And so Li Shaojun secretly made the divine elixir. When it was completed, he said to the emperor: His majesty is incapable of distancing himself from luxury or of removing himself from music and sex. He cannot call a halt to killings and executions, nor can he overcome joy and anger. He cannot change the fact that for ten thousand li around there are homeless cloud-souls and in the cities and courts there are bloody punishments. Under such circumstances, the great way of the divine elixir cannot be completed. But he nevertheless gave a minor medicinal formula to the emperor. Li Shaojun then announced that he was ill. That same night [before the news had reached him] the emperor dreamed that he was climbing Mount Song with Li. When they were halfway up, a [celestial] messenger riding a dragon and holding a seal of office came through the clouds and said that the Grand Monad had invited Li [to ascend into the heavens]. Then the emperor awakened. At once he sent someone to inquire what Li was up to, and he said to his close advisers, Last night I dreamed that Li abandoned us. When it turned out that Li was ill, the emperor went to call on him, and he also designated someone to receive Li's esoteric methods. But before this matter was concluded, Li expired. The emperor said, Li hasn't died; he has intentionally departed by transformation, that's all. Meanwhile, the body was being shrouded when suddenly it disappeared. None of the inner and outer garments were unfastened; they were like a cicada shell. The emperor regretted that he had not sought [formulas] from Li more diligently. (tr. Campany 2002: 223)