Finished Black Myth: Wukong and looking for the ultimate challenge? The secret boss gauntlet featuring The Four Heavenly Kings and Erlang Shen awaits you. This is an extremely difficult optional challenge in the post-game content, hidden in a secret area that requires significant effort to access. Overcoming them not only proves your supreme skill but also unlocks the game’s Secret Ending, a worthy reward for those persistent enough to explore to the very end.
How to Find The Four Heavenly Kings and Erlang Shen
To encounter The Four Heavenly Kings and Erlang Shen, you must first defeat Erlang, The Sacred Divinity. You can read this article for reference.
Immediately after Erlang, The Sacred Divinity is defeated, a spectacular cutscene will play. You (the Destined One) will be thrown and fall, but instead of dying, you transform into the giant Stone Monkey form. Simultaneously, Erlang reveals his true power, transforming into a mighty Kaiju form – this is Erlang Shen.
Now, you will face two consecutive battles in the giant Stone Monkey form, with no breaks in between:
- Kaiju Battle 1: Fight against The Four Heavenly Kings: Erlang Shen will step back, yielding the stage to these four giant celestial generals to attack you first.
- Kaiju Battle 2: Fight against Erlang Shen: Immediately after taking down The Four Heavenly Kings, you will enter the final battle, facing Erlang Shen directly in his Kaiju form.
Prepare yourself for an earth-shattering clash between colossal entities!
Defeating The Four Heavenly Kings (Kaiju Battle 1)
This battle is quite different because you are not controlling the usual main character but the giant Stone Monkey. Your opponents are the equally large Four Heavenly Kings, but luckily, they have a shared health bar. However, don’t underestimate them, as they can attack simultaneously (4v1 or 2v1) and use rather annoying Team Combo attacks.
To win, you need to master the Stone Monkey’s special skill set:
- Primal Punch: This is your basic Light Attack. Its main purpose is not just to deal minor damage but, more importantly, to build Focus (the resource used for powerful skills).
- Earthshatter Slam: A powerful Heavy Attack that consumes accumulated Focus. The key benefit of this skill is that, besides dealing area damage, it also HEALS you. Extremely Important Tip: This is your primary and practically only source of healing in this fight; use it wisely when you are low on health or want to maximize damage output.
- Rock Solid: Defensive/Deflect/Block skill. It doesn’t cost Mana but has a short Cooldown. Tip: Use Rock Solid frequently, especially when you see one of the Kings preparing to charge straight at you or unleash a strong attack. Timing it right can create counter-attack opportunities.
- Ice Bath: This skill unlocks about halfway through the fight. When activated, the Stone Monkey’s fists become covered in ice, causing Primal Punch attacks to deal additional Frost damage.
Suggested Tactics:
- Prioritize Building Focus: Continuously use Primal Punch to fill the Focus bar quickly.
- Heal and Deal Damage with Earthshatter Slam: As soon as you have enough Focus, unleash Earthshatter Slam. Prioritize using it when you need healing or when there’s an opportunity to hit multiple targets simultaneously.
- Proactive Defense with Rock Solid: Don’t wait until you’re in critical danger. Use Rock Solid whenever it’s available and you anticipate an incoming attack, especially charges from a distance.
- Utilize Ice Bath: Once this skill unlocks, activate it to boost your firepower, especially useful if any King seems weak to the Frost element.
- Stay Mobile and Observant: Avoid being surrounded by all four Kings. Watch out for their coordinated attacks.
During the fight, as you deal enough damage, individual Kings will be defeated through short battle cutscenes. Persistently chip away at their health until all four celestial generals fall.
Defeating Erlang Shen (Kaiju Battle 2)
This final battle also takes place in the giant Stone Monkey form, using the skill set you just familiarized yourself with. Erlang Shen is a single but extremely powerful opponent.
Phase 1 (Above ~70% Health)
In the initial phase, Erlang Shen primarily uses his giant sword for direct attacks. The hits are quite strong, but their range is relatively predictable.
Strategy: Basically, repeat what worked effectively against The Four Heavenly Kings. Use Primal Punch to build Focus, then unleash Earthshatter Slam to both deal significant damage and heal. Don’t forget to use Rock Solid to block his powerful sword swings.
Phase 2 (~70% Health and Below)
Major Change: When his health drops below 70%, Erlang Shen will imbue his sword with Fire Imbuement. He not only slashes but also uses it flexibly like a Fire Whip, significantly increasing his attack range and making his attacks much harder to predict.
Updated Strategy
- Maintain distance more carefully, watch out for unexpected fire whip lashes from afar.
- Survival Tip: This is where the Ice Bath skill becomes maximally effective. Activating it will help you counter or mitigate damage from Erlang Shen’s Fire-based attacks. Try to keep this effect active.
- Continue relying on Earthshatter Slam to offset the health lost from harder-to-dodge attacks.
Special Event (~50% Health)
When Erlang Shen’s health is around half, he will perform a special move: grabbing you and unleashing a powerful stream of fire.
Important Note: Your health bar will plummet drastically, looking like you’re about to die. BUT DO NOT PANIC, YOU WILL NOT DIE in this situation.
Change After Attack: After taking the full blast of fire, the Stone Monkey will transition into the Fiery Fist state. The Ice Bath skill will be replaced by Scorch Shower – a new Fire-based attack skill. Simultaneously, your health bar will begin a slow health regeneration.
Game Science’s intention here is clearly to create a dramatic moment while also granting you new power for the final phase.
Final Phase
With the Fiery Fist state and the new Scorch Shower skill, go all out attacking Erlang Shen.
Continue using Primal Punch to build Focus, Earthshatter Slam for healing and damage, Rock Solid for defense, and now also Scorch Shower to enhance firepower.
This is a battle of attrition and resource management (health and Focus). Keep whittling down Erlang Shen’s health, utilizing every skill you have until he is completely defeated.
The biggest and most important reward for successfully defeating The Four Heavenly Kings and Erlang Shen boss gauntlet is unlocking the game’s Secret Ending. Instead of just ending with the standard conclusion most players will see, completing this hidden quest chain and battle will offer you a different perspective, an ending that might be more profound or reveal additional crucial details about the story and the fate of the characters. This is the core reward for dedicated players who aren’t afraid to explore every nook and cranny and overcome the toughest challenges to fully understand the world and narrative of Black Myth: Wukong. Obtaining the Secret Ending is not only a proud achievement but also helps you gain a more comprehensive view of the Destined One’s journey. Enjoy your accomplishment and watch this special ending!
To conquer the secret boss gauntlet of The Four Heavenly Kings and Erlang Shen at Mount Mei, remember to thoroughly prepare the prerequisites before entering this lengthy Kaiju battle sequence. The key to victory lies in mastering the giant Stone Monkey’s skills: continuously build Focus with Primal Punch, utilize Earthshatter Slam for healing and damage, use Rock Solid for effective defense, and exploit Ice Bath/Scorch Shower at the right moments. This challenge demands patience and learning from failure, but the reward, the Secret Ending, is entirely worth your effort. Good luck, Destined One!