Kuye Temple Prayer Beads in Phantom Blade Zero

TL;DR

Kuye Temple Prayer Beads are a Summoning Phantom Edge found in Village of Lu.
Defeat Master Bi Hai of Kuye Temple — an optional but story-adjacent boss near the Smuggler’s Tunnel Entrance Bell.
Press R2 to summon 3 Fist Bronze Men who fight for 15 seconds or until defeated. Costs 2 Remnant Sparks.
The only Summoning-type Phantom Edge available in the Village of Lu region.
Soul Temper with the Kuye Temple Sutra (from completing The Sword and the Way) to upgrade the Bronze Men into stronger Gold Men variants.
Master Bi Hai is weak to Fire and Poison — useful to know before going in.

Table of Contents

What Are the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads in Phantom Blade Zero

The Kuye Temple Prayer Beads are a Summoning-type Phantom Edge in Phantom Blade Zero. They’re an ancient string of prayer beads left behind by Master Bi Hai, and when invoked they call up the long-departed disciples of Kuye Temple — three Fist Bronze Men — who materialise and fight alongside you for up to 15 seconds.

This makes them fundamentally different from every other Phantom Edge covered so far. The Dread Axe, Iron Gauntlets, and Bastion are all things Soul wields directly. The Prayer Beads don’t give Soul a weapon — they give him allies. That frees you to focus entirely on your main weapon combos while three Bronze Men add their own pressure, chip damage, and Sha-Chi drain on the side.

Their base stats are Summon Damage: 22 and Summon HP: 1,236 per monk. These figures cover the summoned Bronze Men, not Soul himself. As you upgrade the beads, those numbers scale upward and new abilities expand what the summons can do in a fight.

For the full list of all Phantom Edges in the game, see our Phantom Blade Zero All Phantom Edges List.

How to Get the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads in Phantom Blade Zero

You get the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads by defeating Master Bi Hai of Kuye Temple — an optional boss in the Village of Lu. He’s not required to complete the main story path, but his arena is directly on the route through the region, so most players will encounter the trigger naturally.

The closest fast-travel point is the Smuggler’s Tunnel Entrance Bell. From there, head into the Smuggler’s Tunnel Entrance area and look for an injured NPC near a locked door. Speak to them — this updates the local quest context and triggers the boss encounter. Then go to the body of water nearby and the fight with Master Bi Hai begins.

Who Is Master Bi Hai of Kuye Temple

Master Bi Hai is a monk puppet who has been possessed by The Herald and now occupies the Smuggler’s Tunnel. His lore describes him as someone who withdrew from the world and sought peace, wishing only for the Buddha’s teachings to deliver people from suffering — until the ancient temple could no longer shut out corruption. His monk’s robes hang in tatters, and even in his possessed state his face still shows traces of compassion.

In battle, he creates an ethereal golden qi bell around himself that shields him from attacks and summons Fist Bronze Men of his own to protect him. You’re essentially fighting the same monk disciples you’ll later command yourself.

How to Beat Master Bi Hai of Kuye Temple

Master Bi Hai is weak to Fire and Poison — if you have the Flying Dagger for poison or any fire-element accessory or weapon, bring them. His attacks centre on quick palm strikes, a soaring double-palm lunge, and an unblockable red-flash shout attack where he emits a burst of concentrated light from his head.

His main mechanic is the golden qi bell he raises around himself, which protects him from damage while three Bronze Men appear to guard and attack. You have two options here: kill the Bronze Men to break the bell, or use a high Guard Break weapon to shatter the bell directly. The Shieldbreaker Talisman combined with the Dread Axe or a two-handed weapon with strong guard break stats breaks the bell faster without needing to deal with all three adds. Either way works — choose what fits your current build.

For his unblockable shout, the red glint flashes slightly before the hitbox activates. Delay your dodge by a fraction after seeing the red glint to time a perfect dodge, then counter immediately. His palm strike combos are otherwise parry-friendly — stay close, parry the strings, and punish his recovery. Avoid getting surrounded by his Bronze Men by constantly repositioning rather than standing still to fight each one.

Defeating Master Bi Hai rewards you with the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads, an Arrowward accessory, a Mandate Masters’ Memory Flower, 15,600 Remnant Dust, and a Blackstone found in a purple chest in the river just past his arena.

All Kuye Temple Prayer Beads Skills in Phantom Blade Zero

The Prayer Beads unlock new abilities as you level them up. Here’s every skill from base pickup through upgrades and Soul Temper:

Active Ability (Level 1): Press R2 to summon 3 Fist Bronze Men. They fight alongside you for 15 seconds or until each is defeated. Summoning again while monks are active replaces the existing ones. Costs 2 Remnant Sparks.
Summon HP and Damage scaling (Upgrades): Each upgrade level increases the Summon HP and Summon Damage of the Bronze Men, making them more durable and harder hitting as you invest materials.
Additional arts unlock at Level 5, 10, 15, and 25 — each threshold grants new passive or active bonuses that improve how the Bronze Men fight, how long they last, or how they interact with enemies. Specific arts are tied to Summoning-type upgrade materials.
Golden Formation (Soul Temper): The three summoned Bronze Men are upgraded into Gold Men variants — a Fist Gold Man, a Staff Gold Man, and a Blade Gold Man. All three retain every upgrade previously applied to the Bronze Men forms, so investing in the beads before Soul Tempering directly carries over into stronger Gold Men.

