Loading...To start this quest, head to Liyue Harbor. You’ll need to speak with three specific people located along the staircase. They will share information about the Rite ceremony, which you can access by reaching the terrace above. You can take a shortcut by climbing the cliff. Regardless of how you get there, interact with the two shrines on either side of the fountain and then approach the fountain itself. Each interaction will trigger mini cutscenes.
Just like in the Prologue when you were falsely accused of stealing the Harp, you will find yourself accused again and need to make a quick escape. You can maneuver through the crowd to avoid being detected, but sprinting in a straight line will also work. The guards will notice you, but by the time their sight gauge fills up, you’ll be far enough away to escape. After you get away, you will meet Childe, another member of the Fatui. He will ask you to meet him later at the Northland Bank, which you can reach by climbing the red wooden steps. He will then send you on a quest to meet the adepti of Jueyun Karst.
Teleport to the statue at Qingyun Peak, then drop down to the circular platform. You’ll encounter the adepti and will need to fight off 20 Millelith guards. Given their numbers, area attacks will be most effective, and your ultimate ability will charge quickly, allowing you to use it repeatedly throughout the battle, effectively defeating enemies. After you defeat them, the adepti will direct you to three separate locations, all of which conveniently have nearby teleporters.
The first location is Mt. Hulao. Follow the path up the mountain to the top of the lake and speak with Li Ding. He will ask for your help to rescue his brother, Li Dang, who is trapped in amber at the bottom of the mountain. Head down the path, shatter the amber until you find him, and then return to the top. Once you finish this task, the Mountain Shaper will appear, and you’ll explain the situation in a cutscene, clearing this location.
The second location is Mt. Aozang. Go to the lake in the center, and Paimon will suggest leaving a food offering. At each of the three cooking pots around the lake, you’ll find a new recipe and some ingredients. Cook these three recipes, then place the food in the center of the lake. This will unlock a nearby temple that you must clear to complete this area. Inside, stepping on each platform activates a switch that rotates the next platform, helping you create a path. It may seem complex, but the marker will guide you, and you usually can’t progress without everything aligned correctly.
However, there are several obstacles to overcome. First, you need to defeat 10 slimes within 2 minutes. They are weak to Pyro, and the game will require you to have a Pyro character in your party. With a well-leveled team of 30+, this shouldn’t be a problem. The next challenge is a brazier pattern puzzle. It’s advisable to have Amber in your party, even if she’s not very useful in combat, since other Pyro characters may not aim as precisely. For this puzzle, you must light a sequence in order after flipping the raised switch. The pattern is: from right to left: 154, then 3514, then 24153.
After completing this, rotate the next platform back, use the wind current, and proceed forward. There will be one final brazier puzzle, where lighting one brazier affects the two adjacent ones. If they are lit, they will go out; if they are out, they will light up. Initially, six braziers are present with 1, 3, and 5 lit. You need to light brazier 4, leaving just 1 and 4 lit. Then, light brazier 3, which will turn on 1, 2, and 3. Finally, light brazier 5, which will light up 4, 5, and 6, resulting in all six being lit. Success!
After that, continue along the bridge until you can explain your story to the Cloud Retainer once again. The final location is Wangshu Inn.
Fast travel to the inn and go up the stairs for a brief cutscene with Xiao. Afterward, speak with the innkeeper behind the counter, and then with the chef on the balcony. He will mention a ghost haunting the kitchen. If you check the kitchen, you will indeed see the ghost. Talk to the chef and the innkeeper again; the innkeeper will tell you about a sigil painted upstairs. Go up to read it, then jump off the balcony and glide down. If you stand where the ground glows, you will see the sigil align on three rocks. Use an elemental attack to hit it, and the ghost girl will appear and flee. Chase her (use the map marker if she moves too quickly), and she will lead you directly into a battle with a Ruin Hunter.
This boss uses a lot of melee attacks but is vulnerable from behind. It also has a phase where it flies up and drops bombs; while it’s susceptible to ranged attacks during this time, it’s better to wait it out and avoid the bombs. Elemental attacks from close range can deal significant damage while the Hunter is on the ground, but they carry risks.
Once the Hunter is defeated, the ghost promises not to haunt the inn anymore. Return to the inn and inform the chef, who will happily return to the kitchen and prepare a meal for Xiao. Take this meal back to the top of the inn, present it to Xiao, and once again recount the story you were tasked to tell. Finally, go back to the Northland Bank and update Childe, bringing the quest to a close.