Chapter 159 Sad Farewell_1
Wu Gang thought for a moment, then said, "I have already told you that all intentional methods come from the Tao. The Tao has its depths and shallows, and these 36 Heavenly Stars and 72 Earthly Fiends are the most fundamental of the 108 principles of the Tao! Correspondingly, there are 108 divine powers! Relatively speaking, the principles of the 72 Earthly Fiends are more basic than those of the 36 Heavenly Stars. Both their strength and their effects are inferior to the latter."
As for the Technique of Transformation you speak of, there are also many different kinds.