 Apocalyptic notions that appeared in Shangqing Daoism were first developed fully by the Lingbao School . Lingbao cosmology supposed that time was divided into cosmic cycles , which correlated with the Five Phases . At the end of a cosmic era , the god of the colour associated with that era would descend onto earth and reveal a teaching that would save a fixed number of people from death . There were two types of cosmic eras , short ones that were characterized by an excess of yin energy , and long ones that were characterized by an excess of yang energy . At the end of a short cosmic era , the moon was prophesized to produce a flood that would erode the mountains , renew the qi of the universe , and change the rankings of the members of the celestial bureaucracy . At the end of a long cosmic era , evil creatures were unleashed , heaven and earth were turned upside down , and metals and stones melted together . The people who followed the correct teaching revealed by the god of the colour would be gathered up by the Queen Mother of the West and transported to a " land of bliss " that would not be affected by the apocalypse . 
