The Waidan Sect 外丹派

The collective term for Taoist sects that take refining external elixirs and practicing yellow-white arts (alchemy) as their cultivation methods is the Waidan Sect. In contrast to neidan (internal elixir), waidan (external elixir) originated earlier and was inherited from the fangshi (occultists) proficient in alchemy and elixir-refining techniques within the fangxian dao (Way of the Immortals) during the Qin and Han dynasties.

The Waidan Sect within Taoism flourished in the Wei and Jin period's shenxian daojiao (Immortal Taoism). Ge Hong's Jindan dao (Way of the Golden Elixir) was actually the Waidan Sect. The Waidan Sect reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty. However, due to Liu Mi's theories on lead and mercury being introduced into the imperial court, which poisoned many officials and even emperors, the sect declined but did not become extinct. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, the Waidan Sect, regarded as the diyuan danfa (earth-origin elixir method), has continued to be studied and practiced by followers of immortality.