Under-Shrine Valley, Snake Eyes Shirafuji, Gun Fort marksmen, Centipede Giraffe, and the Guardian Ape watering hole.
Act 4 — Sunken Valley & Gun Fort: Descending into the snow-capped gorges beneath Ashina, Wolf traverses Gun Fort marksmen traps, toxic caverns, and the Great Serpent chasm to reach the Guardian Ape's Watering Hole. This region contains 4 Prayer Beads, Gourd Seed #7, the Finger Whistle tool, and the Lotus of the Palace (the second ritual reagent needed for Immortal Severance).
| Item / Upgrade | Type | Location & How to Acquire |
|---|---|---|
| Lotus of the Palace | Key Reagent | Found in flower cave behind Guardian Ape arena after defeating him. |
| Gourd Seed #7 | Key Upgrade | Inside wooden hut past grapple chasm near Under-Shrine Valley idol. |
| Prayer Bead #18 | Health Upgrade | Dropped by Snake Eyes Shirafuji at Sunken Valley entrance bridge. |
| Prayer Bead #19 | Health Upgrade | Dropped by Long-arm Centipede Giraffe inside Gun Fort shrine. |
| Prayer Bead #20 | Health Upgrade | In dark floorboard cavern directly beneath Centipede Giraffe arena. |
| Prayer Bead #21 | Health Upgrade | Near snowy grave pyramids backtracked past Under-Shrine Valley idol. |
| Dried Serpent Viscera | Ending Reagent | Inside Great Serpent shrine cave guarded by Great Serpent in Poison Pool path. |
| Memory: Guardian Ape | Attack Power Key | Dropped upon defeating main boss Guardian Ape (+1 Attack Power). |
| Tool / Material | Type | Location & Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Finger Whistle (Slender Finger) | Prosthetic Tool | Dropped upon defeating main boss Guardian Ape. |
| Yellow Gunpowder x2 | Crafting Material | Found inside Gun Fort marksmen tunnels and near Snake Eyes Shirafuji. |
| Magnet Scrap x3 | Crafting Material | Found in Under-Shrine Valley cave and near suspension bridge. |
| Adamantite Scrap x1 | Rare Crafting Material | Found in poison pool cavern past Great Serpent shrine. |
| Consumable / Item | Type | Effect & Location |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy Coin Purse x2 (500 Sen ea.) | Currency Item | Contains 500 Sen each. Found in Under-Shrine cavern and past Giraffe room. |
| Ako's Sugar x3 | Buff Consumable | Increases Vitality/Posture damage for 30s. Found near Under-Shrine Valley. |
| Gachiin's Sugar x2 | Buff Consumable | Suppresses presence for stealth past sniper bridges. |
| Snap Seed x1 | Consumable / Key | Dispels illusion phantoms. Found near Great Serpent shrine entrance. |
| Pellet x4 | Consumable Healing | Gradual health recovery over time. Dropped by Gun Fort shotgunners. |
Area Clearance Order: Fast travel to the Old Grave Idol in Ashina Castle, cross the bridge where you fought the spear guards, and head into the snowy forest canyon to arrive at the Under-Shrine Valley Idol. From here, backtrack slightly and look down into the chasm to spot a grapple point. Grapple across, kill the two riflemen, and climb the wooden ledge up to a small wooden hut. Inside, you'll find Gourd Seed #7. Go past the hut and climb up to the grave pyramids to collect Prayer Bead #21.
Items to Keep Picking Up:
Area Clearance Order: Return to the Under-Shrine Valley idol and continue descending into the valley proper. You will encounter several snow-covered suspension bridges guarded by Snake Eyes marksmen wielding devastating hand-cannons. Use stealth and grapple points to quickly traverse the gaps and avoid getting shot out of the air. Once across, activate the Sunken Valley Idol.
Area Clearance Order: Just past the Sunken Valley Idol, grapple onto the massive Buddha head statue, then drop down onto the snow platform below to face Snake Eyes Shirafuji. She guards the entrance to the Gun Fort. Use Sabimaru poison and deflect her perilous hook grabs. Defeat her to claim Prayer Bead #18.
Detailed Gun Cannon Strategy:
Items to Keep Picking Up:
Area Clearance Order: Sprint across the second bridge while evading heavy sniper fire to enter the Gun Fort. Inside, activate the Gun Fort Idol. Proceed into the next room to fight Long-arm Centipede Giraffe. Similar to Sen-Un, rapidly tap L1 to parry his 10-hit claw flurry and double-jump his sweeps. Defeat him for Prayer Bead #19. Afterward, look for a hole in the floorboards of his room. Crawl through and explore the cavern below to find Prayer Bead #20 among the geckos.
Claw Rhythm: Tap L1 in cadence with his claws (`1-2-3-4... 1-2-3-4-5... 1`). Jump over his sweep at the end of his combo to fill his posture bar completely in under 20 seconds!
Items to Keep Picking Up:
Area Clearance Order: Use the Gun Fort Shrine Key (obtained in Kuro's Room) to unlock the large doors behind the Centipede boss room. Cross the massive suspension bridge, but be prepared as the Great Serpent destroys it mid-way! Swim rapidly through the rushing water to escape the snake and grapple to safety. You'll arrive at the Guardian Ape's Watering Hole Idol.
Area Clearance Order: Enter the watering hole to face the Guardian Ape. This fierce battle consists of a Beast phase where Firecrackers are highly effective, and an unexpected Undying Phase where parrying his heavy overhead sword slam allows you to use the Loaded Spear to pull out the centipede inside his neck. Once defeated, enter the small cave at the back of the arena to obtain the Lotus of the Palace.
Phase 1 (Wild Beast):
Phase 2 (Headless Sword Ape & Centipede Drag):
Undying Centipede: The Guardian Ape is infested with an undying centipede. Severing his neck in Phase 1 causes him to stand up holding his own head to fight as an immortal until severing with the Mortal Blade!
Items to Keep Picking Up:
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 (in Senpou Temple), as its combat art helps kill enemies much faster.
With the Lotus of the Palace acquired, you have another of the required ingredients for Immortal Severance. If you haven't yet, you should head to Senpou Temple for the Mortal Blade 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.