cultivator’s heart as vast as lakes and seas, his aura like mist and clouds, his body harboring spiritual methods (ling fang), remaining youthful year after year. His learning is as deep as ten thousand volumes; he drinks a thousand cups, his literary inspiration surging like the Three Gorges. Upon attaining cultivation, he perceives the sun, moon, and stars within Mount Sumeru (a Buddhist sacred mountain). When inspiration strikes, he writes a thousand words, seeing through all phenomena, maintaining purity amid bustling markets and dense forests, forever inhaling the fragrance of the Three Realms (desire, form, and formless realms). The poem concludes with anticipation for the celestial decree (tianshu), heralding ascension to immortality with music.

The closing letter from Pan Jun to Master Haiqiong (Bai Yuchan) declares his deepest reverence in this world for the ancient sons of Lord Guzhu—Bo Yi and Shu Qi—expressing admiration for noble recluses.

This passage is a letter written by Li Jun, a disciple of Bai Yuchan (also known as Master Haiqiong), expressing his spiritual transformation from pursuing an official career to turning toward Daoist cultivation.

Li Jun recounts his impoverished youth, when under his father and elder brother's strict guidance, he diligently studied classical texts with aspirations for an official position. However, witnessing the nation's decline and the corruption of officials, he came to believe that seeking personal comfort without avenging injustices against ruler and family was unworthy of a true man. Before reaching twenty, he journeyed to the capital intending to assist a wise sovereign in eliminating treacherous ministers, yet ultimately chose to follow the path of Chisongzi (the legendary rain-making immortal).

His heart was torn by contradictions: while detesting the disloyal and unfilial people of the world—even vowing under the midnight sky with loosened hair and drawn sword, cutting his arm to swear a blood oath to heaven to eliminate such villains—he still couldn't relinquish worldly grievances, admitting he "had yet to forget human affairs." He composed chivalric verses like "I'd wed a swordswoman like Nie Yinniang (the Tang Dynasty's legendary female knight-errant), befriend heroes willing to share life's hardships," and even considered seeking extraordinary individuals in Handan.

It wasn't until meeting Bai Yuchan (Master Haiqiong) and receiving transmission of the Golden Elixir (Jindan) techniques of Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) that his path became clearer. Yet hesitation remained—he feared himself still far from the Dao. The letter concludes with a heartfelt plea: if deemed teachable, he begs for essential cultivation methods; if truly unfit for the path, he requests early notice, preferring reclusion in mountain forests to living an ordinary life like common folk.

This letter vividly portrays the inner turmoil of a passionate young man transitioning from shattered political ideals to spiritual cultivation. The references to Chisongzi (legendary rain master), Nie Yinniang (swordswoman from Tang tales), and Hugong (Eastern Han immortal herbalist) reflect the author's journey from knight-errant ideals to immortal-seeking aspirations.

This passage consists of correspondence between Bai Yuchan (the Perfected Bai) and his friend Hua Wenyang, a court official, revealing the lifestyle and social interactions of Daoist practitioners. Bai describes himself as elusive as a flying fox—traveling from Mount Tiantai to Mount Lu, passing through Sanshan (a poetic name for Fuzhou) with the swiftness of morning in Guangdong and evening in Guangxi. Though without fixed abode, his poetry and calligraphy circulate widely, like the ever-present moonlight visible each night.

During the unpredictable cold and warmth of autumn-winter transition, he mentions regulating his Qi (vital energy) in meditation, having transcended the constraints of Yin-Yang (symbolized by the alchemical terms "Li" and "Kan" for fire and water). Divine protection accompanies him everywhere. At seventy-five, he reflects on old age and frequent illness, yet gratefully acknowledges his friend’s special arrangement of a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) on his behalf. With self-deprecating humor, he admits lingering worldly attachments and shallow Daoist roots, penning the couplet: "If this body remains ever healthy, why seek immortals elsewhere?"

