The Divine Metamorphoses Chronicle 梓橦帝君化书

The author is unknown. It was probably compiled during the Yuan Dynasty.

It consists of four scrolls and is included in the Pululei (Genealogy and Record Category) of the Dongzhenbu (True Grotto Section) in the Daozang (Taoist Canon).

This book is a biography of Emperor Zitong (also known as Emperor Wenchang), falsely attributed to the deity himself narrating his life through a spirit-writing altar. The preface at the beginning states that in the third year of the Yanyou reign period of Emperor Renzong of the Yuan Dynasty (1316), the imperial court conferred upon the God of Zitong the title of "Imperial Lord Who Assists the Origin, Enlightens Civilization, Oversees Official Rank and Rewards, and Possesses Great Benevolence" and granted a plaque for his temple. To repay the imperial court for recognizing his divine power in upholding justice and assisting in governing the Yuan Dynasty, the deity recounted the stories compiled in this book.

Divided into ninety-seven tales of divine transformation, the book elaborates on Emperor Wenchang’s manifestations and miracles across successive lifetimes. It claims that the deity was born at the dawn of the Zhou Dynasty as Zhang Shanqin, a court physician of Zhou. During the reign of King Xuan of Zhou, he was reincarnated as Zhang Zhongsitu, a senior official. In the early Han Dynasty, he took form as Liu Ruyi, Prince of Han. Later, he was reborn as Zhang Le, magistrate of Qinghe County, and in the Western Jin Dynasty, as Zhang Ya. His final incarnation recorded here was as Zhang Zongyan, the Celestial Master, in the early Yuan Dynasty.

These tales of reincarnation and divine manifestation are mostly fabricated myths, featuring themes such as filial piety toward parents, loyalty to clan, dedication to sovereign, recommendation of virtuous talents, relief of orphans, compassion for the world, mastery of Confucian classics, attainment of sagehood, ingestion of elixirs, and manifestation of divine powers.

The fundamental tenet of the book is to advocate the ethics of loyalty and filial piety and the karmic retribution for good and evil deeds, integrating the doctrines of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.