You’re wandering around Inazuma, probably just finished talking to that mysterious masked maiden Hanachirusato, and now you’re told to go to the abandoned shrine northeast of Konda Village. Sounds simple. It isn't. Genshin Impact loves to give you a map marker that points to a general "area" rather than a specific pixel, and this particular sub-quest of Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual is notorious for making people run in circles around Mt. Yougou.
Honestly, the "abandoned shrine" is more of a sprawling, eerie ruin than a single building. It’s tucked into the wooded slopes between Konda Village and the Grand Narukami Shrine. If you’re just looking at your mini-map, you’re going to miss the elevation cues. You have to look for the fox statues. Lots of them.
Finding the Actual Entrance
Don't just climb the nearest cliff. Start at the Konda Village northern exit and follow the path leading toward the mountain. You'll know you're close when the music shifts to that melancholic, slightly unsettling Inazuman ambient track. You are looking for a series of torii gates that look like they’ve seen better centuries.
When you get to the abandoned shrine northeast of Konda Village, the game doesn't just hand you the next objective. You’ll notice several "Earth Kitsune" statues—the small, glowing stone foxes. If you don't have the Memento Lens yet, you’re going to feel very lost. This is where most players hit a wall. You actually have to interact with specific NPCs that aren't exactly human. They are shadows. Ghostly apparitions that disappear and reappear in different spots once you "talk" to them.
The Ghost Puzzle: A Game of Hide and Seek
There are three shadows. You need to herd them like cats toward three fox statues standing in a circle near the main shrine building. It’s a bit of a spatial puzzle. Talk to one, and it teleports. You have to find where it went and talk to it again until it finally lands behind one of the three main kitsune.
- One shadow is usually right by the main shrine building.
- Another tends to hide further up the path, near a larger fox statue.
- The third is often perched on the roof of a small house or hidden behind a tree further down the slope.
Once all three are positioned behind the statues in the center, three exquisite chests appear. More importantly, the Ward you need for the next step of the ritual spawns on a rock nearby. Most people grab the loot and forget to pick up the quest item. Don't be that person.
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Why the Memento Lens Changes Everything
If you’re doing this quest and wondering why those small glowing foxes aren't doing anything, it’s because you haven’t finished the "Sacrifice" portion of the questline. You need the Memento Lens. You get this from the Grand Narukami Shrine after talking to Inagi Hotomi.
Basically, you point the lens at the small Earth Kitsune statues. This reveals memories of the past, hidden dialogues, or even physical objects that weren't there before. At the abandoned shrine, using the lens on the foxes reveals the lines of a ritual incantation. This isn't just flavor text. You actually need these lines to progress the quest at the massive Sky Kitsune statue later on.
The three lines you're looking for involve the "Imperial Envoy," the "Hakushin Bloodline," and "Bring forth the fried tofu!" It’s a weird mix of high-fantasy lore and... well, snacks.
The Barrier Under the Well
After you get the Ward from the abandoned shrine, the quest directs you to a cave. This isn't just any cave; it's a massive underground cavern system hidden behind a rusted gate. To open it, you need the rusted key you (hopefully) found in the well back at Konda Village.
Inside, you'll find the first major puzzle of the Cleansing Ritual. It involves a series of lanterns that you have to "order" correctly. You interact with the main lantern to set it to 1, then change the others to 2, 3, etc., based on the constellation pattern shown in the center of the room.
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- The middle lantern is 1.
- The one directly under the "boss" or center is 2.
- The three lanterns on the periphery are 3.
When you pray at the first lantern, an Ochimusha (a ghostly samurai) will spawn. He’s not a pushover if you’re under-leveled. Bring a shielder or a decent healer because the cramped quarters of the cave make dodging his wide swings a nightmare.
Common Misconceptions About This Quest
A lot of guides say you can skip the shadows if you already have the Ward. You can't. The shadows are a trigger for the quest progression flag. Also, people often mistake the "abandoned shrine" for the small shrine near the coastline. It's definitely on the mountain. If you see hilichurls and a Mirror Maiden, you've gone too far toward the beach or the woods.
Another thing: the weather in this area is perpetually gloomy until you finish the ritual. If it feels like it’s always raining or dark, that’s intended. It’s part of the "Tatarigami" or filth affecting the land.
Expert Navigational Tips
- Use your Elemental Sight. It highlights the shadows in a bright white/blue hue, making them much easier to spot against the dark foliage.
- Check the rooftops. One of the shadows is a notorious hider on top of the ruined structure.
- Don't forget the key. If you reached the gate and realized you didn't explore the bottom of the Konda Village well thoroughly, you’ll have to teleport back. The key is in a side room blocked by an Electro barrier inside that well.
The Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual is arguably one of the best world quests in Genshin because it doesn't hold your hand. It forces you to actually look at the environment. When you go to the abandoned shrine northeast of Konda Village, treat it like an investigation, not just a waypoint.
Finalizing the Ritual
Once the samurai is defeated and the barrier is cleansed, Hanachirusato will reappear. She’ll give you a bit more cryptic lore and send you on your way to the next locations: Chinju Forest and Araumi. The Araumi one is a massive headache involving underwater puzzles, so enjoy the relative simplicity of the abandoned shrine while you can.
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To move forward effectively, ensure you have a team with multiple elements. You'll need Electro to activate certain monuments and a Pyro or Cryo character to deal with the various shields you’ll encounter in the Narukami back-country. If you haven't yet, mark the locations of the small Earth Kitsune on your map; you'll likely want to come back with the Memento Lens later to find the hidden artifacts and chests you missed the first time through.
Check your inventory for the "Sacred Sakura Cleansing Summary" book if you get confused about the lore order. It actually keeps track of which shrines you’ve hit. The abandoned shrine is usually the second major "stop" on this long, strange journey through Inazuma's history.
Once you've cleared the shadows and grabbed the Ward, head directly to the barrier located in the cave south of the shrine area (near the base of the cliff) to finish this specific leg of the journey. Beating the samurai there is the only way to officially check this off your quest log and move toward the final confrontation at the roots of the Sacred Sakura.
Next Steps for Players:
- Verify the Ward: Ensure the "Omamori" is in your quest inventory before leaving the shrine area.
- Locate the Rusted Key: If you don't have it, return to the Konda Village well and look for the secret room behind the Electro-granum barrier.
- Prepare for Combat: Swap to a team capable of high burst damage (like National or Hyperbloom) before entering the cave barrier, as the Ochimusha samurai has high HP.
- Pin the Map: Mark the "Chinju Forest" waypoint next; that's the easiest of the remaining three cleansing sites to tackle.