How To Complete The Herald’s Illusion Quest In Phantom Blade Zero

Are you eager to complete The Herald’s Illusion in Phantom Blade Zero? This quest might be optional, but it’s important if you want to discover more secrets in the game. It also takes you to strange realms hidden in select regions. Our guide discusses everything you need to know about this mission, though we’ve also added a few minor spoilers.

What does The Herald’s Illusion quest entail?

The Phantom Blade Zero Herald’s Illusion quest relates to Leng Tu, one of the major antagonists in the campaign. Your goal is to open the three doors/portals that lead to the domain of the Three-Eyed Puppet. These are located in the Village of Lu, the Mandate Encampment, and the Mountain of Imprisonment.

The Herald’s Illusion in the Village of Lu

The first portal in the Village of Lu is fairly hard to miss. If you’re doing the main objectives in the region, you’ll end up at the bottom of the well, where you have to defeat a boss named Yuzan, the No. 3 Musician Puppet. She’s a Songstress variant who shoots multiple projectiles. The blue and white orbs can be blocked, automatically reflecting them back at her and dealing damage. The red ones, however, need to be dodged. Yuzan also casts a vortex spell that pulls you toward the center.

After defeating your opponent, talk to the nearby puppet NPCs and check the tunnel that leads to a cavernous area. You should see a magical doorway in the distance. Enter it and interact with the Three-Eyed Puppet that’s hanging from a hundred strings. Doing so causes it to open one eye.

The Herald’s Illusion in the Mandate Encampment

To continue the Phantom Blade Zero Herald’s Illusion quest, you must progress further into the campaign until you’re able to enter the Mandate Encampment. Try to complete other side objectives first, before you head to the Training Grounds in the northern part of the map.

The Training Grounds has a large pavilion, though you need to face Yubi, the No. 21 Swordfighter Puppet, before you can enter it. Yubi harnesses the power of wind and lightning, making her a truly tenacious foe. After the bout, you can loot various rewards, such as the Baishan Stormswords, several Memory Flowers, and even a component for the Illusory Pipa.

Naturally, you should also pass through the portal that leads back to the Three-Eyed Puppet’s domain. The entity will then open its second eye.

The Herald’s Illusion in the Mountain of Imprisonment

The third and final doorway can be found at the summit of the Mountain of Imprisonment--or, rather, in its very depths. Keep doing the main objectives until you defeat the main boss, Huangxing. You should then receive the Flying Guillotine, a Phantom Edge that lets you interact with mechanical devices.

The device in Huangxing’s lair opens up a massive pit. You must do a bit of extremely careful platforming as you drop down from one ledge to the next. Once you reach the bottom, a cutscene will trigger and you’ll interact with Inanis. If you look at the back, you’ll see a shining blue portal beckoning you.

As usual, interact with the Three-Eyed Puppet. The construct will open its third eye, which also causes it to drop two key items: The Puppet’s Tongue and the Crystal Puppet Eye (Yin). It will also speak to you and say that the Herald lives in the Crimson Manor.

Where to go next after opening the three doors?

That's the end of The Herald’s Illusion, and your next task is to do as the Three-Eyed Puppet says. If you want to continue the adventure, we've got all the tips for you in our Crimson Manor guide. Last but not least, this quest is actually part of a broader arc, one that also requires you to collect the Acolyte Masks.