This chapter opens with a description of the battle between Hu and Deng. Deng's sword strikes as fast as lightning, and he's able to block each of Hu's moves. He's practicing the "future constellations tribulation" , which means that he can see the future. This means that even if he were to kill Hu, he wouldn't be able to do so because Hu is able to see the past. If he were able to stop his sword, he'd have to shatter the ten thousand-year-old Zen staff in order to get it back. This is because the nine-ring staff is a symbol of asura, and deng is using the strength of Hu to break the seals on the staff. The nine rings of the staff are like seals of a bubble, and as soon as they're broken, asura will be inside the zen staff. This isn't a taboo, says Deng, because it's a way of "free buddhism" .