Collected Illustrations of the Three Powers: Biographies

This table continues the index of portraits found in this volume. These figures represent a mix of purely mythological beings and historical scholars who were later "deified" or reimagined as immortals in Chinese folk religion:

• Zuo Ci: A legendary Han dynasty master of the esoteric arts who famously vexed the warlord Cao Cao with his illusions.
• Imperial Uncle Cao, Elder Zhang Guo, Han Xiangzi, and Immortal Woman He: These four figures, combined with those on the previous page, complete the traditional grouping of the "Eight Immortals" (BaxianA group of legendary figures in Chinese mythology whose powers can be transferred to tools that can bestow life or destroy evil.).
• Ge Xuan: A key figure in early Taoist alchemy, known as "Ge the Immortal."
• Tao Hongjing: A prolific scholar-physician who organized the Taoist pantheon and was a foundational figure of the Shangqing (Supreme Clarity) school.
• Sun Simiao: Historically a Tang dynasty physician, he is now venerated as the "King of Medicine" for his monumental contributions to Chinese pharmacology and ethics.
• Wang Zhi: The protagonist of a famous "Rip Van Winkle" type legend; he watched two immortals play chess in a mountain cave, and by the time the game ended, his axe handle had rotted to dust and generations had passed in the world below.
• Chen Tuan: A 10th-century sage famous for his mastery of the Book of Changes and his "sleeping meditation," through which he was said to attain profound spiritual insights.