At that time, the authority of the Zhou court had weakened. The feudal lords no longer obeyed it and waged war against one another. The people suffered, and countless lives were lost. Thinking of the people's misery, the sage let out a long, sorrowful sigh, hoping that "neighboring states might be close enough to see one another and hear each other's chickens and dogs, yet their people might grow old and die without ever visiting one another," and wishing for the world to return to a state of simplicity.
A clone of Dao De Tianzun, the Supreme Clarity Sage, descended into the mortal world to guide its people, combining the teachings of the Three Teachings into Dao. In the Spring and Autumn period, in the Bozhou region, a woman saw a shooting star fall into her arms one night. Later, she gave birth to a gifted child: Li Dan.
Lao Dan entered Zhou and paid a visit to the Grand Historian. He enrolled at the Imperial Academy, where he studied astronomy, geography, and human relations, as well as the Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, the Book of Changes, the Calendar, the Rites, and Music. He also learned about artifacts, institutions, and historical records. After three years, he had made great progress. The Grand Historian then recommended him for a post as a clerk in the Imperial Archive. The Imperial Archive was where the Zhou Dynasty stored its classics. It held writings and books from all under heaven, so many that they filled every room. There was nothing it did not contain. Within it, Lao Dan was like a Flood Dragon swimming into the vast ocean, free to roam its boundless waters, or an eagle spreading its wings in the blue sky, free to fly wherever it pleased.
Lao