Part 9: Act 7 — Fountainhead Palace

Bridal palanquin transport, True Corrupted Monk, Mibu Manor nobles, Great Sakura Leader Shizu, Great Carp, and Divine Dragon.

Part 8: Shinobi Siege Walkthrough Index Part 10: Ashina Ablaze

Area Intro Briefing & Overview

Summary Intro of Area

Act 7 — Fountainhead Palace: Entering the celestial realm atop Mount Kongo via the giant rope palanquin, Wolf explores submerged palaces, Okami warrior sanctuaries, and the Great Carp lake. This area houses 3 Prayer Beads, Gourd Seed #9 (the final 10th charge!), Lapis Lazuli upgrade materials, and the Divine Dragon's Tears.

What You Should Have Done Before This

  • Defeated Great Shinobi Owl on Ashina Castle rooftop.
  • Combined 3 Immortal Reagents inside Kuro's room incense burner.
  • Entered rope giant palanquin inside Wedding Cave.

What You Should Have in Your Loadout

  • Attack Power: 7–8.
  • Vitality: 17 (7 Prayer Necklaces).
  • Prosthetics: Shinobi Firecracker, Suzaku's Lotus Umbrella, Loaded Spear.
  • Consumables: Healing Gourd (9–10 charges), Eel Liver (Lightning protection), Divine Confetti.

What to Do in This Area (Primary Objectives)

  • Defeat main boss True Corrupted Monk at bridge entrance.
  • Collect Gourd Seed #9 (Final Seed!) inside Mibu Manor red chest.
  • Defeat mini-boss Sakura Bull of the Palace.
  • Defeat mini-boss Okami Leader Shizu & explore Great Carp Lakebed.
  • Defeat main boss Divine Dragon & claim Divine Dragon's Tears.

What You Can Do (Optional Detours & Secrets)

  • Complete Great Colored Carp & Pot Noble questline for Lapis Lazuli x3!
  • Defeat optional underwater Headless dual boss.

Fountainhead Palace Item Databank

1. Key Items, Gourd Seeds & Prayer Beads Table (Click to Expand)
Item / Upgrade Type Location & How to Acquire
Divine Dragon's Tears Key Reagent Extracted upon defeating Divine Dragon at Cloud Sanctuary.
Gourd Seed #9 (Final Seed!) Key Upgrade Inside red wooden chest in back corridor of Mibu Manor (completes 10 gourd charges).
Dragon Tally Board Key Item Dropped upon defeating True Corrupted Monk (expands merchant shops).
Truly Precious Bait Key Quest Item Given by Pot Noble Koremori after spending 7 Treasure Carp Scales.
Great White Whisker Key Quest Item Dropped by poisoned Great Carp in Sunken Valley watering hole.
Prayer Bead #35 Health Upgrade Dropped by Sakura Bull of the Palace behind Flower Viewing Stage.
Prayer Bead #36 Health Upgrade Dropped by Okami Leader Shizu on giant Sakura branch.
Prayer Bead #37 Health Upgrade Submerged inside fish skeleton in underwater Great Carp lake chest.
Memory: True Monk Attack Power Key Dropped upon defeating True Corrupted Monk (+1 Attack Power).
Memory: Divine Dragon Attack Power Key Dropped upon defeating Divine Dragon (+1 Attack Power).
2. Shinobi Prosthetic Tools & Upgrade Materials Table (Click to Expand)
Tool / Material Type Location & Purpose
Lapis Lazuli x3 Crafting Component Purchased from Pot Noble Koremori & rewarded from Great Carp quest.
Grave Wax x3 Rare Material Found in Mibu Manor and dropped by palace palace nobles.
Adamantite Scrap x3 Rare Material Found on Palace grounds and underwater lakebed.
Fulminated Mercury x2 Rare Material Found near Great Sakura tree branch and Mibu Manor courtyard.
3. Consumables, Gold Purses & Buffs Table (Click to Expand)
Consumable / Item Type Effect & Location
Bulging Coin Purse x2 (1,000 Sen ea.) Currency Item Contains 1,000 Sen each. Found inside Mibu Manor chest and underwater cave.
Heavy Coin Purse x3 (500 Sen ea.) Currency Item Contains 500 Sen each. Found on palace roofs and Great Sakura tree.
Eel Liver x4 Consumable Buff Reduces Lightning shock damage for 30s. Essential for Okami Leader Shizu.
Yashariku's Sugar x2 High-Risk Buff Halves max HP/Posture but massively boosts damage. Found near Sakura Bull.
Ako's Sugar x3 Buff Consumable Increases Vitality/Posture damage for 30s. Found near entrance bridge.
Divine Confetti x4 Apparition Buff Allows damaging underwater Headless and True Monk phase 3.
Pellet x4 Consumable Healing Gradual health recovery over time. Dropped by Okami warriors.

Step-by-Step Area Clearance & Item Pick-Up Order

Step 1: Bridal Palanquin — Arrive at Fountainhead Palace

Area Clearance Order: Return to the Wedding Cave Door Idol in the Ashina Depths. Enter the cave where you found the Shelter Stone and pray inside the Bridal Palanquin. A giant rope man will transport you to the Divine Realm. Upon arrival, activate the Fountainhead Palace Idol and prepare to face the final illusion of the monk.

Step 2: Bridge Entrance — Main Boss True Corrupted Monk

Area Clearance Order: Step onto the bridge to face the True Corrupted Monk. This boss has three phases, but Phase 2 can be completely bypassed by grappling to the tall trees and performing a stealth plunging Deathblow while she summons her illusions. In Phase 3, she reveals her immortal centipede. Use Firecrackers and Fistfuls of Ash to stun her. Defeating her grants the Memory: True Monk and the Dragon's Tally Board, which expands merchant inventories.

