Completing the Phantom Blade Zero A Severed Mindseal quest takes a long time as you've got to help the friendly Mandate Shadow Warden at three Sha-Chi Towers scattered across the game. The Weeping Creek Valley tower is part of the main story but the other two are optional: the Pangzhen Tower, which is confusingly actually in Meigu Lake, and the Crimson Forest Tower, which can't be accessed unless you've sufficiently progressed the main quest and a particular side quest – in short, if you've just started this quest, you don't need to worry about the other towers for ages.
Specifically, you've got to find a Primal Stone for the warden to chow down on at each tower, which involves unique exploration efforts for each one. So, to make this quest as simple for you as possible, I've explained every step of A Severed Mindseal below, including how to get to each Sha-Chi Tower and find all the Primal Stones.
Weeping Creek Valley Sha-Chi Tower Primal Stone
The Primal Stone is on the first floor of the tower around the back of the central furnace, but you need the Sha-Chi Furnace Inspection Crank to collect it:
- From the Watchful Shadow Warden, climb up to the next level of the Sha-Chi Tower using the wooden boards nearby.
- Follow the wooden walkway all the way to the end, then descend the ladder at the end.
- Kill the Shadow Warden to get the Sha-Chi Furnace Inspection Crank.
- Get back to the first floor of the Sha-Chi Tower and put the crank in the slot at the back of the furnace. The furnace hatch will open, revealing the Primal Stone. You can then keep the crank.
- Pick up the Primal Stone and return to the now Friendly Shadow Warden. He'll eat it and then be on his merry way, not to be seen for many more hours.
Meigu Lake Sha-Chi Tower Primal Stone
To reach the Friendly Shadow Warden at the top of the Pangzhen/Meigu Lake Sha-Chi Tower, you need to run along the Pangzhen docks in the northeast of the city. Keep going along the wooden jetties until the walkway structure starts climbing up the cliff. Follow it all the way to the top and you'll get to a rope bridge and the Pangzhen Sha-Chi Tower Upper Level 1 Bell. This leads to the tower's south entrance and the start of your ascent.
However, the Primal Stone is in the lower section of the tower, which can only be reached by boat. Get the Sha-Chi-powered boat from the Pangzhen docks and sail around to the north side of the tower. Follow the red lanterns and you'll end up going down a channel that leads to the lower portion of the tower, then proceed as follows:
- Work your way through the lower levels of the Sha-Chi Tower, always aiming to go up where possible, to reach the exterior. The route through the lower levels is pretty linear so you will eventually get to the right place. Just make sure that, after you fight the metal monks and puppets near the furnace, you take the staircase going up.
- Follow the exterior path which will eventually lead you across a rope bridge towards a small island. Once you've defeated the Mandate warriors, slide down the metal pipe to get the ground level.
- Follow the ground level path, hopping across the vertical poles when possible, to reach a ladder.
- Ascend the ladder to reach the furnace crank. Turn it and the Primal Stone will be revealed.
- Grab the Primal Stone, then take the nearby ladders up to get back to the Upper Level 1 tower entrance.
- Return to the Friendly Shadow Warden and give him the Primal Stone. Once again, the Shadow Warden will leave, now going by Spectral Blade, not to be seen for several more hours and only if you follow another side quest.
Crimson Forest Sha-Chi Tower Primal Stone
You can't reach this Sha-Chi Tower until you've reached the Mirage Estate in Pangzhen and have found all three Aberrant Three-Faced Puppet Memory Flowers within to trigger the next step of the Phantom Blade Zero Triple Threat quest. Only then can you fast travel to the now frozen Mirrorwood area of the forest where the Sha-Chi Tower is:
- From the Burial Grounds Bell, follow the path through the tall metal archway, passing the Mirrorwoods on your left. When you get to the top of the hill, you'll be able to walk on the frozen stream and go up to the tower.
- As before, ascend the tower to find Spectral Blade near the top.
- Continue walking along the upper level towards the locked door and take the lift on the left down to the tower's base.
- Fight and climb your way through this area until you reach a wooden walkway that leads to a hatch on the furnace
- Grab the Primal Stone from the hatch and be sure to pick up the Crimson Forest Sha-Chi Tower Key off the floor nearby.
- Continue following the path until you end up back at the lift, then ride it up to Spectral Blade.
- Give Spectral Blade the final Primal Stone to finish 'A Severed Mindseal'.
There unfortunately aren't any specific rewards for completing this quest, but now that you have the tower key, you can unlock that door near the lift and plunder the rest of the tower. When you get to the roof, you'll bump into some familiar faces and can take on the Phantom Blade Zero Heart of the Fist quest and get a few crucial Soul Tempering materials for some of great weapons.
And this also isn't the last you'll see of Spectral Blade. I won't spoil what happens but, now that you've completed his quest, you'll find him in Soulrend Cliff where he will also give you a Soul Tempering material for a weapon. Just beyond where you find him is also where you can wrap up the Phantom Blade Zero Cui quest.
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