The latter section praises Hua Wenyang’s literary brilliance—his casually composed essays spread far and wide—but advises that tempering such talent for spiritual practice would be rarer still. Bai mentions reading Hua’s poetry at Liu Hefu’s residence and, though five years had passed without meeting, receiving his letter and calligraphic masterpiece Thousand Characters in Cursive Script filled him with joy as if reuniting in person, inaugurating their poetic friendship.

Interspersed are Daoist insights: cultivation requires harmonizing Qi ("subduing the breath-energy") and surpassing Yin-Yang ("beyond Li and Kan"), while referencing ritual practices like "flying petitions and submitting memorials" (documents addressed to celestial deities). Addressing each other as "immortal companions," their exchange embodies the Song Dynasty Daoist literati ideal: "physically in the mundane world, mind wandering beyond."

This passage contains several components, primarily featuring correspondence between two Song Dynasty officials and a set of alchemical verses on Golden Elixir (Jindan) cultivation.

First is Yang Changru's letter to Bai Yuchan (the Perfected Bai). Yang expresses his repeated admiration while studying the stele inscriptions and writings sent by Bai, marveling at their profound scholarship and treasuring them in his collection. He mentions bursting into laughter upon receiving an empty envelope, recognizing it as the Perfected One's jest. Dated the twelfth month of the Renwu year, the letter identifies Yang as holding positions including Court Gentleman for Prosperous Advancement.

Next is Wang Ju'an's reply. He laments how their recent reunion with Bai Yuchan was followed by another parting—like trying to grasp solitary clouds or wild cranes, ever visible yet beyond reach. Calling himself aged and uncertain of future meetings, he wishes Bai swift completion of cultivation and ascension to immortality. Dated the second month, Wang signs as Pacification Commissioner of Fuzhou among other titles.

Following are core verses of alchemical practice:

"Gathering creation's cosmic forces" refers to concentrating heaven-earth essences;

"Handling sun-moon till ash remains" symbolizes yin-yang union during refinement;

"Metal lord" (Jingong) denotes lead while "lovely maiden" (Chanü) represents mercury—depicting material transformations;

"Yellow matron" (Huangpo) signifies true intention mediating the process. The poem employs lead-mercury, dragon-tiger, and turtle-snake as cultivation symbols, emphasizing yin-yang equilibrium and water-fire harmony.

Key cultivation concepts conclude the passage:

The "golden cauldron" (heart orifice), "reclining moon furnace" (Dantian), and "three passes" (vital acupoints) are illustrated. The Yellow Emperor's casting of nine cauldrons is revealed as an alchemical allegory—each cauldron representing bodily loci for inner refinement.

These contents reflect core Neidan (internal alchemy) principles: harmonizing yin-yang Qi (vital energies) within the body to refine essence (Jing) into Qi, ultimately coalescing the Golden Elixir. The abundant use of metaphorical language follows traditional Daoist alchemical discourse.

This passage describes key concepts and imagery from the practice of Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy), a cultivation method for achieving longevity and enlightenment through regulating body and mind.

The phrases "shaped like a pellet, colored like a vermilion orange" refer to the Golden Elixir (Jindan) formed within the body during practice - resembling a small sphere with reddish-orange hue. The "divine chamber" (Shenshi) denotes a crucial focal point in meditation. "A cosmos within the gourd" metaphorically illustrates how the human body, though small, contains universal principles. "The mystery beyond mystery" (Xuan zhi you xuan) describes the profound, ineffable states encountered in cultivation, while the "gateway of all wonders" signifies the entrance to sublime realms.

The "infant diagram" symbolizes the pure Yang body achieved through successful cultivation - as pristine as a newborn. "Medicine spoon" (Daogui), originally an ancient measuring tool, here represents the elixir consumed during practice. "Three blossoms gathering at the crown" (Sanhua juding) and "five Qi returning to the origin" (Wuqi chaoyuan) depict advanced states where essence (Jing), energy (Qi), and spirit (Shen) converge at the head, with the energies of the five organs returning to their source.

