TL;DR
- Bloodline Awakening is an optional quest involving five Long Pillars across Wulin.
- Interacting with each pillar triggers a boss fight against the Gold-Masked One (also called the Man in Black).
- Long Pillars are in: Weeping Creek Valley, Crimson Forest, Meigu Lake (Island), Phantom Illusionist Ruins (Meigu Lake), and Mirage Estate.
- Each fight gives a unique reward — accessories, tempering materials, and more.
- Completing all five is required for the perfect true ending.
- The fifth pillar in Mirage Estate must be cleared before the final battle.
Bloodline Awakening is one of the most rewarding optional questlines in Phantom Blade Zero. It has no quest giver, no dialogue trigger, and no journal entry that points you straight to it. You stumble into it naturally — by finding the first Long Pillar in Weeping Creek Valley — and from there the quest runs quietly in the background as you explore each region.
Each Long Pillar holds a fight against the Gold-Masked One, a mysterious recurring boss who grows more challenging with each encounter. Beyond the good loot, clearing all five is a hard requirement for the game’s true ending. So if that’s your goal, this guide covers every pillar — where it is, how to reach it, and what you get.
What Are Long Pillars in Phantom Blade Zero?
Long Pillars (also written as Lóng Pillars) are tall dragon-marked stone structures found in specific locations across the world. When you approach and interact with one, you’re pulled into a contained boss arena for a fight against the Gold-Masked One. After the fight, the pillar crumbles and your reward drops.
The Bloodline Awakening quest tracks your progress across all five. It officially begins the moment you interact with the first Dragon Statue in Weeping Creek Valley. Every subsequent pillar you clear advances it further until all five are done.
Long Pillar 1 – Weeping Creek Valley
How to Reach It
This is the first pillar and the one that starts Bloodline Awakening. It’s in the Creek Valley Plains section of Weeping Creek Valley — the eastern part of the map.
To reach it, you’ll need the Rusted Loong Key. Find it inside a golden chest near the Long Pillar Overlook Crane Bell. From there, follow the path east — you’ll cross a rope bridge and enter a cavern system. The Rusted Loong Key unlocks a sealed gate along this route. See our Rusted Loong Key guide for the exact gate location if you get stuck.
Continue through the underground passage and emerge near the Long Pillar. Activate the Weeping Creek Long Pillar Bell for fast travel, then interact with the Dragon Statue to trigger the Bloodline Awakening quest and start the fight.
Reward
Counterstrike Bracers — an accessory that increases your damage output after landing a successful counter or parry. Very useful for the rest of the game if you play aggressively after deflects.
Long Pillar 2 – Crimson Forest
How to Reach It
The second pillar sits in the eastern section of Crimson Forest, near the end of the region. You’ll encounter it naturally during main story progression.
After defeating Stone Hand Iron Fever — the optional sub-boss in Crimson Forest — follow the mountain tunnel route through the area. The Long Pillar is along this path as you cut through the mountain. When the tunnel opens up, look to your left for the Mirrorwood Long Pillar Bell. Activate it, then interact with the Dragon Statue beside it to advance Bloodline Awakening and enter the fight.
This pillar sits just before the transition into Pangzhen, so make sure you stop and clear it before moving on to the next region.
Reward
Miraculous Scabbard — a Soul Tempering Material used to upgrade weapons and Phantom Edges. See our complete weapons list and Phantom Edges list to see which upgrades it applies to.
Long Pillar 3 – Meigu Lake (Eastern Island)
How to Reach It
The third pillar is on an island on the far eastern edge of Meigu Lake. To get there, you need to acquire the mechanical boat — the main mode of travel across Meigu Lake’s waterways.
Once you have the boat, sail to the extreme eastern side of the map. The island is marked on your map and there’s no hidden trick to finding it. What you will find when you get there is a group of enemies guarding the area, including a Butcher. Clear them out before approaching the pillar. Interact with the Dragon Statue to begin the third fight.
For more on navigating Meigu Lake, our Frozen Mirror Meigu Lake guide covers the region layout.
Reward
A Scorching Flame fragment (Soul Tempering Material) — one of two needed for a specific weapon upgrade later in the game. The other Scorching Flame fragment comes from Zhu Yuan, The Searing Blade, found below the Pangzhen Sha-Chi Tower.
