Scale the roofs of Ashina, climb the holy peaks of Kongo-san, dodge gunfire in the Valley, and search the depths of Ashina Reservoir.
Ensure you buy the Loaded Umbrella (Iron Fortress) from Blackhat Badger early. It blocks high-damage bullets and projectiles, which makes navigating the Sunken Valley much safer!
From Ashina Castle Idol, look left, grapple to the branch across, and eavesdrop on the bridge guards to find the Gatehouse Key. Cross the bridge to get the Abandoned Dungeon Entrance Idol. Purchase a Prayer Bead (9/40) for 140 Sen from the Dungeon Memorial Mob.
Head into the Reservoir area (from the gatehouse bridge). Open the gatehouse using your key to get Gyoubu's Broken Horn. Proceed to the Moon-Viewing Tower and defeat Seven Ashina Spears - Shikibu Toshikatsu Yamauchi.
Reward: Prayer Bead (10/40)
Strategy: Sneak along the left cliff edge and climb into the Moon-Viewing Tower hole (tutorial escape route) to stealth-deathblow him from behind. When he strikes, deflect his heavy spear attacks. Watch for his thrusts and perform a Mikiri Counter, then deflect his immediate counter-slash to stagger him for massive posture damage.
Locate the sewer hole where you woke up in the prologue. Talk to Jinzaemon Kumono, then jump in.
Reward: Prayer Bead (11/40)
Strategy: Do not enter through the front sewer entrance. Walk past Jinzaemon to find a hole in the ceiling directly above the ninja. Drop down through the hole to perform a stealth Deathblow. Keep him pressed against the wall, deflecting his kicks and Mikiri-countering his perilous thrust.
Grab the Bottomless Hole Idol. Return to Ashina Castle, ascend the main stairs, and defeat General Kuranosuke Matsumoto to collect a Prayer Bead (12/40). (Form the Third Prayer Necklace!).
Go right from the main steps, jump down to meet Fujioka the Info Broker, kill all nearby guards, and talk to him. He will move to the Dilapidated Temple as a merchant. Grapple up the castle roofs, activate Upper Tower - Antechamber Idol, and grab the Gourd Seed (4/9) from the chest. Hug the wall painting between two suits of armor to enter a secret room containing a Prayer Bead (13/40). Grab the Upper Tower - Ashina Dojo Idol.
Drop down the central hole in the Antechamber room. Open the gate chest to get the Sabimaru short-sword tool. Open the backdoor to find the Old Grave Idol. Jump into the building with a hole in the roof to meet Blackhat Badger. Purchase the Anti-Air Deathblow Text first, then purchase the Iron Fortress (Umbrella) tool material.
Go to the Dilapidated Temple. Give Gyoubu's Broken Horn and Iron Fortress to the Sculptor to receive the Loaded Spear and Loaded Umbrella. Buy a Gourd Seed (5/9) from Fujioka. Travel to Great Serpent Shrine, jump across the gap, and activate Under-Shrine Valley Idol. Turn around, grapple to the gunman ledge, climb up, and retrieve a Prayer Bead (14/40) from the grave area.
Return to the Under-Shrine Valley Idol, drop down, kill the gunman, and climb up the far wall to the small building. Loot the Gourd Seed (6/9). Proceed down to grab the Sunken Valley Idol.
Confront the sniper mini-boss guarding the bridge.
Reward: Prayer Bead (15/40)
Strategy: Run past her, cross the bridge (use the Loaded Umbrella to block rifle fire), and reach the Gun Fort Idol. Rest, then go backward to clear the riflemen. Sneak up behind Shirafuji for a stealth Deathblow. In combat, use the Sabimaru to poison her, and deflect her close-range rifle shots.
Enter the Gun Fort temple and defeat the clawed beast.
Rewards: Prayer Bead (16/40) (Form the Fourth Prayer Necklace!) & Large Fan.
Strategy: Tap deflect in a rapid rhythm matching his claw strikes (1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4-5). Jump over his perilous sweep. His posture will break extremely quickly. Once dead, drop into the hole in the floorboards, crouch through the crawlspace, and grapple up to the cave platforms on the right to grab a Prayer Bead (17/40).
Return to the Dilapidated Temple and trade the Large Fan for the Divine Abduction tool. Go to Abandoned Dungeon and speak to Doujun to receive the Surgeon's Bloody Letter. Travel to Underground Waterway, take the elevator, and grab the Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo Idol. Speak to Kotaro sitting near the exit.
Head up the forest slope, grapple into the temple window on the left, and grab the Gourd Seed (7/9) lying in front of the large monk statue inside.
Reach the Shugendo Idol. Follow the cliff platforms to the left to find the Shugendo Memorial Mob. Climb the cliffs to find the Red and White Pinwheel. Ledge-hang and jump to the right to find the White Pinwheel and x1 Monkey Booze.
Confront the steel-clad knight on the bridge.
Rewards: Prayer Bead (18/40) & passive skill Breath of Nature - Shadow.
Strategy: He is immune to physical health damage. Deflect his heavy attacks to build his posture. Position him near the open wooden windows of the bridge before executing the Deathblow, which will kick him off the bridge to his death.
Get the Temple Grounds Idol. Jump down the roofs on the right, enter the temple through the roof window, and defeat Long-Arm Centipede Sen'un for a Prayer Bead (19/40). Proceed up to the large temple, grab the Main Hall Idol, and talk to the sitting priest to get the Holy Chapter: Infested.
Defeat the lightning-fast iaido swordsman in the Dojo.
Reward: Prayer Bead (20/40) (Form the Fifth Prayer Necklace!).
