For the true ending (Final Battle) you have to complete all the purple quests (11: ten lines plus Bloodline Awakening), the five Long Pillars and Zhang’s requests before crossing into the Mirage Estate (the last pillar, Mo Yuan’s, is inside the Estate). Then beat Meng Hua, go through the golden portal and defeat Zuo Shang.
True ending checklist
Requirements and deadline
- Pangzhengather everything
- Green Serpent Houseno return
- Mirage Estatepillar 5
- Meng Huagolden portal
- Zuo Shangending
Requirements
| Requirement | What it includes | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Purple quests | 11 lines with several parts (about 42 entries in total): these 10 plus Bloodline Awakening, which goes in the next row because it has a different deadline | Before the Mirage Estate |
| Bloodline Awakening | 5 duels against The Gold-Masked One at the Long Pillars | Pillars 1-4 before the Estate; the 5th before The Last Chance |
| Illusory Pipa | 3 pieces: Illusory Pipa Head (Dusk, Village of Lu), Illusory Pipa Backplate (Mandate Encampment) and Illusory Pipa Strings (Yan Qiansui, Meigu Lake). Myst repairs it | Before the Estate |
| Crystal Puppet Eyes | [Yin] in the Puppet Cell (Mountain of Imprisonment) and [Yang] from The Puppet Scavenger (Crimson Manor) | Before the Estate |
| Acolyte masks | Yanru (fire), Lei Ting (thunder), Guhe (venom) and Hansui (frost), to open the Four Guardians’ Mirror | Before the Estate |
| Zhang’s requests | Quick Hand’s Request: return his relics to him | Before the Estate |
Purple quests in order, chapter by chapter
The checklist of all 11, with the reward and deadline for each, is in the purple quests.
- Against the FlowWhence the Weeping, part 1 (triggers on its own).
- Steel and SteamDeep in the Valley 1 (soldier next to the Creek Valley Plains Entrance bell) and 2 (sickle climbing point). Pillars of Kunlun 1 (Mandate soldier next to the tower bonfire). Crimson Manor 1 (lift). Bloodline Awakening 1 (first duel with The Gold-Masked One).
- Snake’s ReflectionIllusion of Inanis 1, Whence the Weeping 2 and 3 and Bloodline Awakening 2 (talk to the Man in Black and win the second duel).
- Heartless RemnantsWhence the Weeping 4 (Jewel), Pillars of Kunlun 2 (northeast gate), Secrets at the Heart of the Lake 1 to 3 (petals of the Firefly flower, Acolyte Yanru and Dusk), Illusory Pipa 1 (Illusory Pipa Head) and The Herald’s Illusion 1 (Three-Eyed Puppet at the Puppet Testing Grounds).
- Town of DeathIllusory Pipa 2 and Sha-Chi Powered Boat 1, by talking to Myst.
- The Heart’s TrailPillars of Kunlun 3 (well after Gu Wanyue) and 4 (southeast gate of the Village of Lu), Secrets at the Heart of the Lake 4 (Acolyte Lei Ting) and Sha-Chi Powered Boat 2 (brambles in northeast Pangzhen).
- Mandate EncampmentPillars of Kunlun 5, Illusory Pipa 3 (Illusory Pipa Backplate) and The Herald’s Illusion 2.
- Meigu LakeAllure of Vanity (Yan’er’s flower and Yan Qiansui), Illusory Pipa 4 (Illusory Pipa Strings), Bloodline Awakening 3 and Secrets at the Heart of the Lake 5 (Acolyte Guhe). Leave Illusory Pipa 5 for the end: it completes Pillars of Kunlun 6 and Whence the Weeping 5 at the same time.
- Mountain of ImprisonmentPillars of Kunlun 7, Whence the Weeping 6, The Herald’s Illusion 3 (Puppet’s Tongue and Crystal Puppet Eye [Yin]) and Secrets at the Heart of the Lake 6.
- Crimson ManorThe Crimson Manor quest and Secrets at the Heart of the Lake 7 (The Puppet Scavenger).
- Phantom Illusionist RuinsSecrets at the Heart of the Lake 8 (go through the Mirror), Bloodline Awakening 4 and Secrets at the Heart of the Lake 9 (examine the statue after the Blizzard Blademaster).
- The Way ForwardBloodline Awakening 5: the duel against Mo Yuan at the Mirage Estate pillar. It is the last one.
Before crossing into the Mirage Estate, Vandal (Spanish guide) recommends having only Cui, A Severed Mindseal, Triple Threat, Quick Hand’s Request and Las tres guaridas de la liebre pending. The rest fail. Daughter of the Dark Sect can fail without warning: at the Dovecote in the Mandate Encampment do not defeat Red, leave the fight via the chain on the roof.
The final fight of the true ending
After beating Meng Hua a golden portal appears at the top of the cliff that leads to The Fallen Dream. There you face Zuo Shang, the Order’s Shadow Sovereign and then Zuo Shang, the True Lóng. Defend between strings, parry the blue attacks, dodge the red ones and switch weapons to recover Sha-Chi. It ends with quick-time events. The strategy is in how to beat Zuo Shang.
Rewards: Aureate (one-handed weapon), Broken Long Body, Radiant Heart, the Legacy outfit and the With Heart and Blood trophy.
How to get there and unlock it
- How to open the Four Guardians’ Mirror
- The Herald’s Illusion: the 3 portals of the Three-Eyed Puppet
- How to enter the Crimson Manor
- How to get and repair the Illusory Pipa
Frequently asked questions
Did I miss the true ending if I already entered the Mirage Estate?
If you still had purple quests left, yes, in this playthrough. Load an earlier manual save slot or try again in New Game Plus.
Does the true ending depend on the difficulty?
No. You can get it on Wayfarer, Pathbreaker or Hellwalker.
Do you need the Mountain of Imprisonment?
Yes. It is optional for seeing the credits, but Pillars of Kunlun, Whence the Weeping and The Herald’s Illusion are wrapped up there, and it has the Crystal Puppet Eye [Yin].
