The old gentleman passed away last night (lit. 'ascended to the immortals').
Tips
culture
Daoist religious vocabulary. The goal of Daoist alchemy and self-cultivation was 白日飞升 / 登仙 ('ascending to the heavens of the immortals in broad daylight'). By extension, a polite euphemism for death, and humorously a 'sudden big promotion.'
history
Famous in Su Shi's 前赤壁赋: 飘飘乎如遗世独立，羽化而登仙 ('drifting weightlessly as if leaving the world behind, sprouting wings and ascending to immortality').