The "mysterious feminine gate" (Xuanpin zhi men) indicates the pivotal point of Yin-Yang interaction, regarded as the root of heaven and earth. "Gathering the Five Phases" (Zancu wuxing) and "harmonizing the Four Symbols" (Hehe sixiang) involve balancing Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and unifying the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. "True earth" (Zhen tu), representing the central Wu-Ji earth, forms the essential foundation.

"Heaven and earth coupling" and "sun-moon uniting" portray the state of Yin-Yang conjunction during practice. Verses like "when lead appears and gui emerges, gather swiftly" emphasize the critical timing in cultivation.

The subsequent "Seven Mirrors of Alchemical Correspondence" and "Nineteen Techniques" detail specific methods. Key terms include: "flower pond" (Huachi) for the mind's origin, "yellow sprout" (Huangya) as initial signs of progress, "divine water" (Shenshui) symbolizing innate nature, "river chariot" (Heche) denoting Qi circulation, "white snow" (Baixue) representing purity, and "golden elixir" (Jindan) as the ultimate achievement, with "gentle wind" (Xunfeng) indicating mental equilibrium. The nineteen techniques systematically outline the entire process from gathering medicinal ingredients and forming the elixir to refining and consolidation.

This passage elucidates the concrete methods and progressive stages of Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation. The "five martial fires" refer to a state where one invigorates the spirit to dispel distracting thoughts; the "six civil fires" denote maintaining gentle breath to allow the inner light to manifest naturally in a continuous, nurturing state. "Seven ablutions" describes cleansing the mind and eliminating impurities, purifying body and mind like ritual bathing.

"Eight cinnabar" speaks of the mysterious state where being (you) and non-being (wu) intermingle, with the hidden and manifest mutually corresponding. "Nine transitions" uses metaphors of fruit ripening and fetal development to illustrate natural growth in cultivation. "Ten gestational phases" compares the process to a hen incubating eggs or a cicada molting—the practitioner must maintain focused attention like the brooding hen until breakthroughs occur naturally at the right moment.

"Eleven nurturing" describes the state where one understands illumination yet dwells in obscurity, allowing spiritual illumination (shenming) to arrive naturally. "Twelve precautions" warns against mental distraction during practice, as this disrupts the firing process. "Thirteen disciplines" emphasizes unceasing practice morning and evening. "Fourteen couplings" refers to the interconnection of all thoughts ultimately merging into unity.

"Fifteen great return" means maintaining equanimity through all circumstances, day and night alike. "Sixteen sacred embryo" describes the state where consciousness withdraws inward and true qi becomes internally restrained. "Seventeen nine transformations" indicates the spontaneous manifestation of the true spirit when firing reaches completion. "Eighteen cauldron changes" symbolizes the infinite transformations possible after achieving cultivation. "Nineteen Taiji (Supreme Ultimate)" represents the ultimate state where form and spirit attain profound unity with the Dao.

The text then enumerates thirty pairs of complementary opposites—clarity/turbidity, fullness/emptiness, decline/flourishing—all representing the Yin-Yang dialectics essential to cultivation. Finally, "twenty interpenetrations" reveals these principles manifesting in heaven as sun/moon/stars, on earth as mountains/rivers/plants, in humans as husband/wife/male/female, in the Yijing as Qian/Kun/Kan/Li trigrams, symbolically as dragon/tiger/crow/hare, numerically as 9/3/2/8, alchemically as lead/silver/cinnabar/mercury, and medically as dryness/dampness/cold/heat—demonstrating how these cultivation principles permeate all aspects of cosmic existence.

This scripture elucidates the Daoist cultivation principle of "inner-outer correspondence" and the essential techniques of alchemical practice.