Strategy: Watch his sword sheath closely. When you see a bright blue flash, double-tap the deflect button instantly to perform two perfect deflections. Repeat this twice to break his posture. Alternatively, use the Loaded Umbrella to block and counter-slash.
Confront the commander of Ashina on the castle roof.
Rewards: Memory: Genichiro Ashina & Bloodsmoke Ninjutsu.
Strategy: Stay aggressive! Strike until he deflects, then deflect his counter-attacks. In Phase 1, Mikiri Counter his thrust; in Phase 2, dodge or jump over his sweep. In Phase 3 (Way of Tomoe), perform Lightning Reversal: jump when you see the red Kanji symbol, take the hit mid-air, and press attack before touching the ground to shock him for massive damage.
Activate the Castle Tower Lookout Idol and Upper Tower - Kuro's Room Idol. Exhaust dialogue with Kuro to get the Immortal Severance Text. Incense burner interact. Go out the window to Isshin's pagoda, talk to Isshin, and get the Gun Fort Shrine Key next to Kuro.
Ring the Main Hall altar bell to enter the Hall of Illusions.
Rewards: Memory: Screen Monkeys & Puppeteer Ninjutsu.
Strategy: Turn around immediately and hit the invisible white monkey behind you. Hunt the green monkey by chasing it to the waterfall bell (ring it to deafen it). Chase the purple monkey to the dark chamber (blow out the lights to blind it). Use the roaring bell to scare the orange monkey, then catch it.
Grab the Inner Sanctum Idol. We choose the 100% "Intended" route: give Kotaro the White Pinwheel, then use the Divine Abduction tool on him to spirit him away. He will appear in the Hall of Illusions (gives Taro Persimmon). Equip Puppeteer Ninjutsu, sneak behind the Senpou kite-operation rat, and puppeteer him to hold the kite in place. Cross the valley using the kite to continue Blackhat Badger's quest.
Travel to Gun Fort. Open the door behind the Buddha statue with your key. Get the Riven Cave Idol. Climb the giant statues to reach the Bodhisattva Valley Idol.
Defeat the giant ape guarding the Lotus flower.
Rewards: Memory: Guardian Ape & Slender Finger. Grab the Lotus of the Palace from the cave behind him.
Strategy: In Phase 1, use Shinobi Firecrackers and Loaded Axe. Keep close to his backside. In Phase 2 (Headless), deflect his giant sword swings. When you deflect his massive overhead slash perfectly, he will collapse—immediately use the Loaded Spear (pull action) on his neck socket to yank out the centipede for massive posture damage.
Jump down the Bottomless Hole, grapple to the ledges, and activate the Poison Pool Idol.
Reward: Prayer Bead (21/40)
Strategy: Grapple to the statue platforms and sneak behind her for a stealth Deathblow. In combat, you can let her stand in the poison pool to slowly drain her health while you block her shots using the Loaded Umbrella.
Crawl through the tunnel behind Shirahagi. Look up and wall-jump to reach the top of the giant statue to grab a Prayer Bead (22/40). Proceed into the cavern arena to face the Headless Ape.
Rewards: Memory: Headless Ape, Bestowal Ninjutsu, and Prayer Bead x2 (23 & 24/40). (Form the Sixth Prayer Necklace!).
Strategy: In Phase 1, fight him exactly like the headless phase of the Guardian Ape. In Phase 2, he will summon a second brown ape. Use Shinobi Firecrackers to burst down the posture of the brown ape quickly and kill it, then focus on deflecting the Headless Ape's heavy slashes and using the Loaded Spear.
Grab the Hidden Forest Idol. Grapple the branches to reach the bonfire area, jump down to defeat Tokujiro the Glutton for a Prayer Bead (25/40). Grapple up the cliff tree, climb onto the temple roof, drop through the hole, and kill the Mist Noble to clear the forest fog.
Activate the Mibu Village Idol. Buy Purple Gourd from the merchant. Grab the Gourd Seed (8/9) lying under the white-leafed tree. Grab the Water Mill Idol. Defeat O'Rin of the Water.
Rewards: Prayer Bead (26/40) & passive skill Breath of Life - Shadow.
Strategy: Apply Divine Confetti before the fight. She is an apparition and takes extra posture damage from deflections. Keep close, deflect her floating dance combos, and jump over her perilous sweeps.
Interact with Jinzaemon, crawl under the Village Head's house, and climb into the attic shrine to grab a Prayer Bead (27/40). Proceed to the wedding cave and face the spectral Corrupted Monk.
Rewards: Memory: Corrupted Monk & Mibu Breathing Technique (allows diving underwater). Loot the Shelter Stone from the cave behind her.
Strategy: Apply Divine Confetti and Snap Seeds (stuns her up to 3 times in the fight). Her moveset consists of wide, predictable glaive sweeps. Deflect her combos, Mikiri Counter her thrusts, and jump over her sweep. Use the Firecracker tool to get free hits.
Dive into the lake in Mibu Village. Locate the chest at the bottom of the lake to collect a Prayer Bead (28/40). (Form the Seventh Prayer Necklace!). Kill the red-eyed carp to collect the Red Carp Eyes.
Travel to Temple Grounds Idol. Dive into the large lake and loot the Prayer Bead (29/40) from the submerged Buddha statue.
Return to Ashina Castle (blocked). Enter via Abandoned Dungeon, swim through the moat, open the shortcuts, and grab the Ashina Reservoir Idol. Grapple up, enter the castle tower, and jump down the Dojo floorboards to face the second Chained Ogre.
Rewards: Prayer Bead (30/40) & Shinobi Medicine - Rank 3 (passive skill).
Strategy: Sneak along the wooden beams above the Ogre and execute an air Deathblow. Use your Flame Vent and Flame Barrel to stun him and burn him down quickly.