As haoguang ascends the mountain, he sees that the talisman has been imbued with the same magical powers as the last time he used it. He realizes that the further he ascends, the greater the danger he will have to risk his life in order to reach the top of the mountain. Worried that he will lose his life, he pushes himself further away from the cliff, hoping to reach a tree or shrub below him that will help him escape. As he climbs, he realizes that he has not paid enough attention to his safety, and the farther away he falls, the less likely he will be to survive. He is certain that this gamble will have a devastating effect on everyone living and dead in the future. He feels that he must stop this before it is too late. He has planned to follow the disciples back to Mingzi's house to learn more about them, but now that he sees the talisman, he does not need to do so. He wonders if Mingzi would ever allow the undead to live in his ideal world. He does not want to be associated with the undead, he says, because he is no more than an image of his own living self. He worries that the undead are trying to steal his vitality, and he cannot open his umbrella to save them. He fears that the gods are fighting each other.