From the perspective of human physiology, internal meridians circulate Qi (vital energy) and blood, while externally manifesting as skin and hair. The five organs—heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs—correspond to seasonal shifts of Yin-Yang, cold and heat. The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) operate as elemental forces, functionally expressed as Jing (essence), Shen (spirit), hun (ethereal soul), and po (corporeal soul). Cultivating the Dao requires grasping the principles of hidden and visible, movement and stillness. Alchemical refinement demands ritual tools—altars, furnaces, crucibles, and chambers. The highest state is the natural condition of emptiness and Wuwei (non-action), spatially oriented as east, west, south, and north, chromatically as azure, red, black, and white, seasonally as spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

A series of metaphors illustrate cultivation principles: The lodestone attracting iron symbolizes unimpeded Yin-Yang union; a hen incubating eggs represents sustained nurturing warmth; a dragon guarding its pearl signifies unbroken continuity. The mutual gaze of turtle and crane depicts spiritual communion, while clams gathering moonlight to form pearls explains Waidan (external alchemy). Jade nurtured within stone and pines retaining upright Qi (vital energy) through frost exemplify the cultivator’s task of refining Shen (spirit) and Qi.

Laozi teaches that cultivation should emulate an infant’s unified softness, preserving innate purity. The Dragon-Tiger Diagram allegorizes the body as a fierce tiger requiring primordial Qi’s nourishment, while the mind is a soaring dragon demanding concentrated Shen (spirit). Bai Yuchan (a renowned Southern Song dynasty Daoist) clarifies that cultivation generates sublime being from emptiness—all phenomena fundamentally unified, hinging on safeguarding the primordial Qi (vital energy). When internal Qi circulates like drunken harmony, one awakens to sudden realization—as if from profound dreams or amidst thunderous storms—ultimately attaining cosmic permanence.

These teachings encapsulate Neidan (internal alchemy)’s core: harmonizing Yin-Yang, concentrating Shen and nourishing Qi, returning to the One through steadfast authenticity. Through metaphor, abstract Daoist principles become tangible for practitioners.

This scripture elucidates the Neidan (internal alchemy) practice through two diagrams: "The Immortal Transformation Chart" and "The Celestial Mechanism Chart," which respectively illustrate the "medicinal substances" (the essential Jing-Qi-Shen required for cultivation) and the "firing times" (the temporal and intensity control in practice).

Laozi said: By placing oneself behind, one actually takes the lead; by seemingly losing life, one truly preserves it. This conveys the principle of cultivation through following nature's course without forced striving.

The Immortal Transformation Chart employs the dung beetle's ball-rolling process as a metaphor for the nine stages of Golden Elixir cultivation:

The first stage resembles beetles moving through excrement, suggesting cultivation must begin with fundamental material (represented by "lead," symbolizing primordial Qi). In the second stage, the beetle forms dung into spheres, representing the initial condensation of vital energies. The third stage introduces male and female beetles, embodying the interaction of Yin-Yang energies. Their joint rolling in the fourth stage parallels the internal circulation of true Qi (the "River Chariot" rotation). The fifth stage shows them guarding the ball, reminding practitioners to maintain focus. During the sixth stage, white larvae emerge within the ball, symbolizing the coalescence of Jing-Qi-Shen into the "saintly embryo." The seventh stage's transformation into cicada shapes depicts the nascent elixir's ephemeral state. The eighth stage cicada molting represents somatic transcendence. Finally, the ninth stage—where beetles perish, the ball splits, and cicadas fly away—signifies the ultimate achievement of spiritual-material sublimation.

The Celestial Mechanism Chart uses peach pit germination to explain fire regulation:

Laozi advises cultivation should be as gentle and continuous as breathing. Burying the pit in November symbolizes extracting true Yang from kidney-water (the Kan trigram) to nourish heart-fire (the Li trigram). December's sprouting demonstrates formless Qi transforming into tangible elixir. Continued growth in January reflects how Neidan practice must harmonize with seasonal cosmic rhythms.

