According to Liu Jingshu's Strange Garden, Chensi Prince, Cao Zhi, once wandered through the mountains when he…
According to Liu Jingshu's Strange Garden, Chensi Prince, Cao Zhi, once wandered through the mountains when he suddenly heard a voice chanting scripture from the sky—pure, distant, and resonant. A person who understood the sounds transcribed them, calling it the voice of the immortals. Daoists later imitated it and created the Pacing the Void chant." The Introduction to Music Bureau Pieces also notes: Pacing the Void Lyrics are Daoist songs that describe in full the ethereal beauty of immortals soaring lightly through the air. This music is still performed today in Daoist fasting and exorcistic rituals as part of the liturgy to avert calamity. Poets such as Yu Xin and Wang Jian also composed verses titled Pacing the Void, which have survived through the ages.