How to Get Past the Frozen Mirror on Meigu Lake in Phantom Blade Zero

TL;DR

The Frozen Mirror is in the northwestern corner of Meigu Lake, called the Four Guardians’ Mirror.
You need all four Acolyte Masks to unlock it — one from each major region.
You also need both Crystal Puppet Eyes before the mirror fully opens the way forward.
The mirror is tied to the Secrets at the Heart of the Lake quest.
Once unlocked, it takes you to the Phantom Illusionist Ruins — a hidden dungeon with a tough boss.
Completing this area is required for the True Ending of the game.

Table of Contents

What Is the Frozen Mirror on Meigu Lake?

When you explore Meigu Lake by boat, the northwestern corner of the map stands out right away. The water there is completely frozen. This icy area is called the Four Guardians’ Mirror, and there is a mysterious mirror at the center of it.

The mirror is a barrier. You can reach the bell in the area, but you cannot pass through the mirror or enter the area beyond it until you meet a specific requirement. The game does not spell this out clearly, which is why so many players get stuck here.

This frozen mirror is directly connected to the side quest Secrets at the Heart of the Lake. To open it, you need all four Acolyte Masks — and to fully unlock everything beyond, you also need both Crystal Puppet Eyes.

How to Reach the Frozen Mirror Area

To get to the frozen section, you need the Sha-Chi-powered boat. You unlock this by defeating Soulclaimer at the end of Pangzhen and reaching the docks. From there, sail northwest across Meigu Lake.

Look for a small entrance in the icy cove on the western side. Dock your boat and walk through the entrance into the frozen area. Keep moving forward to find the Four Guardians’ Mirror Bell — make sure to ring it for fast travel. Then continue ahead to reach the mirror itself.

You will see the mirror but cannot interact with it properly until all four Acolyte Masks are in your inventory.

How to Unlock the Frozen Mirror – All Four Acolyte Masks

Each Acolyte Mask comes from a scarecrow found in a different region. You need to interact with the scarecrow, which triggers a boss fight. Defeating that boss drops the mask. Here is where to find each one.

Yanryus Blazing Mask Village of Lu

Mask 1 – Yanryu’s Blazing Mask (Village of Lu)

The first mask is in the Village of Lu. Find the scarecrow in this region and interact with it. This starts a boss encounter with Acolyte Yanru, a fire-based boss. Stay mobile and watch for the expanding flame attacks, especially in the second phase when the fire range increases. Defeating Yanru drops the Blazing Mask.

Mask 2 – Leiting’s Thunder Mask (Pangzhen)

The second scarecrow is in Pangzhen. To reach it, you need the Flaming Mane Phantom Edge, which you get from defeating the Lion Dance Grandmaster boss in Pangzhen. The Flaming Mane lets you reach areas blocked by brambles or environmental obstacles in the region. Find the scarecrow, interact with it, and defeat Acolyte Leiting to get the Thunder Mask.

Mask 3 – Guhe’s Venom Mask (Meigu Lake)

The third scarecrow is in Meigu Village, which sits in the Meigu Lake region itself. Head to the Meigu Village East Dock by boat. The scarecrow is in this area. Defeat Acolyte Guhe to collect the Venom Mask.

Mask 4 – Hansui’s Frost Mask (Crimson Manor)

The fourth and final scarecrow is inside the Crimson Manor. This is an optional area you can access during the later stages of the game. Defeat Acolyte Hansui there to earn the Frost Mask. The Crimson Manor also happens to be where you find both Crystal Puppet Eyes, so it makes sense to save this one for last if you want to collect everything in one run. For help getting into this area, see our guide on how to enter Crimson Manor.

What Are the Crystal Puppet Eyes?

Besides the four masks, you also need two Crystal Puppet Eyes — one Yin Eye and one Yang Eye — to complete everything inside the Phantom Illusionist Ruins. These are found during the late-game content tied to the Crimson Manor and related questlines. Since the Crimson Manor is where you find both eyes alongside the last mask, it is worth completing that area thoroughly before returning to the Frozen Mirror.

How to Open the Frozen Mirror and Enter the Phantom Illusionist Ruins

Once you have all four Acolyte Masks in your inventory, return to the northwestern section of Meigu Lake and approach the Frozen Mirror. Interact with it. The masks will shatter the glass barrier automatically, transporting you into Meigu Lake’s Discordance — the hidden realm known as the Phantom Illusionist Ruins.

Inside, explore carefully along the wooden walkways and cliffside paths. You will face tough enemies and reach a chapter-ending boss — the Blizzard Blademaster. Defeating this boss drops the Whiteshadow weapon. There is also a Phantom Bell near the mirror entrance that you should ring before going in, so you can fast-travel back for a second attempt if needed.

After defeating the boss inside, you can use both Crystal Puppet Eyes at the statue within the ruins to fully complete the Secrets at the Heart of the Lake quest.

Why This Quest Matters – True Ending Requirement

Getting past the Frozen Mirror is not just optional content. It is one of the required steps to unlock the True Ending of Phantom Blade Zero. Before entering the Mirage Estate in Pangzhen, you need to complete several purple-icon quests, and Secrets at the Heart of the Lake is on that list.

If you skip this area and push into the final region, you will get the Normal Ending. So if you care about seeing the full story, make sure you clear the Phantom Illusionist Ruins before continuing into Mirage Estate.

There is also a Lóng Pillar inside the mirror area, which adds to another set of optional objectives worth completing. The area is content-dense and rewards thorough exploration.

Quick Tips Before Attempting the Mirror Area

Ring the Four Guardians’ Mirror Bell before entering. This gives you a fast-travel point right outside. If the boss fight inside goes badly, you can come back quickly.
Save Crimson Manor for last. It gives you both the final mask and both Crystal Puppet Eyes together, making it the most efficient final stop before using the mirror.
You do not need all four masks to explore Meigu Lake. You can freely sail around, collect bells, and do other content in the region before tackling the mirror.
The Flaming Mane is required for Leiting’s mask. Don’t try to reach that scarecrow in Pangzhen before you have the Flaming Mane Phantom Edge — you won’t be able to get there.

More Phantom Blade Zero Guides

If you are working through all of the game’s optional content and secret areas, these guides cover a lot of what connects to this part of the game:

You can also find weapon and gear guides worth checking before entering the Phantom Illusionist Ruins: Feather Bow Phantom Edge, Tiger Cannon Phantom Edge, and the Hunter’s Chain Sickle. Also worth reading before going in: the Preservation Talisman Fragments guide and what to do with Prayer Beads.

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