How to Soul Temper the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads

The Soul Temper material for the Prayer Beads is the Kuye Temple Sutra. Getting it involves a questline that spans into Pangzhen.

Complete the quest The Sword and the Way in Pangzhen. Once that’s done, return to Daoist Bi Di in Myst’s Tavern in Pangzhen. He’ll hand over the Kuye Temple Sutra as a reward for completing the quest. Soul Tempering is unlocked after meeting Myst herself in Pangzhen, and the upgrade costs 5,000 Remnant Dust plus the Sutra.

The result — Golden Formation — transforms all three Bronze Men into Gold Men. Each variant fights differently: the Fist Gold Man is a brawler (like the original Bronze Men), the Staff Gold Man has longer reach with polearm attacks, and the Blade Gold Man deals cutting damage with a sword. This gives the summon spread broader attack coverage and makes the monks more effective against different enemy types. Crucially, every upgrade level you’ve already put into the Prayer Beads applies to the Gold Men from the moment of Soul Tempering — so the earlier you invest in upgrades, the stronger the Gold Men are on day one.

How to Use the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads in Combat – Tips

Summon at the Start of Every Significant Fight

The 15-second duration starts the moment you summon. Get the Bronze Men out as early as possible in a fight so they contribute for the full window rather than arriving late and disappearing before they’ve done anything. In boss fights, drop them the moment the encounter begins — three monks punching a boss while you’re landing parry counters adds up to meaningful extra Sha-Chi drain and chip damage that shortens phases.

Use Them as Distraction Against Aggressive Bosses

The Bronze Men draw aggro from many enemies. An aggressive boss that keeps chasing Soul constantly will sometimes pivot to target a monk instead, giving you a free window to reposition, heal, or land an attack from behind. This is especially useful when you’re low on health and need a moment to use medicine — summon the monks, let one pull focus, and recover safely while the boss is distracted.

Re-Summon Immediately If They’re Destroyed

If all three Bronze Men are killed before the 15-second window ends, you can re-summon immediately for another 2 Remnant Sparks. Against bosses with wide AoE attacks that wipe out the monks quickly, plan for this — keep Sparks in reserve so you can replace them rather than losing the summon advantage mid-fight.

The 2-Spark Cost Means You Need Good Spark Management

Most Phantom Edges cost 1 Remnant Spark. The Prayer Beads cost 2. This is the main trade-off of running them. If you’re also using a second Phantom Edge that costs 1 Spark (like the Hunter’s Chain Sickle or Feather Bow), a single summon and a follow-up Edge use can drain your Sparks in two actions. Plan your Spark use deliberately — don’t summon casually when you’re about to need Sparks for a clutch Phantom Edge attack.

Gold Men Are Worth the Wait

The Soul Temper upgrade feels like a different weapon altogether. Three identical Bronze Men punching in the same style is fine. A Fist, Staff, and Blade Gold Man attacking with three different weapon types at once creates real chaos for enemies and bosses trying to track multiple threats. If you’re investing in the Prayer Beads for the long game, upgrade the beads early and Soul Temper them as soon as you complete The Sword and the Way — the jump in summon quality is noticeable.

Pair With Fast Weapons to Maximise Summon Windows

The 15-second window rewards weapons that hit fast and often while the monks are active. Dual-wield weapons and quick one-handed blades like Jagged Steel or Sanguine let you land the most hits in the summon window. Slower two-handed weapons miss out on some of that window time while winding up. Summon the monks, then immediately switch to your fastest-hitting main weapon and go to work.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads

Is Master Bi Hai a Required Boss?

Technically he’s optional, but the Smuggler’s Tunnel area he guards is on the route players naturally take through Village of Lu. Talking to the injured NPC near the locked door triggers his appearance — most players encounter this just by exploring the area. If you deliberately avoided the fight, head back to the Smuggler’s Tunnel Entrance Bell and look for the injured NPC.

Can the Bronze Men Be Replaced Mid-Fight?

Yes. If they’re destroyed before the 15 seconds are up, pressing R2 again spends another 2 Remnant Sparks and summons a fresh set. You can also re-summon while monks are still active to reset the 15-second timer, though this replaces all existing monks immediately.

Do Bronze Men Upgrades Carry Over to Gold Men After Soul Tempering?

Yes — that’s one of the best things about the Golden Formation upgrade. Every upgrade level you invested in the Prayer Beads before Soul Tempering directly improves the Gold Men from the moment they’re unlocked. The Gold Men retain all weapon level upgrades the Bronze Men had.

What Type of Upgrade Materials Do the Prayer Beads Use?

The Kuye Temple Prayer Beads use Summoning-type Phantom Edge upgrade materials, which are separate from Martial, Ranged, Destructive, or Artifice materials. This means investing in them doesn’t compete with weapons like the Iron Gauntlets or Bastion.

The Kuye Temple Prayer Beads fill a niche nothing else in the early game covers — a true summon that fights independently while you work your main weapons. Three monks adding Sha-Chi pressure on a boss while you’re parrying and counter-attacking changes the pace of hard fights in ways other Phantom Edges simply can’t. Once you Soul Temper them into Gold Men, the variety of their attacks makes them even harder for enemies to ignore. Don’t sleep on this one just because it costs 2 Sparks.

For more on the game, visit the official Phantom Blade Zero website. The game is available on Steam, PlayStation Store, and Epic Games Store.

More Phantom Blade Zero guides:

Kuye Temple Prayer Beads in Phantom Blade Zero – How to Get Them and Use Them

What Are the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads in Phantom Blade Zero