The story of Taiji Diagram

In the common account of the treasures of the sky-splitting, the Taiji Diagram was formed from part of the Pangu Axe and came afterwards to Taiqing Laozi. Black and white, yin and yang, coil within it, and when it is unrolled it can throw out a golden bridge lit with five-coloured light.

After Yao Bin had drawn Jiang Ziya’s soul away in the Soul-Scattering Formation, Chijingzi went to the Daluo Palace to see Laozi. Laozi told Xuandu Dafashi to fetch the Taiji Diagram, gave it to Chijingzi, and told him to carry it back to Western Qi to save him.

At the third watch Chijingzi shook the Taiji Diagram open outside the Soul-Scattering Formation. The scroll fell and became a golden bridge, five-coloured light shining over the country; he went down along the bridge into the formation and snatched away the straw figure with Jiang Ziya’s name on it.

Yao Bin poured down a peck of black sand from the high platform. Anxious to shield the figure, Chijingzi let go with his left hand, and the Taiji Diagram fell inside the formation and was taken by Yao Bin.

Chijingzi brought the figure back to the chancellor’s residence and drew Jiang Ziya’s two souls and six spirits back into him with a gourd. Jiang Ziya woke, and the Taiji Diagram was still inside the Soul-Scattering Formation.

The fighting over the Ten Absolutes went on, and Chijingzi entered the Soul-Scattering Formation a third time. He shielded his head with his auspicious cloud, put on the purple-corded immortal robe against the black sand, and knocked Yao Bin off the platform with the Yin-Yang Mirror.

With Yao Bin killed, Chijingzi recovered the Taiji Diagram inside the formation. The Soul-Scattering Formation was broken, and he sent the diagram straight back to the Xuandu Cave.

Once Chijingzi had returned it, the Taiji Diagram went back into Laozi’s keeping, and it was never again with the Western Qi army.