Shugendo slopes, Armored Warrior on the bridge, Long-arm Centipede Sen'un, Folding Screen Monkeys, and acquiring the Mortal Blade.
Act 3 — Senpou Temple, Mount Kongo: Nestled high in Mount Kongo, Senpou Temple was once a sacred Buddhist sanctuary before its monks abandoned their vows to pursue illegal immortality experiments. This area houses crag monks, armored warrior knights, long-arm centipedes, the Hall of Illusions puzzle boss, and the sacred Mortal Blade in the Inner Sanctum.
| Item / Upgrade | Type | Location & How to Acquire |
|---|---|---|
| Mortal Blade | Key Weapon | Drawn from Divine Child in Inner Sanctum after defeating Screen Monkeys. |
| Gourd Seed #6 | Key Upgrade | Found resting in front of large praying monk statue inside main hall. |
| Prayer Bead #15 | Health Upgrade | Dropped upon kicking Armored Warrior off the Shugendo bridge. |
| Prayer Bead #16 | Health Upgrade | Dropped by Long-arm Centipede Sen'un in Temple Grounds building. |
| Prayer Bead #17 | Health Upgrade | Underwater in Temple Grounds pond (Requires Mibu Breathing Technique). |
| Senpou Esoteric Text | Skill Tree Key | Inside small pagoda at the end of the cave behind Main Hall. |
| Holy Chapter: Infested | Key Lore Item | Given by High Priest in Main Hall or submerged at bottom of temple pond. |
| Holy Chapter: Dragon's Return | Ending Key Item | Given by High Priest in dark cave near Temple Grounds for Return ending. |
| Memory: Screen Monkeys | Attack Power Key | Dropped upon defeating Folding Screen Monkeys (+1 Attack Power). |
| Tool / Material | Type | Location & Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Abduction (Large Fan) | Prosthetic Tool | Found in Temple Grounds building guarded by Centipede Sen'un. |
| Scrap Magnet x3 | Crafting Material | Found near Shugendo bridge, main hall rafters, and Sen'un building. |
| Lump of Fat Wax x2 | Crafting Material | Dropped by praying infested monks inside Main Hall. |
| Consumable / Item | Type | Effect & Location |
|---|---|---|
| Bulging Coin Purse (1,000 Sen) | Currency Item | Contains 1,000 Sen. Found in hidden rafters above Main Hall. |
| Heavy Coin Purse x2 (500 Sen ea.) | Currency Item | Contains 500 Sen each. Found on Shugendo cliff and near Bell Demon Temple. |
| Gachiin's Sugar x4 | Buff Consumable | Suppresses stealth presence. Essential for capturing Folding Screen Monkeys. |
| Ako's Sugar x3 | Buff Consumable | Increases Vitality/Posture damage. Found near Armored Warrior bridge. |
| Ungyo's Sugar x2 | Buff Consumable | Reduces physical damage taken. Found near Shugendo merchant. |
| Persimmon x2 | NPC Recovery Item | Purchased from Shugendo Memorial Mob; restores Divine Child's vitality. |
| Taro Persimmon | Special Item | Given by Kotaro after spirit-awaying him with Divine Abduction. |
| Bite Down x3 | Re-suicide Item | Allows instant death without locking Resurrection Node charges. Found on monk corpses. |
Area Clearance Order: Access Senpou Temple either via the Abandoned Dungeon bottomless hole elevator or from the Ashina Castle dungeon bridge. Upon arriving, activate the Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo Idol. Proceed up the mountain cliff path, fighting past the monks and crag guards. You'll reach the Shugendo Idol. Right beside this idol, speak to the Shugendo Memorial Mob merchant and buy Persimmon x2. Continue climbing the wooden cliffside walkways to find a Heavy Coin Purse (500 Sen).
Items to Keep Picking Up:
Area Clearance Order: Grapple up past the rat assassins and traverse the mountain ledges until you reach the long covered bridge. Step inside to trigger the Armored Warrior boss fight. He is immune to all vitality damage; you must deflect his heavy attacks to break his posture, then execute a deathblow near a broken wooden window panel to kick him off the cliff. Defeat him to claim Prayer Bead #14 and the Breath of Nature: Shadow Skill.
Detailed Armored Warrior Strategy:
Robert's Father: The Armored Warrior traveled from Europe seeking the Rejuvenating Waters to cure his son Robert's terminal illness. He agreed to guard the Senpou bridge in exchange for the monks' promise to grant Robert eternal life.
Items to Keep Picking Up:
Area Clearance Order: Cross the bridge, proceed down the path, and activate the Temple Grounds Idol. Head past the wolf packs and monks into the first large courtyard building. In the center of this room, you will find several monks praying to an infested mummy monk. Defeat them and grab Gourd Seed #6 sitting directly in front of the mummy. Then, exit the building, dive into the pond nearby to find Prayer Bead #17 (if you have the Mibu Breathing Technique), and follow the path to activate the Main Hall Idol.
Items to Keep Picking Up:
Area Clearance Order: Instead of going straight to the Main Hall, detour through the lower roofs to a small courtyard shrine. Grapple onto the shrine's roof beams and enter through a gap in the roof. Inside, stealth-kill the smaller centipede minions on the beams, then perform a plunging stealth Deathblow on Long-arm Centipede Sen-Un. Deflect his fast 10-slash claw flurries and jump his sweeps to easily break his posture. Collect Prayer Bead #15 (or #16 depending on routing) and grab the Divine Abduction prosthetic tool from the altar.
Detailed Claw Deflect Rhythm:
Centipede Parasites: The Centipede clan are corrupted zealots worshipping the undying centipede parasites bred by the Senpou Temple monks in their pursuit of fake immortality.
Items to Keep Picking Up:
Area Clearance Order: Head to the Main Hall Idol. Approach the altar in front of the giant golden Buddha statue and ring the Illusory Hall Bell (only interactable after talking to Kuro/Emma about the Mortal Blade). You'll be transported to the Halls of Illusion. Hunt down the 4 phantom monkeys (Invisible, Green, Purple, Orange). Use the environment (waterfall for Green, dark room for Purple, stealth sugar for Orange, turning around immediately for Invisible).
Detailed Puzzle Guide for All 4 Monkeys:
Inner Sanctum Protection: The Monkeys guard the Hall of Illusions to protect the Divine Child of Rejuvenation. Defeating them opens the Inner Sanctum where the Mortal Blade is housed.
Items to Keep Picking Up:
Area Clearance Order: After defeating the monkeys, you are automatically teleported to the Inner Sanctum Idol. Speak to the Divine Child of Rejuvenation. After a short dialogue, interact with the sword resting on the stone altar to claim the Mortal Blade. This powerful weapon allows you to kill immortal foes and gives you the Mortal Draw combat art. Make sure to talk to the Divine Child again to receive rice.
Key Unlocks:
Important Note: The Mortal Blade, Lotus of the Palace, and Shelter Stone are the three key ritual items. Collecting the 3rd and final item of the set will immediately trigger the Shinobi War, locking down Ashina Castle Idols. Before collecting your 3rd item, make sure to finish leveling up, exploring, and collecting Prayer Beads. You can also make a manual save before picking it up. Out of the three, you should definitely prioritize getting the Mortal Blade first (which you just did!), as its combat art helps kill enemies much faster.
With the Mortal Blade acquired, you have unlocked the Mortal Draw combat art and the ability to sever immortality (required for some bosses). If you haven't yet, you should now head to Sunken Valley for the Lotus of the Palace or Ashina Depths for the Shelter Stone. If you have all three, return to Kuro's Room (via the Abandoned Dungeon Entrance) to witness the castle siege.