So, you’ve been wandering around the perpetual thunderstorm of Inazuma and stumbled upon that weird, underwater hole in Araumi. It’s annoying, right? You see the waypoint, you see the domain icon on your map, but there’s just... water. Everywhere. The Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates isn’t just a fancy name for a Domain of Blessing or Mastery; it’s a one-time domain that serves as a massive rite of passage for anyone trying to actually "complete" the Narukami Island map.
Getting there is a nightmare if you don't know the trick. Honestly, most players end up googling it because the game doesn't exactly hold your hand. You have to navigate a series of underground ruins, solve cube puzzles that feel like they require a degree in mechanical engineering, and eventually drain an entire section of the ocean. It’s a lot. But the rewards—and the boss waiting nearby—make it a mandatory stop for any serious traveler.
The Struggle of Reaching the Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates
First things first. You can’t just swim there. The domain is tucked away in the North of Narukami Island, specifically under the Araumi region. To even see the entrance to the path leading to the Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates, you need the Memento Lens. If you haven't finished the "Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual" questline yet, stop reading this and go do that. You literally cannot progress without that little fox-lens.
Once you have the lens, you head to the ruined tower in Araumi. There are these Earth Kitsune statues. You scan them, buttons appear, and suddenly the floor drops out. It’s classic Genshin Impact. But the real headache starts once you're underground. You’ll find a water-logged corridor and a series of Electro cubes.
The trick with these cubes is symmetry. You want them all facing the same direction. Usually, hitting the middle one rotates others, and it becomes a game of "how many times can I hit this before I lose my mind." Once the water drains, you go deeper. You’ll pass a bunch of Ruin Sentinels—those annoying mechanical snakes and crabs—and eventually, you’ll find yourself standing in front of a massive cavern. This is the home of the Perpetual Mechanical Array, and tucked away in a side passage is the floor puzzle that finally unlocks the domain.
Why Does This Domain Even Exist?
It's a one-time domain. You go in, you beat some Kairagi and Nobushi, you grab the chest, and you’re done. So why do people care?
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- The Primogems: Obviously. We're all addicts.
- The Electroculus: There’s one nearby that’s a pain to get without opening this area.
- Adventure EXP: It gives a chunk that helps when you're hitting those mid-game walls.
- The Achievement: "Desert's Bloom" or related exploration checkmarks.
But more than that, the Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates represents the peak of Inazuma’s "puzzle-first" design philosophy. Back when Genshin first released Mondstadt and Liyue, things were simple. Light a torch, get a chest. Inazuma changed that. It introduced multi-step, environmental puzzles that required you to pay attention to the lore and the surroundings.
The domain name itself sounds poetic, which is very Inazuman. It refers to the idea of a vessel that carries nothing but potential, or perhaps the emptiness of the ruins themselves. It’s lonely down there. The music shifts, the atmosphere is heavy, and the boss nearby—the Perpetual Mechanical Array—is a constant humming reminder of the ancient civilization that used to occupy this space.
Solving the Floor Puzzles (The "One-Path" Rule)
When you finally reach the sealed doors of the Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates, you aren't met with a fight. Not yet. You’re met with two floor puzzles. These are "one-stroke" puzzles. You step on a tile, it lights up. You have to light up every single tile without stepping on the same one twice and without jumping off the grid.
The first one is easy. It's basically a spiral. Just walk the perimeter and wind your way inward. The second one? That’s the one that makes people rage-quit. It’s larger, it’s more complex, and if you mess up the very last tile, you have to reset the whole thing.
Pro Tip for the Second Floor Puzzle
Don't overthink it. Most people try to zig-zag through the middle immediately. Instead, try to clear the outer edges first. Think of it like painting a room; you don't start in the middle of the floor, or you'll paint yourself into a corner. Hug the walls of the puzzle grid, and slowly loop into the center. When that blue barrier finally dissolves and the domain rises out of the ground, the feeling of relief is genuine.
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The Boss Connection: Perpetual Mechanical Array
You can’t talk about the Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates without mentioning the "Lego Boss" (as the community calls it) sitting right next door. The Perpetual Mechanical Array is the only reason many players keep coming back to this underground hellscape. It drops the "Perpetual Heart," which you need for characters like Ayaka and Gorou.
Interestingly, you can actually reach the boss via a portal in Jinren Island without doing any of this puzzle work. But if you want to unlock the teleport waypoint right next to the boss—which makes farming infinitely easier—you have to unlock the domain path. Walking from the Jinren portal every time you want to fight the boss is a waste of stamina and time.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lore
There's a common misconception that this domain was part of the Shogun’s palace or some military outpost. It wasn't. Based on the item descriptions and the surrounding stone tablets, this area was likely associated with the ancient civilization that predated the current Inazuma power structure—similar to the ruins found in Enkanomiya or Tsurumi Island.
The "Thousand Gates" refers to the literal gates of the domain, but metaphorically, it hints at the many paths one could take in life or death. The "Empty Boat" is a classic Zen Buddhist metaphor. It suggests a state of being where you are unburdened by ego or possessions. If an empty boat hits your boat, you don't get angry at the boat; there's no one in it. It’s a bit deep for a game where you hit slimes with a flaming sword, but HoYoverse loves their philosophical deep cuts.
The Difficulty Spike
Let’s be real: Inazuma is hard. If you’re coming straight from the rolling hills of Liyue, the Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates and its surrounding puzzles feel like a massive jump in difficulty. The enemies have more HP, the puzzles require actual logic, and the environment is actively trying to kill you with Balethunder or sheer drowning.
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The domain itself features several Kairagi. These guys are no joke. They hit hard, they have high poise (meaning you can't easily knock them around), and if you don't kill the pair at the same time, one will heal and go into a berserker state. It's a gear check. If your artifacts aren't leveled or your team synergy is bad, you're going to have a rough time inside that "empty" boat.
Actionable Steps for Unlocking the Domain
If you’re staring at a wall of water and feeling stuck, here is exactly what you need to do. No fluff.
- Get the Memento Lens: Complete the "A Strange Story in Konda" and "Sacrificial Offering" quests. You cannot skip this.
- Enter the Araumi Well: Use the lens on the three small fox statues inside the ruined tower to open the hatches.
- Drain the First Level: Solve the cube puzzle by the first Sakura branch. Make them all face the wall.
- Swim to the Far End: There’s a long hallway filled with water. Swim all the way to the end, go up the stairs, and solve the second cube puzzle. This drains the rest of the water.
- Find the Waypoint: Once the water is gone, walk through the circular door. Follow the path past the Sentinels until you see the Perpetual Mechanical Array.
- The Floor Puzzles: Look for the pressure plates on the ground. Solve both "one-stroke" puzzles to finally raise the Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates from the earth.
- Bring a Cryo or Hydro Dealer: Inside the domain, you'll face Nobushi. Freeze teams or high-damage Vaporize setups work best to prevent them from dashing all over the room.
Unlocking this domain is basically the "final exam" of Narukami Island exploration. Once it's done, you have a permanent teleport point to one of the most important bosses in the game and a nice chunk of resources to boot. Just remember to bring a healer—those mechanical enemies in the hallway don't play fair.
Next Steps for Your Inazuma Journey
After you've cleared the Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates, make sure to head back to the surface and check the "Sakura Cleansing" progress. Often, players forget that the underground ruins lead to one of the roots needed for the final quest. Also, keep an eye out for the Old Stone Slates in the same underground area; you'll need those for the "Amenoma Kageuchi" sword blueprint, which is arguably the best free-to-play weapon for Ayaka and Jean. Grab the loot, tag the waypoint, and finally leave that damp, dark cave behind.