You’re wandering through the Pagoda Realm in Black Myth: Wukong and you see them. Those glowing, pulsating purple circles on the cell doors. They look important. They look like they’re hiding something cool. But when you try to open them? Nothing. Just a faint shimmer and a locked door.
It’s frustrating.
The Pagoda Realm is already one of the most hated areas in the game because of that health-draining "Schism" mechanic that cuts your HP in half every few minutes. You don't want to spend more time here than you have to. But honestly, if you skip the Pagoda Realm purple seals, you’re missing out on some of the best narrative payoffs and character upgrades in Chapter 3. These aren't just random collectibles; they are tied to a specific quest involving the Third Prince and a group of captains whose spirits have been scattered.
The Secret Behind the Pagoda Realm Purple Seals
To break those seals, you need to find the source of the magic holding them shut. You can’t just hit them with your staff. You can't use a spell. You actually have to defeat a specific boss hidden within the prison complex: Captain Lotus-Vision.
Most players miss him because the layout of the Upper Pagoda is a literal nightmare. It’s a vertical labyrinth of narrow walkways and screaming statues. To find him, start at the Upper Pagoda Shrine. Instead of moving forward toward the boss of the area, look for a spot where the wooden railing is broken. You’ll have to drop down onto a lower rooftop. It feels like you’re falling to your death, but you aren't. Once you land, you'll find a hidden arena where Captain Lotus-Vision is waiting.
He’s a projectile-heavy boss. Lots of lasers. Lots of staying mobile.
Once he’s dead, you get a specific item—the Spirit of Captain Lotus-Vision. The moment he dies, every single one of those Pagoda Realm purple seals across the entire prison level will instantly dissolve. No more glowing barriers. Just open doors and loot.
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What’s Actually Behind Those Doors?
So, is it worth it? Sorta depends on how much you care about the "Prisoner" questline.
Behind one of the first seals you encounter (on the lower level) is an NPC—the Little Prince. He’s sitting in a cell, looking pretty miserable. He’s the one who tasks you with finding the four Captains of the Pagoda Realm. If you unlock his door after killing Lotus-Vision, you can actually talk to him and progress a story that eventually leads to a powerful transformation and a unique weapon craftable item.
You'll also find:
- Fine Gold Thread: Crucial for upgrading your armor to Mythical rarity later.
- Medicine ingredients: Useful, sure, but not the main event.
- Will: Lots of it.
- The Chubai Spear Head: This is the big one. This item is required to craft the Chubai Spear, which is arguably one of the best mid-game weapons because it integrates your Spirit attacks into your light attack combo.
If you ignore the seals, you basically lock yourself out of a unique playstyle for the rest of the chapter. Don't do that.
The Four Captains You Need to Know
While the purple seals are specifically tied to Captain Lotus-Vision, the quest itself requires you to track down three other "Captain" spirits. It’s a bit of a scavenger hunt across the New Thunderclap Temple and the surrounding snowy wastes.
- Captain Lotus-Vision: As mentioned, he’s in the Upper Pagoda. He is the "key" to the seals.
- Captain Wise-Voice: You’ll fight him as part of the main story. He’s the massive creature at the top of the Pagoda Realm with the giant glowing head. You can't miss him.
- Captain Void-Illusion: This one is tricky. His body is actually a massive corpse located in the Valley of Ecstasy. If you find the "Longevity Road" shrine, head toward the massive gate and look for a giant, unmoving body of a colossus in the snow. You just walk up and interact with it to take the spirit. No fight required.
- Captain Kalpa-Wave: You’ll encounter this guy right before you reach the New Thunderclap Temple. He’s the boss with the giant "hand" feet. He’s mandatory.
Once you have all four spirits—and you’ve used the death of Lotus-Vision to clear the Pagoda Realm purple seals—you go back to the prisoner's cell.
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Dealing with the Wardens
While you’re hunting these seals, you have to deal with the Lantern Wardens. These are the tall, spindly guys with lanterns for heads that appear when the screen goes gray and your health starts dropping.
Here is a tip most people get wrong: you can actually kill them.
Most players just hide in a cell and wait for the curse to pass. If you have the balls to fight them, killing them grants you a permanent curiosity called the Fine Relic of the Pagoda. But here is the catch—you have to kill all nine of them in a single run of the area before you kill Captain Wise-Voice. Once Wise-Voice is dead, the Wardens disappear forever, and you lose the chance to get that item.
It’s a high-risk, high-reward scenario. The purple seals make this easier because they give you more places to duck into if a Warden catches you off guard.
Navigating the Upper Pagoda Without Losing Your Mind
The Pagoda Realm is designed to make you feel claustrophobic. The walkways are thin. The bird-enemies love to kick you off the ledge.
When you’re looking for the Pagoda Realm purple seals, keep your camera angled slightly down. The level design uses verticality to hide things. If you’re just looking straight ahead, you’ll miss the drop-offs that lead to the secret areas. Also, use the Cloud Step spell. It’s a godsend here. If you’re mid-walkway and the "Schism" curse starts, Cloud Step lets you move faster and avoid the physical shove that some enemies try to give you.
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Actionable Steps for Completionists
If you want to clear this area perfectly, follow this specific order.
First, get to the Upper Pagoda Shrine. Do not go to the boss yet. Find the broken railing, drop down, and kill Captain Lotus-Vision. This clears all the Pagoda Realm purple seals.
Second, backtrack to the bottom floor. Go into the cell with the prisoner (the one singing/chanting). Talk to him through the bars now that the seal is gone.
Third, hunt the Lantern Wardens. Do this now. If you kill the main boss of the area first, they vanish, and you miss the unique drop. There are nine total. Use your heavy attacks to stagger them because they have surprisingly high poise for skinny guys.
Fourth, finish the chapter by collecting the remaining Captain spirits in the Valley of Ecstasy and the Temple entrance.
Finally, return to the cell in the Pagoda Realm. Hand over the four spirits. You’ll get the Chubai Spear Head. Go to any shrine, enter the "Craft" menu, and make that spear. It has a unique animation and great reach, making the boss at the end of Chapter 3 much more manageable.
The Pagoda Realm is a test of patience. The purple seals are the game's way of rewarding you for actually exploring a place that is actively trying to kill you. Don't let the HP drain scare you off; the rewards behind those glowing doors are some of the most impactful in the early-to-mid game of Black Myth: Wukong.