[HowardMei]

Philosophic Taoism introduces Dao, the origin and derivatives of the essence of nature, its laws and forms, on top of which the Taoist religion developed a complete methodology for normal people to ascend into heaven by practicing introductory transcending courses and eating natural/artificial elixirs.

The ultimate stage of ascended beings will be Tao itself, the advanced stage is celestial being, and the intermediate stage is god, and the beginning stage is 'trueman'.

Celestial beings have freedom to create new rules/universes with certain backfiring possibility which may cease their own existence. Normally they don't care about earth and human beings except for promoting new gods. Gods are anthropomorphic and every one has a job. They either enforce specific rules or govern certain domains to maintain the human world. Truemen are long lived human beings and they can self-educate themselves ascending to be new gods or destroyed by Tao if they fail to purify themselves.

Therefore, Taoism has two ways of creating anthropomorphic gods: promoted/guided by Celestial beings or self-help to ascend.

The first way is for great inventors and heroes etc. The second way is for Taoist priests and emperors, but neither of them succeeded.

LoL

In China history, many famous emperors were poisoned by mercury because Taoist alchemists believed it's an essential ingredient for any elixir (on purpose?) ;D