Obsessed with the book "Biographies of Immortals," the impoverished scholar Wang Qi is determined to live the divine life of "riding cranes to ascend to heaven and turning stones into gold." When his wife admonishes him, he pretends to pick up "The Book of Songs" and feigns serious reading. As soon as she turns away, he grabs "Biographies of Immortals" and drifts into a dream. 　　 In the dream, Wang Qi treks over mountains and rivers, finally arriving at Mount Lao. After performing the apprenticeship ceremony, his master instructs him to start by chopping firewood. Days pass, and while his fellow apprentices gather more and more firewood, Wang Qi remains as weak as ever, unable to even handle a chicken. He reminisces about the comfortable life he once had, where his wife attended to his every need—"clothes handed to him and meals served to him." Just as he decides to sneak down the mountain, Wang Qi catches sight of his master using a wall-penetration technique to enter a courtyard. Slipping in through the gap, he witnesses his master summoning the moon, delicacies, and Chang'e with a mere wave of his hand. Inspired, he decides to learn at least one immortal technique before leaving. The master teaches him the wall-penetration technique, warning him not to harbor evil thoughts. However, no sooner does Wang Qi rush home than he contemplates using this divine skill to steal others' jewels and wealth.