TL;DR
- Jijeong Temple in Chaos is the 126th main quest in Chapter 9 — The Sage of the Desert
- You must repair three pensive statues using Axiom Force and Force Palm
- White hand icons on the minimap show you where each stone hand is located
- Use Force Current to snap each hand in when a green glow appears — don’t manually align
- Statue 2 also needs a body piece; orient it toward the two torches before snapping
- For stubborn snaps, try Focused Force Palm from distance or close-range Force Palm from on top of the statue
- After repairs, find the Chief Monk at the top of a marked isle — not back at the temple
- Completing this quest leads into the Path to Enlightenment quest chain
Jijeong Temple in Chaos is a Chapter 9 main quest in Crimson Desert. It’s the 126th main mission in the game, set in South Demeniss at Serpent Marsh. The task sounds simple — repair three broken statues — but getting the parts to snap into place correctly trips up a lot of players.
This guide walks through all three statues, explains the Force Palm mechanic in detail, and covers the follow-up steps most guides miss.
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Quest Overview: Jijeong Temple in Chaos
Chapter: 9 — The Sage of the Desert Sub-Chapter: Six Pensive Statues and the Evil Spirit Quest Number: 126 Prerequisite: Complete Morning Fog main quest Reward: None (leads directly into Path to Enlightenment) Quest Description: The temple is in turmoil. Go see what is going on.
The quest starts in South Demeniss at Serpent Marsh. First, climb to the top of the mountain in Serpent Marsh. At the top, enter the temple and speak with the child monk. There’s a fast travel point nearby — activate it now. You’ll thank yourself later when the Chief Monk moves away from the temple at the end of this quest.
From there, head to the first objective marker. A short cutscene plays when you arrive, and then the statue repairs begin.
Before You Start: Unlock Two Waypoints
Before heading to the statues, unlock two marked waypoints first.
Abyss Nexus — Located near the entrance to Serpent Marsh. Walk up and interact with it normally.
Abyss Cresset — This is an open Cresset that doesn’t require a puzzle to activate. Just interact with it directly.
Getting both of these done upfront saves unnecessary backtracking later.
How the Repair Mechanic Works
Every statue repair follows the same core loop. The missing parts are scattered close by and shown as white hand icons on your minimap.
Here’s the process:
- Use Axiom Force (L3 on controller / TAB on PC) to grab the stone piece
- Hover it near the statue until you see a green glow around the piece
- Use Force Current / Force Palm (R3 on controller / Mouse Wheel on PC) to snap it in
Don’t try to align parts manually. The green glow means the game has registered the position. Once it appears, just hit Force Current and the piece locks in.
If the snap won’t connect: Force Palm can be stubborn at certain angles. Two fixes:
- Use Focused Force Palm from the ground in front of the statue (activate Force Palm while Spirit is recharging)
- Climb up onto the statue’s legs and try close-range Force Palm from different angles
Both approaches work. Sometimes rotating your camera slightly before the input is all it takes.
For a deeper breakdown of this ability, see our guide on how to use Axiom Force in Crimson Desert.
Statue 1 — Standard Two-Hand Repair
The first pensive statue is the most straightforward of the three. Both hands are on the same island, marked by white icons on your minimap.
One hand is across from the statue in the direction it’s facing — slightly north at the far end of the same island. The other is even closer. Grab each one, hover it near the statue until the green glow appears, and snap it in.
No tricks needed here. Get comfortable with the mechanic on this statue before moving on to Statue 2.
Statue 2 — Includes a Body Piece (Mountain Top)
Statue 2 is at the top of a high mountain. Land on the path around the mountain and follow the stairs to reach the summit. This statue is the most involved — it needs a body piece and two hands.
The Body
The statue’s body is on the cliff below the mountaintop. Use Axiom Force to hook it and carry it up to the pedestal. Once on the pedestal, the body must be oriented to face toward the two torches nearby. That’s the correct direction. Once it’s positioned right, climb up onto the statue and use Force Palm while standing on top to snap it down into place.
