I still vividly remember my first playthrough of Black Myth: Wukong back in 2024, and even now in 2026, the way its hidden side quests seamlessly weave into the world never ceases to amaze me. If you rush through the main story, you’ll miss a huge portion of the game—secret bosses, unique spells, critical defensive items, and entire hidden areas. Exploration is everything here. Almost every nook hides a quest that branches out across multiple chapters, and some rewards are permanently missable if you advance too far. I learned that the hard way, so let me walk you through all the side quests that I’ve come across, their triggers, and why they’re worth your time.
Chapter 1 – Bells, Frogs, and a Curious Horse
The first major side quest begins quietly in the forested hills of Chapter 1. Near the Back Hills shrine, I found a talking horse spirit, the Horse Guai NPC, who seemed oddly restless. Speaking with him until his dialogue looped kicked off a questline that would span the next five chapters—an incredible commitment I didn’t expect from a seemingly minor encounter. Meanwhile, three massive bells scattered across the region drew my attention. Ringing the first two was easy, but the third one, located near a hanging corpse, abruptly teleported me to the Secret: Ancient Guanyin Temple. There I faced Elder Jinchi, the first hidden boss, and after a tough fight I received the Fireproof Mantle, an absolute lifesaver in fire-heavy areas later on. I cannot overstate how useful that item is.
In the same chapter, around the Village Entrance shrine, I took down the gigantic frog boss Lang-Li-Guhh-Baw. Right after the fight, I noticed a dog-like NPC named Xu Dog sitting nearby. He disappeared once I progressed too far, so catching him early is crucial. If you miss him there, he’ll show up again at the Cellar shrine, trapped inside a vase. Freeing him gives you access to Mind Cores for stat upgrades and his shop, which becomes essential for the Bitter Lake quests in Chapter 3.
Chapter 2 – Drunken Boars and Rattling Drums
Chapter 2 introduced even more layered quests. At Rockrest Flat, I stumbled upon a boozy, incapacitated boar. Chatting with him started a multi-step quest that ultimately opened the secret Kingdom of Sahi area, one of my favorite hidden zones in the game. On a separate path, I defeated the Mother of Stone and looted the Stone Essence, then delivered it to the Man-in-Stone, which triggered a fight that rewarded me with the Azure Dust spell—a transformation ability that came in handy more times than I can count.
Another unforgettable chain began when I picked up the Old-Rattle Drum after defeating Tiger’s Acolyte near Windrest Hamlet. Following the eerie rhythm led me through a series of encounters and culminated in the Mad Tiger secret boss fight. The atmosphere during that quest was haunting. And yes, the Horse Guai showed up again, this time imprisoned in Sandgate Village. Freeing him and exhausting his dialogue continued his mysterious storyline.
Chapter 3 – Turtle Tears and Pagoda Captives
The North Shore of the Bitter Lake is a hub of hidden content. First, I defeated the Apramana Bat, then used a nearby skeleton to trigger a cutscene. Retracing my steps, I found a giant turtle that shed a tear—the Turtle Tear item—which you must grab before proceeding to Chapter 4, or the boss vanishes. Nearby, a secret underwater boss led to a quest requiring Xu Dog to complete, but the reward was well worth the backtracking.
A multi-part quest with the Treasure Hunter starts at the same shrine. I spoke to him at North Shore, then again at Towers of Karma, and finally at Melon Field. Completing all encounters unlocked the Green-Capped Martialist boss and the Spell Binder spell, one of the most powerful tools in my arsenal. At the Forest of Felicity, I interacted with a corpse by a gate and received a quest that led to the Non-Void boss, after which I collected the Snow Fox Brush accessory—it makes transformations last longer, a subtle but game-changing upgrade.
The pagoda prison area held another four-part quest. A prisoner near Lower Pagoda asked me to defeat four captains—Lotus-Vision, Wise-Voice, Kalpa-Wave—and collect their spirits. The Spirit of Captain Void-Illusion didn’t even require a fight. Returning all four spirits earned me a unique reward. Even the Horse Guai made an appearance near Thunderclap Temple Entrance, casually lounging as if he owned the place.
Chapter 4 – Cocoons, Venom, and Violet Hail
Chapter 4’s side content is arguably the densest. To unlock the secret area Purple Cloud Mountain, I had to defeat the Venom Daoist twice—first in his Old Cocoon at Pool of Shattered Jade, then again in Court of Illumination where the fight had two phases. On his death, he gestured at a wall, and using the “Go” command took me straight into the secret zone. Inside, two secret bosses waited: The Scorpionlord and The Duskveil, both incredibly tough. Also in Purple Cloud Mountain, I met Daoist Mi at Petalfall Hamlet, who gave me the Violet Hail spell if I completed his request quickly before he disappeared.
We also must not forget the Supreme Inspector encounter. Scattered across Webbed Hollow and Temple of Yellow Flowers were four altars with purple talismans. Collecting all four triggered a fight with this imposing boss. I almost missed it because I moved into Chapter 5 too fast, only to find out I had to wait for New Game+.
Once again, the Horse Guai turned up, this time trapped in a cocoon in Bonevault. Freeing him and hearing his ramblings added more mystery to his saga.
Chapter 5 – Carts, Drums, and a Bubbling Cave
At Ashen Pass I, I faced the Pale-Axe Stalwart, a secret boss who started talking after defeat. Exhausting his dialogue opened the way to Chapter 5’s secret area, Bishui Cave—a steaming, labyrinthine underworld. Another side quest here involved finding and pulling a whip handle attached to a cart at Valley Entrance. The Horse Guai was trapped inside yet again. After pulling, I returned to the same cart at the start of Chapter 6 using fast travel and pulled forcefully one last time. This finally freed him for good and granted me the Dark Thunder spell along with the Urge Unfulfilled trophy.
In the same chapter, a more peaceful quest involved Shen Monkey and the Old Man. By fully upgrading my gourd and interacting with both NPCs in a specific order, I unlocked the Supreme Gourd and the Always Accompanied trophy—a perfect capstone for dedicated exploration.
Why These Quests Matter
Every single one of these side quests taught me something new about the world of Black Myth: Wukong. They aren’t just filler; they unlock new combat options, lore, and memorable encounters. The Fireproof Mantle saved me during a later boss whose fire attacks would have roasted me otherwise. The Horse Guai’s journey across five chapters was tragically beautiful. And without Xu Dog’s shop and Mind Core upgrades, I’d have struggled far more in the late game.
If you’re diving into the game in 2026 for the first time, or replaying it, I strongly recommend taking your time. Explore thoroughly, talk to every strange character, and don’t rush those main story beats. The world is packed with secrets, and missing them is far too easy. I spent hours backtracking in my second run just to grab items I skipped the first time. Consider this your friendly heads-up—these side quests are what elevate Black Myth: Wukong from a great action game to an unforgettable adventure.
Happy hunting, Destined One. May your staff stay sharp and your transformations never run out.