One click and you're done. Thank you!
We’ve moved on from Weeping Creek Valley, leaving behind the body of The Hunt, Hunter of the Order after our second encounter, and moved onto the Crimson Forest in Phantom Blade Zero.
After finally meeting the much talked about Lady Inanis in person, and seeing another memory Crane Bell from the past, we find ourselves on a rickety wooden bridge greeted by Hua Qianxiao, as he drunkenly moves left to right, right to left, ominously threatening us.
This boss isn’t optional, and unfortunately for a lot of players, you can’t go round him and come back later. You have to beat him now, and if you’re here, you’re likely struggling to beat Hua Qianxiao in Phantom Blade Zero. Don’t worry, by the end of this guide, you’ll know all you need to know to beat him easily and quickly.
How to Beat Hua Qianxiao in Phantom Blade Zero
It’s important to say at the beginning, if you haven’t already, make use of the Bell just before this boss fight and upgrade your weapons and your abilities. By now you’ll have long since found Forge, and you’ll have done enough by now to upgrade two or three abilities, and you’ll need every single one. Once you’ve done that, head on over to the bridge to meet your next boss.
Hua Qianxiao is no simple boss. In fact, he’s one that’ll likely take you a couple of tries, if not more, to figure out his Drunken Monkey-like rhythms and attacks. At this point of the game, there’s multiple weapons, accessories and Phantom Edges you can choose to use, so you should know my loadout:
- Weapon 1: Jagged Steel – Obtained from Jagged Steel, The Frenzied Brute.
- Weapon 2: Scarlet Wraithblade – Obtained from Hua, Deadly Betrothed.
- Phantom Edge 1: Hunter’s Chain Sickle – Obtained from The Hunt, Hunter of the Order.
- Phantom Edge 2: Dread Axe – Obtained from Peng Meng, The Axemaster.
- Accessory 1: Reflex Device.
- Accessory 2: Battle Wraps.
- Accessory 3: Shieldbreaker Talisman.
- Medicine 1: Healing Gourd.
- Medicine 2: Vessel Restorative.
When you begin the fight, you’ll see Hua Qianxiao, The Sword Fanatic stop and drink from his gourd. If you attack him during this time, which I suggest you don’t, you’ll notice his Guard Meter is blue, and he has a forcefield-like-shield around him. At the end of his drinking, he’ll explode this, causing you damage, hence me suggesting you don’t attack him during this time.
He’s an extremely aggressive boss character to fight, and doesn’t let up whatsoever at any point. His sword swirls around him in a fashion that’ll remind you of gymnastic ribbons, just far more dangerous.
You may be tempted to go ham and attack him ruthlessly, but if you do this, you’ll get destroyed pretty quickly, so focus on parrying every attack that comes through his combos instead, lowering his Guard Meter and protecting yourself in the meantime.
In the early stages of the fight he favours two attacks, one that’ll be a six or seven hit combo, ending with a blue attack that you’ll want to parry with L1, the other a shorter combo which ends with a red attack where he throws his sword at you. Just like every other time in the game, hit R1 at this point and you’ll counter it, although you won’t have much of a window to launch a counter attack when this happens.
He will also use the red attack when he grabs you, which he can do at any point in the fight, and lies on you, inviting you to go drink with him. You’ll be unable to do anything as he once again drinks from his Gourd, but this time you’ll see his Guard Meter increase when he does. As he gets up, be prepared for a red attack as already mentioned.
When you do block and parry enough to break his Guard Meter and stun him, make sure you use this small amount of time to damage him as quickly as possible. Use triangle for your extra attacks, and as you see his Guard Meter climb up, either end your attack window with a single use of your Dread Axe Phantom Edge R2 attack, or use your L2 Power Surge attack from your Jagged Steel.
To beat Hua Qianxiao in Phantom Blade Zero is a matter of not only patience, but timing. As his health dwindles, he’ll get quicker in his attacks, mixing them up to keep you on your toes. Don’t forget to use all your medicines, as you can always use the bell after to replenish them, and always keep an eye on where he is. His floaty, ethereal movement can make this difficult, so make sure to lock on to him with R3.
A few things you won’t want to do at any point during the boss fight with Hua Qianxiao:
- Attack mindlessly.
- Just hold block.
- Use Power Surge or Phantom Edge attacks during one of his combos.
- Turn your back on him.
- Try to attack through the Blue and Red attacks.
If you can follow the above, and make sure not to hit any of the points on the above checklist, you’ll quickly learn his rhythms and attack combos and beat Hua Qianxiao in Phantom Blade Zero, which is no mean feat. Doing so will unlock the trophy A Thousand Cups Drained, and you’ll also receive the weapon The Fanatic’s Broken Blade.
For your next read, don’t miss our guide on opening the Cell Door in Weeping Creek Valley, or how to complete the Festering Secret Tale, if you haven’t already.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
Other Phantom Blade Zero Guides You Will Need
- How to Complete the Festering Secret Tale in Phantom Blade Zero
- How to Complete the Apprentice Healer Tale in Phantom Blade Zero
- How to Beat Hua, Deadly Betrothed in Phantom Blade Zero
- How to Complete A Severed Mindseal Tale in Phantom Blade Zero (Including Opening the Sha-Chi Furnace)
- How to Complete the Purge the Sect Tale in Phantom Blade Zero (and Get a Bow)
- How to Beat Peng Meng, The Axemaster in Phantom Blade Zero
- How to Find the Cell Key and Open the Weeping Creek Valley Cell Door in Phantom Blade Zero
- How to Upgrade Weapons in Phantom Blade Zero
- How to Beat Jagged Steel, The Frenzied Brute in Phantom Blade Zero (and get the Jagged Steel Weapon)
- How to Beat The Hunt, Hunter of the Order in Phantom Blade Zero
- How to Beat Zuo Shang in Phantom Blade Zero
