閩臺地區傳說玄天上帝本為屠夫，後因決意洗心革面，便剖腹自挖肚腸以淨其身，展現修道之志，這樣的敘事內容雖是鄉野俚談，卻暗合「人能修正道，身乃作神仙」的修行旨趣。

明代中葉以後，出身修行志傳體的故事在民間非常盛行，多以小說形式來敘述各路神仙的出身來歷與修行故事。《北方真武玄天上帝出身志傳》（俗稱《北遊記》），描述玄天上帝本為玉皇之魂，歷經四次投生人間，或為試煉、或為完滿災劫，以彰顯其非凡的出身與修行歷程。

本區所選玄天上帝塑像形象多元，有捨王位入山修道的情態、也有得道證位後降伏龜蛇的形象，皆為《北遊記》敘事情節的具體呈現，與現今宮廟所奉祀的玄天上帝造像頗為相似。另展出廟宇殿堂所使用的玄帝神明綵，透過這類物質文化見證「神喜人安」的人神往來。

In Fujian and Taiwan, legend has it that Xuantian Shangdi was originally a butcher. To cleanse his sins, he slit open his belly and emptied his guts. Through this gesture of physical purification, he demonstrated his resolve to achieve divinity. Although this kind of story is simply a folk tale, its moral accords with the purpose of religious practice – Pursuing the correct path, humans may become immortals.

Since the mid Ming Dynasty, hagiographies had become a prevalent genre in folklore. Usually in the form of novels, they recount stories about the origin and ascetic practice of different gods. Biography of Xuantian Shangdi (Zhenwu), God of the North (commonly known as the Journey to the North) depicts how Xuantian Shangdi, whose original identity was the Jade Emperor, went through his four lives in the earthly world to complete trials and overcome calamities. These accounts showcase his extraordinary origins and ascetic practices.

The statues of Xuantian Shangdi exhibited in this section present his diverse facets. For example, one statue shows Xuantian renouncing the throne and withdrawing to the mountains to practice asceticism. Another portrays his subduing turtles and serpents after achieving divinity. All these offer physical renderings of the plots in the Journey to the North, which bear a striking resemblance to the statue of Xuantian Shangdi enshrined at contemporary temples. Embroidered banners of Xuantian Shangdi used at temples and shrines are also displayed. This type of material culture demonstrates the relationship between humans and deities - the well-being of humans lies in the happiness of deities.

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