EndgamerBlack Myth: Wukong
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Mantis-Catching Swamp

Emerald-Armed Mantis碧臂螂

Mandatory
Defeated
What it inflicts
No status effect
Phases
2 phasesa single health bar; after a cutscene, red blades, longer and faster combos
Equipment
One setno shrine or checkpoint between the phases

Recommended gear

With what you can get before this boss, in your first cycle.

Editor's pick You already have the Golden Feng-Tail Crown, the Gold Suozi Armor and the Lotus Silk Cloudtreaders: worn together, these 3 pieces moderately raise your Critical Hit Chance shortly after each spell; for the arms, the Bull King's Bracers are recommended alongside them, if you have crafted them (otherwise, the Ochre Armguard). The Plantain Fan pins it against the walls, the Apramana Bat deals frost damage to it and freezes it once its Chill gauge fills up, and the Stranded Loong's Whisker extends your next Immobilize after a sip. The Amber Prayer Beads speed up your Focus for charged heavy attacks, which stagger it.

Weapon attack
80
Armor defense
316
Resistance: Chill
+4
Resistance: Burn
+4

Base values, before upgrades, from the registry.

The Bull King's Bracers are crafted after the Bishui Golden-Eyed Beast with 2 Fine Gold Thread, 1 Celestial Ribbon and 1 Bull King's Iron Horn, out of the 4 a playthrough gives; otherwise, take the Ochre Armguard, which briefly raises your Critical Hit Chance each time you spend a Focus Point.

Weapon: the Chitin Staff restores a little health for each Focus Point spent on a successful charged Heavy Attack. The Bishui Beast Staff, more powerful, is obtained by upgrading the Rat Sage Staff after a win over the Bishui Golden-Eyed Beast, in the Chapter 5 secret area: it needs the Bishui Beast Bit it leaves, 4 Gold Tree Cores, 8 Refined Iron Sand and 30,000 Will; before the Mantis, Chapter 6 gives 3 Cores, 2 from the Supreme Celestial Inspector and 1 for sale at shrines. The Loongwreathe Staff, also recommended against it, only boosts Pillar Stance with its effect, whereas Smash Stance is recommended here.

Turtle Treasure, instead of the Apramana Bat, raises the damage of your heavy attacks at 3 or 4 Focus Points. Maitreya's Orb, once you have landed enough hits, saves you from the next fatal blow: a safety net against its spinning blades, which can kill you.

The fight

A fight inside Zhu Bajie's stomach: a small, enclosed arena, entirely in liquid, where your dodges are heavier. The Mantis has a single health bar, in 2 phases. At first, it chains short blade combos, with a stinger strike if you stay behind it: blades raised and then planted in the ground, slashes. After losing between 25 and 40% of its health, a cutscene shows it sharpening its blades and dipping them in the liquid: red, they reach further, its combos get longer and faster, it leaps all over the stomach, spins on itself and fires projectiles while slashing in midair; it attacks almost nonstop.

One set: a cutscene separates the 2 phases, with no shrine or checkpoint; after a death, you restart from the shrine behind Zhu Bajie, where you can change your set.

Spells, transformation and soaks are set at a Keeper's Shrine (soaks also with the Shen Monkey), never during a fight: what you bring into a fight stays until the end. One spell per category: Cloud Step and Rock Solid exclude each other, pick one before the fight.

What it inflicts

  • No status named: it has no elemental attacks; when its blades get covered in blood, they hit harder and reach further, but no description of its attacks mentions a status.

Attacks to watch

  • Blades raised and then planted toward you: back off and dodge as soon as it raises its arms. Its blades stay stuck in the ground for a moment: that's your best opening.
  • String of 4 to 5 slashes: when it brings a blade close to the center of its head, get your dodges ready; backward is often enough, since its attacks have short reach.
  • Stinger or tail strike if you stay behind it: short and well telegraphed, but don't linger there.
  • Second phase: a spinning top of red blades, more than 8 hits while closing in on you, which staggers you and can kill you. Run around it until it ends, slip an Immobilize in between 2 strings, or tank it in a transformation.
  • Second phase: it leaps all over the stomach and fires projectiles while slashing in midair; it attacks almost nonstop, each slash telegraphed by a red trail.

What works

  • Plantain Fan: in the second phase, after an Immobilize, its tornado pins it against the walls and keeps it from flying; strike while it's caught, along with your A Pluck of Many duplicates. Plantain Fan, Immobilize, A Pluck of Many
  • Immobilize, especially in the second phase, to break up its strings; a charged Heavy Attack right after stuns it for a short while. Immobilize
  • Transformation: Red Tides or Golden Lining tank its spinning top, and Red Tides exploits its weakness to fire; Mirage Pills restore Might for a second transformation. Red Tides, Golden Lining, Mirage Pill
  • Heavy attacks: in Smash Stance, your charged attacks stagger it and interrupt some of its moves; land them at the end of its combos, then dodge. Smash Stance

Strategy

  • Save your spells for the second phase: the first one is handled with regular and charged attacks, dodging backward and striking during its pauses between combos.
  • In the second phase, rely on Perfect Dodges: its combos can stun-lock you and deal massive damage.
  • Worn together, the Golden Feng-Tail Crown, the Gold Suozi Armor and the Lotus Silk Cloudtreaders moderately raise your Critical Hit Chance shortly after each spell: chain your spells, then your attacks. Monkey King's Armor Set

Access

Foothills, Mantis-Catching Swamp: the big tree with golden leaves, in the left corner of the lower lake, with the Mantis-Catching Swamp shrine at its foot. It only appears after your wins over the Gold Armored Rhino, the Cloudtreading Deer and the Feng-Tail General: a glistening mist then surrounds the tree. Walk around the tree: in a cutscene, a mantis jumps into Zhu Bajie's mouth, and you follow it into his belly, where the fight takes place. Mandatory: the last of the 4 pieces of the Monkey King's Armor Set.

What it gives

The Dian-Cui Loong-Soaring Bracers complete the Monkey King's Armor Set: no unique effect, but 4% extra Critical Hit Chance. With the 4 pieces, preferably worn, head to the Water Curtain Cave: the Jingubang awaits you there, and with it the 5 pieces of the Heaven's Equal bonus, where each Critical Hit slightly reduces the cooldown of all your spells.

It gives about 2,700 Will: recorded values range from 2,693 to 2,746. The Gold Tree Core is missing from 2 lists, but most mention it.

Updates

Update 1.0.13.16669: improved combat experience against the Emerald-Armed Mantis, with no further details.

In NG+

In NG+, you keep your gear, spells, transformations and spirits, and bosses are tougher. Key items don't carry over: the chapter's quest items must be taken again.

Page checked on October 19, 2026.