The Taixuannü, surname Zhuan, personal name He, lost her father as a child. Mother and child lived together for some time, and all said they would not survive long. Their sadness became worry. She often said: “The life of a human, once lost, cannot be restored. Moreover, I have heard that this span of life is limited, and life cannot be extended without perfecting the Way.” She then went to call on a sagely teacher, purifying her heart, seeking the Way and achieving the *wangzi* techniques. After practicing this for several years, she was then able to enter water without getting wet. At times of deep cold and snow, she could climb the ice in an unlined robe showing no change in countenance, warm in body and able to go on for several days. Moreover she was able to visit government offices, palace chambers, city markets and private residences in many other places. Not thinking this strange, pointing at them they would shift from their previous location. Doors and gates bearing locks would open upon her gesture; pointed at, mountains would crumble, pointed at, trees would fall; pointed at again, all of these would be restored. Taking disciples travelling through the mountains, when the sun set, she struck the rock with her staff, and opened up a door. Entering, there were chambers with beds, curtains and canopies, with food, provisions and wine as if this were normal. Even were she to travel ten thousand li, her whereabouts would often be like this. She could order small items to grow suddenly to the size of a house, and big things to shrink suddenly down to be like a hair or grain. Sometimes she would spit fire to cover the heavens, and sigh to extinguish it. She was also able to sit among flames, her clothes and shoes never scorching. Within a short period, she would change into an old man, change into a small child, change into a carthorse; there was no transformation she could not achieve. She practiced the thirty-six arts with complete dedication, bringing people back to life, and saving innumerable folk. It is not known from where her food or clothing came, and none achieved her powers. Her colour reduced ever more, but the hair on her temples was raven-black. Suddenly, in broad daylight, she ascended to heaven and departed.
From Nüxianzhuan.
Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), ii, 59.363
太玄女
太玄女，姓顓，名和，少喪父。或相其母子，皆曰不壽。惻然以為憂。常曰：「人之處世，一失不可復生。況聞壽限之促，非修道不可以延生也。」遂行訪明師，洗心求道，得王子之術。行之累年，遂能入水不濡。盛雪寒時，單衣冰上，而顏色不變，身體溫煖，可至積日。又能徙官府宮殿城市屋宅於他處，視之無異，指之即失其所在，門戶櫝櫃有關鑰者，指之即開，指山山摧，指樹樹拆，更指之，即復如故。將弟子行山間，日暮，以杖叩石，即開門戶。入其中，屋宇床褥幃帳，廩供酒食如常。雖行萬里，所在常爾。能令小物忽大如屋，大物忽小如毫芒。或吐火張天，噓之即滅。又能坐炎火之中，衣履不燃。須臾之間，或化老翁，或為小兒，或為車馬，無所不為。行三十六術甚效，起死廻生，救人無數。不知其何所服食，亦無得其術者。顏色益少，鬢髮如鴉。忽白日昇天而去。出女仙傳
