The Hong Zhi 洪志

Hong Zhi was a figure of the Tang Dynasty.

From a young age, he was erudite and well-versed in Confucian classics; he also had a thorough grasp of the studies of astronomical phenomena (xingwei, which combines astronomy and astrology in traditional Chinese thought) and medicine.

As recorded in Volume 44 of Lishi Zhenxian Tidao Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror of the Dao-Achieving True Immortals Through the Ages): In his youth, he lived in seclusion on Mount Lushan.

He often traveled to and fro riding a green ox, so people of his time called him "the Daoist of the Green Ox." Residing in the mountains, he wore clothes made of grass and ate food from wild plants, diligently practicing Daoist teachings and sustaining his resolve through hardships.

He encountered an extraordinary person (a term often referring to immortals or Daoist masters in traditional texts), who taught him a divine formula. From then on, Hong Zhi was able to understand the "Liu Jia" (the six cyclical Jia stems in the traditional Chinese calendar, often associated with Daoist metaphysics and occult practices), command ghosts and spirits, and perform countless magical transformations—all people of the time respected and revered him.

Later, he successfully refined the Daoist elixir (dan) and ascended to become an immortal, departing the mortal world.