The Zhongli Quan 钟离权

Zhongli Quan was a native of Xianyang, Jingzhao (a historical region now part of Shaanxi Province) during the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties period.

His courtesy name was Yunfang, and he was also known as "Han Zhongli". He studied under Wang Xuanfu, from whom he learned the Dao of longevity, as well as the "Talisman Golden Codes" (esoteric Taoist talismanic protocols), the "Green Dragon Sword Technique", and inner alchemy (neidan) practices. To avoid chaos (of the late Tang era), he took refuge in Mount Zhongnan, where he discovered The Complete Methods of the Numinous Treasure (a core Taoist scripture) between stone cliffs. From this scripture, he comprehended the principles of "quiet sitting and inner observation", "harmony between yin and yang", and "the ascent and descent of internal and external vital energy (qi)".

In Taoism, he is revered as one of the "Northern Five Patriarchs" and is commonly known as "Patriarch Zhengyang". His disciples included Lü Dongbin, Chen Pu, Zheng Wenshu, and Wang Laozhi. Among them, Lü Dongbin inherited and developed his inner alchemy theories, establishing the "Zhong-Lü Inner Alchemy School". Zhongli Quan authored works such as The Song of Returning Elixir and The Song of Breaking Delusions and Upholding the Orthodox Dao. In folk legends, he is ranked as one of the "Eight Immortals" of Taoism.