This passage describes the essential principles of coordinating the firing times (critical moments in cultivation) and medicinal substances (the vital essences of Jing, Qi, and Shen required for practice) in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation. It uses the growth of a peach tree as a metaphor to illustrate the nine stages of practice.

In the second month of cultivation, akin to a peach pit sprouting branches and buds, one must pay special attention to dangers while maintaining mental clarity (this is known as "bathing the elixir head"). By the third month, entering the fourth firing cycle, the process resembles tender shoots emerging on peach branches—when the flames soar, the True Person (original spirit) naturally manifests. The fourth month marks the fifth firing cycle, where peach branches blossom; at this stage, one must guide the White Tiger (primordial Qi) back to its position, nurturing an inner elixir as luminous as a pearl. In the fifth month's sixth firing cycle, the peach tree is in full bloom, requiring the elixir to be bathed and nourished while carefully regulating the firing intensity.

The sixth month brings the seventh firing cycle, where peach blossoms wither, leaving behind their calyxes—this is when one ingests the elixir (known as "knife measure" or cinnabar). During the seventh month's eighth firing cycle, the calyx forms fruit, akin to the essence within an egg yolk (dragon pearl). The eighth month corresponds to the peak of Metal in the You position, demanding gentle nurturing without indulgence. By the ninth month's final firing cycle, the peaches ripen and turn red. Only after the frost descends in the tenth month is the inner elixir fully matured, marking the transcendence into sagehood.

Six key principles govern this cultivation: First, one must recognize the medicinal substances (Jing, Qi, and Shen). Second, harmonize the crucible (the physical body). Third, understand the timing of firing cycles. Fourth, comprehend the application of talismans and incantations (Fulu). Fifth, anticipate auspicious and inauspicious transformations. Sixth, master the subtleties of Yin-Yang progression/regression and the mysteries of lead-mercury (the two Qi of Yin and Yang). Only with complete understanding of these six can one begin cultivation.

The postscript to the collected works of Master Bai Yuchan (a renowned Song dynasty Daoist) observes that while many immortals throughout history excelled in Qi cultivation, few achieved Master Bai's dual accomplishment of spiritual realization coupled with literary brilliance. Living during the late Song period, the Master's achievements remain truly exceptional.

Master Bai (Bai Yuchan), through four centuries of wandering among sacred mountains and receiving numerous transmissions of the Golden Elixir (Jindan) techniques from immortals, attained complete mastery of alchemical arts and accomplished the ninefold refinement of the Golden Elixir. Between his spiritual sojourns, he also composed a vast corpus of poetry, memorials, and treatises totaling tens of millions of characters—a true exemplar of both transcendent cultivation and literary brilliance. Regrettably, due to the passage of time and disruptions in Daoist transmission, his collected works remained lost to the world.

As a fellow native of Lingnan and admirer of ancient sages, I (Lin Yousheng) long sought Bai's writings without success. In the spring of 1593, during my reassignment as Tongpan of Fuzhou in Fujian, I discussed Bai's legacy with Scholar He Taining. He revealed his treasured collection of Bai's manuscripts, though their corrupted state had prevented publication. Considering our shared regional connection, He believed I might fulfill this scholarly mission.

Subsequently, He sent me his personally collated Gutian edition from the provincial capital. Upon careful study, I discovered He had meticulously restored all missing sections—particularly those concerning alchemical diagrams and profound theories—with such accuracy as if receiving direct oral transmission from the master himself. This revealed He's extraordinary erudition and deep understanding of cultivation secrets, proving him not merely an accomplished official.

Following He's instructions, I spent three months reediting the collection into thirteen volumes. For its publication, I requested He to compose the preface, while I humbly contribute this colophon documenting our editorial work. Though my literary skill pales before the ancients, I take solace in preserving this sage's legacy. Written respectfully on Dragon Boat Festival, 1594, by Lin Yousheng of Chaoyang, a later scholar of Lingnan.