Long Pillar 4 – Phantom Illusionist Ruins (Meigu Lake)
How to Reach It
This is the most involved pillar to reach. It’s hidden inside the Phantom Illusionist Ruins — a secret realm accessed through the mysterious mirror in western Meigu Lake. The mirror is sealed until you collect all four Acolyte Masks by defeating the four guardian scarecrow bosses scattered across Wulin.
Once you’ve unsealed the mirror area and entered the Phantom Illusionist Ruins, navigate through the dungeon until you reach the third Bell inside. From there, you need the Dread Axe Phantom Edge to break through a sealed gate blocking your path. The Long Pillar is just past that gate. Interact with the Dragon Statue to trigger the fourth Gold-Masked One fight.
If you’re still working on getting access to this area, our Frozen Mirror guide walks through the full unlock process including all four mask locations. For the Dread Axe, see our Primal Stone guide — the axe is an early Phantom Edge reward.
Reward
A significant story cutscene plays after this fight that deepens the Bloodline Awakening storyline. You also receive a Soul Tempering Material as a drop reward for the fight.
Long Pillar 5 – Mirage Estate (Final Pillar)
How to Reach It
The fifth and final Long Pillar is in Mirage Estate, the late-game area inside Pangzhen accessed through the Green Serpent House. This region only opens up near the end of the main story.
Once inside Mirage Estate, follow the main story path until you reach the Covered Corridor Bell. The Long Pillar is on the western side of Mirage Estate from that point. Continue along the marked route and the pillar will become visible. Interact with the Dragon Statue for the fifth and final Gold-Masked One encounter.
Do not miss this. The Mirage Estate Long Pillar must be cleared before you trigger the final story encounter. Once the endgame sequence begins, this pillar becomes inaccessible. If you’re also finishing The Wily Hare’s Three Dens and Quick Hand Zhang’s last treasure request in Mirage Estate, clear all of that in the same session before advancing.
Reward
Bastion of Mo Mask — a Soul Tempering Material and the final Bloodline Awakening reward. Completing this fight also finishes the quest itself, which is one of the required purple-icon quests for the true ending.
All Long Pillar Rewards at a Glance
- Pillar 1 – Weeping Creek Valley: Counterstrike Bracers (Accessory)
- Pillar 2 – Crimson Forest: Miraculous Scabbard (Soul Tempering Material)
- Pillar 3 – Meigu Lake Island: Scorching Flame Fragment (Soul Tempering Material)
- Pillar 4 – Phantom Illusionist Ruins: Soul Tempering Material + story cutscene
- Pillar 5 – Mirage Estate: Bastion of Mo Mask (Soul Tempering Material) + Bloodline Awakening complete
Tips for Fighting the Gold-Masked One
The Gold-Masked One is not a standard enemy. He fights like a mirror of Soul — fast, weapon-switching, and highly adaptive. Each encounter is harder than the last as he gains new moves. A few things to keep in mind:
- Parrying is the key. His moveset is heavily punish-based. Learn to read his attack patterns and parry on the counter window rather than trying to out-damage him straight up.
- He adapts between fights. Don’t assume the second fight plays like the first. Each encounter adds new attack phases and behaviors.
- Don’t over-commit. He punishes long combo strings. Land two or three hits, then back off and wait for your next opening.
- Our dedicated Gold-Masked One boss guide covers specific move counters and phase patterns for each fight.
Is Bloodline Awakening Missable?
Pillars 1 through 4 are not permanently missable — you can return to those regions after the story and clear them in free roam. However, Pillar 5 in Mirage Estate is time-sensitive. It must be done before the final story event triggers. After that, it’s gone and Bloodline Awakening can’t be completed that playthrough.
Since Bloodline Awakening is a required purple-icon quest for the true ending, leaving Pillar 5 uncleared means missing the best ending entirely. Plan accordingly when you enter Mirage Estate.
More Phantom Blade Zero Guides
- Gold-Masked One Boss Guide
- Rusted Loong Key – Where to Find and Use It
- Frozen Mirror Meigu Lake Guide
- Perfect Ending / True Ending Guide
- The Wily Hare’s Three Dens – All Hideout Locations
- Quick Hand’s Request – All Treasure Locations
- Primal Stone – A Severed Mindseal Guide
- Deep in the Valley Quest Guide
- All Phantom Edges List
- All Weapons List
- All Chapters List
Phantom Blade Zero is available on Steam, PlayStation Store, and Epic Games Store.