TACTICS WARNING: Click to Reveal Detailed 3-Phase True Monk Strategy & Phase 2 Plunge Skip

Phase 1 (Naginata Deflection): Deflect her 5-slash naginata combo. Mikiri Counter her forward thrusts.

Phase 2 Tree Plunge Skip: As soon as Phase 1 ends, grapple to the highest tree branch on the right. When dark shadow clone fog appears, lock onto her true body standing in the center of the bridge and deliver an immediate plunging Deathblow to skip Phase 2 completely!

Phase 3 (Centipede Spit & Firecracker/Ash Stun): Apply Divine Confetti. Chain Firecrackers / Fistful of Ash with 2 sword strikes to burn down her final health bar.

Items to Keep Picking Up:

  • Memory: True Monk — Consume at Idol for +1 Attack Power!
  • Dragon's Tally Board — Expands merchant shop inventories.
Step 3: Mibu Manor — Gourd Seed #9 (Final Seed!)

Area Clearance Order: Activate the Vermilion Bridge Idol and proceed down the path, fighting through the Okami warriors and Nobles. Enter the flooded Mibu Manor courtyard and stealth past the flute-playing Nobles (they can suck out your youth!). Inside the rear corridor of the Manor, open the large red chest to find Gourd Seed #9, the final seed in the game.

Items to Keep Picking Up:

  • Gourd Seed #9 — Red chest in Mibu Manor (unlocks max 10 Gourd charges!).
Step 4: Courtyard — Mini-Boss Sakura Bull of the Palace

Area Clearance Order: Exit Mibu Manor to activate the Flower Viewing Stage Idol. Do not cross the broken bridge yet. Instead, turn left and hug the outer wall of the Manor to find a courtyard where the Sakura Bull of the Palace is roaming. Grapple onto the rooftop, sneak up above it, and drop down for a stealth attack or throw Firecrackers to scare it into crashing into a wall. Defeat it for Prayer Bead #35.

TACTICS WARNING: Click to Reveal Detailed Stealth Drop & Firecracker Crash Method

Rooftop Plunge & Firecracker Panic: Drop from the wall roof directly onto his back for an immediate stealth strike. Throw Firecrackers directly in front of him to startle him into crashing into courtyard walls, filling ~50% posture instantly!

Items to Keep Picking Up:

  • Prayer Bead #35 — Dropped upon defeating Sakura Bull.
Step 5: Sakura Tree & Lake — Mini-Boss Okami Leader Shizu

Area Clearance Order: Return to the Flower Viewing Stage and make your way across the rooftops towards the massive Sakura tree in the distance. Avoid the water for now. Grapple directly to the large branch where Okami Leader Shizu is kicking lightning bolts at you. Rush her and attack relentlessly; she has very low health and will die quickly. This stops the lightning strikes on the lake, allowing you to swim safely. Defeat her for Prayer Bead #36. Dive into the Great Carp Lake and swim to the deep trench to find a giant fish skeleton containing Prayer Bead #37.

TACTICS WARNING: Click to Reveal Grapple Rush & Mid-Air Lightning Reversal

Grapple Rush: Grapple tree branches directly to her platform. She has extremely low vitality — 4 sword slashes or a mid-air deathblow will defeat her instantly!

Items to Keep Picking Up:

  • Prayer Bead #36 — Dropped upon defeating Okami Leader Shizu.
  • Prayer Bead #37 — Inside fish skeleton at bottom of Great Carp Lake.

Point of No Return Warning

Important Note: Defeating the Divine Dragon is the point of no return for multiple endings! If you want to unlock the Purification or Return endings, you MUST gather all necessary items (such as the Aromatic Flower, Frozen Tears, Serpent Viscera) BEFORE starting this boss fight. See our All 4 Endings Guide for full requirements.

Step 6: Sanctuary Altar — Main Boss Divine Dragon

Area Clearance Order: Swim through the submerged palace caves, past the Great Colored Carp, to reach the Palace Grounds Idol. Ascend the stone stairs, clear the final few Okami warriors, and activate the Sanctuary Idol. Pray at the altar to be transported to the Divine Realm. Use lightning reversals by grappling to the trees to defeat the Divine Dragon and claim the Divine Dragon's Tears. This will automatically transition the world to the final phase: the invasion of Ashina Castle.

TACTICS WARNING: Click to Reveal Detailed Celestial Lightning Reversal Technique

Phase 1 (Old Men of the Tree): Slay white wooden dragons with broad sword sweeps or Great Feather Fan to spawn tree roots.

Phase 2 (Divine Dragon Lightning Reversal): Grapple to glowing tree branches struck by lightning bolts. Catch the lightning mid-air, lock onto the Divine Dragon's head, and press R1 before landing to hurl divine lightning bolts back! Repeat 5 times, then climb his gigantic sword for the final Tear Extraction Deathblow!

MAJOR STORY SPOILER: Click to Reveal Divine Dragon's Tears & Endgame Invasion

Final Reagent: Claiming the Divine Dragon's Tears triggers the full-scale Interior Ministry army invasion of Ashina Castle in Part 10.

Items to Keep Picking Up:

  • Memory: Divine Dragon — Consume at Idol for +1 Attack Power!
  • Divine Dragon's Tears (Key Item) — Final reagent for Immortal Severance.

Next Steps: What You Should Do Now

With the Divine Dragon defeated and its tears claimed, the final phase of the game has begun. You will be teleported back to Ashina Castle, which is now engulfed in flames and under full assault by the Interior Ministry. Your final objective is to navigate the burning castle to reach Lord Kuro.

Part 9 Collectibles Checklist

Part 8: Shinobi Siege Walkthrough Index Part 10: Ashina Ablaze