Cycles, endings and missables
After the final boss, “Continue Journey” takes you back before the fight with every area open; “Enter a New Cycle” starts NG+ and replaces your save, with no way back. Check this page before choosing.
Endings seen0 / 2
Endings
Ch. 6
Ch. 6
Ch. 6
Ch. 6
Ch. 6
Minimal cycle plan
Cycle 1: First playthrough
- Secret ending: defeat Erlang, the Sacred Divinity, at Mount Mei (chapter 3 secret area, reached from the Pagoda Realm) before the final fight
- All non-missable content, spells, 24 meditations, Five Skandhas Pill
- 5 relics × 1 talent; Yin Tiger for the 3rd curio slot
Cycle 2: NG+
- Free Mind given at the start, with 1 point if Erlang was defeated in cycle 1
- Another victory over Erlang: 2nd Free Mind talent
- 5 relics × 2 talents; Yin Tiger (4th slot); Life-Saving Strand given back at the start
- NG+-only content (3 weapons, Guanyin's Willow Leaf, Bull King materials) and catching up on missables
Cycle 3: NG++
- 5 relics × 3 talents; victory over Erlang: 3rd Free Mind talent, 18/18
- Yin Tiger (5th and last slot)
Cycle 4: NG+3
- Spirit cultivation (Knots of Voidness)
- Mind Cores for celestial medicines (at least 72 per cycle, 237 in total)
Cycle 5: NG+4
- Cultivating the remaining spirits
Cycle 6: NG+5
- Last spirit levels (estimate: 6 cycles for all 54 at level 6)
The number of cycles for spirits remains an estimate (see Dataset).
Missables per cycle
Ch. 1
Cutoff: Ringing the third bell of Black Wind Mountain, which teleports you straight to Elder Jinchi. Safe rule: beat him before ringing the 3rd bell.
Ch. 1 to 5
Cutoff: Advancing to the next chapter without exhausting his dialogue (he is gone and later meetings do not trigger); in Chapter 5 the dialogue must be done before the Keeper of the Flaming Mountains fight; pulling the cart whip without the previous dialogues ends the quest badly (single source).
Ch. 1 to 5
Cutoff: He leaves some locations when the story advances - talk to him in each chapter before starting the next (the Chapter 3 meeting is story-forced; in Chapters 4-5 he stays after the story). Chapters 1-4 meetings must precede the Chapter 5 gourd upgrade (single source).
Lost this cycle: Always Accompanied, Yuan Shoucheng
Ch. 2
Cutoff: In the Royal Family of Flowing Sands fight, killing the Second Prince before the small King of Flowing Sands (the spirit only drops from the enraged Second Prince after the King dies).
Lost this cycle: Second Rat Prince
Ch. 3
Cutoff: Defeating Captain Wise-Voice: the 9 Lantern Wardens patrolling the Pagoda Realm prison disappear.
Lost this cycle: Auspicious Lantern
Ch. 3
Cutoff: Zhu Bajie leaves the party at the Precept Corridor, after the prayers at the 4 Buddha statues: the bat only attacks at the North Shore snake skull while Bajie is with you. Its spirit and journal entry are then lost for the cycle.
Lost this cycle: Apramana Bat
Ch. 4
Cutoff: Winning the FIRST Venom Daoist fight without breaking his 4 breakable back arms.
Lost this cycle: Venomous Armguard
Ch. 4
Cutoff: Defeating the Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master: all 4 purple talismans must be removed before he is defeated; the 4th altar, at the Court of Illumination, stays blocked by an invisible wall until the other 3 are removed.
Ch. 4
Cutoff: Entering The Duskveil arena while he is alive (he disappears).
Ch. 2
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Ch. 3
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Ch. 3
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Ch. 3
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Ch. 5
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Ch. 5
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Ch. 1 to 4
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Ch. 3
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