The Right Hand (Your Left When Facing the Statue)
This hand is on the cliff directly to the left of the statue. Grab it and snap it in with the standard process.
The Left Hand (Your Right When Facing the Statue)
This hand is on the cliff directly below where you found the first hand. You don’t need to go down. Stand at the top of the cliff, shoot Axiom Force downward to hook the hand, and pull it up to you. Hover it near the statue, wait for the green glow, and snap it in.
Statue 3 — Cliffside Retrieval Near the Water
The third pensive statue is near the water, inside a small cave section close to the ground. Approach from the central island slightly north of the objective marker, then glide over to the stairs leading up into the cave.
Both hands are on a cliffside nearby. Use the Axiom Force hook to pull them toward you if they’re out of reach. Once you have a hand near the statue, release it — it will float rather than fall. Bring it into range, wait for the green glow, and snap it in. Repeat for the second hand.
For more environment and puzzle content in Crimson Desert, these guides are worth checking out:
- Dragon Stone Chamber puzzle
- Wiggling Hill Ruins puzzle
- How to drain the water puzzle
- Abyss Without Balance puzzle
After the Repairs: Finding the Chief Monk
Once all three statues are repaired, your objective updates to report back to the Chief Monk. Don’t return to the temple — they’ve moved.
The Chief Monk is now at the top of one of the isles, marked on your map. Use the fast travel point you activated at the start of the quest to get back to the mountain area quickly. Climb to the marked spot at the very top and speak with the Chief Monk in front of the altar. This completes the Jijeong Temple in Chaos quest and starts Path to Enlightenment.
The Chapter 9 Quest Chain After This
Completing this quest opens up the rest of the Six Pensive Statues and the Evil Spirit sub-chapter. Here’s what follows:
Path to Enlightenment (Quest 127) — One dialogue with the child monk at the mountaintop altar. No reward, but required to continue.
Path of the Disciple (Quest 128) — Three parkour training grounds with time limits. Collect green orbs at each one before time runs out. Rewards 3x Abyss Artifacts. The most efficient order is third ground first, then second, then first. The time limits are generous, so take it steady.
True Strength (Quest 129) — Rewards Wooden Mask of Lost Justice and Wanderer of Faith gear.
Face the Inner Self (Quest 130) — Glide to the mountain in the southwest of Serpent Marsh, climb to the very top, and enter the Abyss Gate at the temple. Completing this unlocks the Jijeong Temple Pagoda Spire and grants access to Ascetic’s Rest Abyss with a fast travel point.
For the full mission list from start to finish, see our all main story quests guide.
Related Guides
These are useful as you progress through Chapter 9 and the surrounding story:
- How to use Axiom Force — Core mechanic for the statue repairs
- How to open sealed Abyss Artifacts — For the Path of the Disciple rewards
- How to fast travel in Crimson Desert — Essential for moving between objectives in Serpent Marsh
- How to infiltrate Azerian Manor — Chapter 8 quest walkthrough if you’re catching up
- How to beat Ludvig in Crimson Desert — Chapter 7 boss fight guide
- Crimson Desert accessories guide — Getting the most from gear drops in Chapter 9
- How to get better equipment — Worth checking before diving deeper into Chapter 9
Quick Summary
The statue repairs are a Axiom Force puzzle at heart. Carry the piece, wait for the green glow, snap with Force Current. Don’t fight the alignment — trust the glow. Statue 2 is the toughest because of the body piece; orient it toward the torches and Force Palm it down from on top. When Force Palm won’t connect, switch to Focused Force Palm from the ground or get closer.
After all three are done, head to the top of the marked isle, speak with the Chief Monk, and move on into what is one of the more rewarding quest chains in Chapter 9.
For a full look at the game, check out our Crimson Desert review.
