The story of Tongtian Jiaozhu

Tongtian Jiaozhu took shape from Pangu’s primordial spirit. He, Laozi and Yuanshi came out of the primal vapour together, and the three travelled to Zixiao Palace to hear Hongjun preach.

When the three sermons were done, Tongtian received a stream of Primordial Purple Qi and founded the Jie Sect with it, throwing open his gate at the Biyou Palace: he asked nothing of birth or bone, and birds, beasts, spirits and wandering cultivators alike could enter.

Duobao Daoren, Jinling Shengmu, Wudang Shengmu and Guiling Shengmu came to the Biyou Palace and took him as master, living there with the rest of his followers; the hall was crowded and the coming and going never stopped.

Besides Duobao and the four holy mothers, the Jie Sect held a great crowd of wandering immortals and spirit-born disciples — Wen Zhong, Zhao Gongming, the Three Xiao ladies, the Ten Heavenly Lords and many more — each with a cave of his own. They lived apart and gathered at the Biyou Palace only when there was preaching.

When the three teachings jointly signed the Investiture List, Tongtian agreed that any of his followers fated to fall might be entered on it. He then posted a notice before the Biyou Palace ordering his disciples to shut their cave doors, recite the Yellow Court quietly and on no account come down, so as to avoid the calamity.

Once the Investiture war began, Wen Zhong, Zhao Gongming, the Three Xiao, the Ten Heavenly Lords and other Jie disciples left their caves all the same and went to help Shang against the Zhou armies. The ban at the Biyou Palace did not hold them.

Reports of disciples killed came back to the Biyou Palace one after another. The despatches piled before him, the incense in the hall guttered and was lit again, and for a long time there was no peace in it.

After Huoling Shengmu was killed, Guangchengzi came three times to the Biyou Palace with her golden coronet, meaning to return it. The Jie disciples surrounded him and argued; Tongtian heard them out, and the old rift between Chan and Jie widened.

Back at the Biyou Palace, Tongtian brought out the four blades he had long kept — Zhuxian, Luxian, Xianxian and Juexian — and set out the Zhuxian Sword Formation at Jiepai Pass with one at each gate.

On the day it was raised the sword-qi was so severe that plants lost their colour for a hundred li around, and neither the Shang nor the Zhou army would go near it.

Laozi, Yuanshi, Jieyin and Zhunti came before it as agreed, each taking one gate and striking at the same moment, while Tongtian Jiaozhu sat at the heart of the formation and directed it himself.

After a long and bitter fight the four swords were taken one at a time. Seeing the formation broken, Tongtian Jiaozhu withdrew with what was left of his people, his face dark and his mouth shut.

Returning to the Biyou Palace, Tongtian Jiaozhu called together the three thousand guests of the red dust and the wandering immortals of the Jie Sect, meaning to answer the day’s defeat with a formation.

On the day the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation was raised the wandering Jie immortals stood rank behind rank, banners across the whole field, and Tongtian Jiaozhu waited at its heart for Laozi and Yuanshi to come.

Laozi, Yuanshi, Jieyin and Zhunti came as promised. The four stepped inside and fell into a general melee with Tongtian Jiaozhu and his followers, and the noise of the killing did not stop.

The wandering Jie immortals fell in heaps. Some were killed where they stood and some were taken away by Jieyin and Zhunti with their treasures; Tongtian Jiaozhu watched his followers go down one after another and still would not lift the formation.

Tongtian Jiaozhu stood face to face with Laozi and Yuanshi, each holding to his own reasoning, and none of the three would yield.

The Ten Thousand Immortals Formation was broken at last. Tongtian got clear and still meant to begin again and set earth, water, fire and wind in motion. Hongjun then appeared, called Tongtian, Laozi and Yuanshi away together, and made all three swallow a pill to end the fighting.

When the war was over Tongtian Jiaozhu returned to the Biyou Palace. Not one in ten of his followers was left, and the constant stream of callers never came again.

What remained of the Jie disciples scattered afterwards, some hiding in the hills and some going over to other houses. The Biyou Palace was left cold, and few new followers ever came to its gate again.