You’re running through the snow in Chapter 3. Your fingers are probably cold, but your character is sweating. If you are hunting for the Skull of Turtle Treasure in Black Myth: Wukong, you already know the struggle. It isn't just a regular drop. It is a grind that has broken more than a few players' spirits.
It's a Soak.
In this game, Soaks are those little items you shove into your Gourd to get extra buffs when you take a swig of healing. Some give you poison resistance. Others boost your mana. But this specific one? It’s all about the loot. Specifically, it increases the drop rate of items from enemies.
The irony is thick. You need to find a rare drop to get an item that helps you find rare drops.
Where exactly do you find the Skull of Turtle Treasure?
Don't go looking for a boss. You won't find it there. You have to hunt down a specific mob called the Turtle Treasure. These guys are bipeds. They walk around with massive turtle shells on their backs and carry heavy maces. They look intimidating until you realize they are just standing between you and a Platinum trophy.
The best place to farm them is in Chapter 3: The New West.
Specifically, you want to head to the Valley of Ecstasy. Look for the Mindless Cliff Keeper’s Shrine. From there, it's a short trek. You’ll find one of these turtle-shell-wearing jerks patrolling a path near a wooden structure. He’s predictable. He’s slow. And he is incredibly stingy with his belongings.
Some players prefer the Longevity Road shrine. There are a couple more Turtle Treasures scattered around that area. Honestly, it comes down to which run feels faster for you. If you can kill one and reset at the shrine in under thirty seconds, you're in the right spot.
The mechanics of the drop
Here is the thing about Black Myth: Wukong. It uses a standard RNG (Random Number Generator) system for these curios and soaks. There is no pity system. You could get it on your first kill. You could get it on your five-hundredth.
Most community data suggests the drop rate is somewhere around 1% to 3%. That’s low. Like, really low.
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You’ll know you got it when you see a gold-glowing item drop on the ground after the Turtle Treasure disappears into dust. It isn't an automatic inventory add like boss souls. You have to physically pick it up. Don't teleport away too fast.
Boosting your odds (Because you’ll need it)
If you're going to spend an hour killing the same enemy over and over, you might as well stack the deck. You aren't helpless against the RNG gods.
First, grab the Golden Carp curio if you have it. You get this from defeating the Yellow Loong. It increases the drop rate of items from enemies. It’s basically mandatory for this hunt.
Second, consider the See No Evil headgear. This piece of armor also boosts your find rate. Every little bit helps.
If you really want to go down the rabbit hole, there are certain spirits you can equip that marginally increase your luck, but the Golden Carp is the heavy hitter here.
Why do people even want this thing?
The effect of the Skull of Turtle Treasure is pretty straightforward: "Slightly increases the drop rate of items from enemies when using the Gourd."
Wait. Read that again.
When using the Gourd. This means the buff isn't passive. You don't just equip it and get better loot forever. You have to take a sip. This makes it a bit niche. It’s great for farming other rare materials or specific armor pieces from mobs, but it’s useless during a boss fight where the boss has a 100% guaranteed drop anyway.
Most people are just hunting it for the "Brewer’s Bounty" achievement. To get that achievement, you need to collect every soak in the game. This skull is often the last one on the list because the farm is so tedious.
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Dealing with the frustration of the grind
It gets boring. Really boring.
I’ve seen people talk about farming for four hours straight without a drop. Then someone else jumps in the thread and says they got it by accident while just passing through the area. That’s the nature of the beast.
If you feel like your game is bugged, it probably isn't. But there is a common superstition in the Wukong community: restart your game. Does it actually reset the RNG seed? Probably not. Does it make you feel better? Absolutely.
Another tip: don't use your most complex combos. You’re doing this for efficiency. Use the A Pluck of Many spell if you have the mana to spare, or just hit them with a heavy smash stance. The goal is to minimize the time between the enemy dying and you sitting back down at the shrine.
Common misconceptions about Chapter 3 drops
A lot of players confuse the Turtle Treasure mob with the giant Turtle island you ride on earlier in the chapter. They are totally different. You can't farm the giant turtle.
Also, some think the Skull is a Curio. It’s not. It’s a Soak. If you are looking in the wrong tab of your inventory, you might already have it and not even realize. Go to your Gourd customization menu at a shrine to check.
Comparison with other rare soaks
Is the Skull of Turtle Treasure the hardest item to get?
Maybe.
The Tender Jade Leaf and the Goat Skull are also pretty notorious. The Goat Skull requires you to pick plants—specifically Licorice—over and over again. At least with the Turtle Treasure, you’re getting some Will and Experience points while you farm. Picking herbs feels much more like a chore.
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The Steel Ginseng is another one that drives people crazy. That one comes from pulling up Aged Ginseng plants, which occasionally turn into enemies.
Compared to those, the Turtle Treasure farm is actually somewhat "active." You’re fighting. You’re practicing your timing.
Visual cues and the Turtle Treasure's moveset
The mob itself isn't a pushover if you’re under-leveled. They have a spin attack that can catch you off guard. They also like to slam their mace down with a slight delay. If you’re speed-farming, just freeze them with Immobilize, get behind them, and unload.
They have high poise. Don't expect them to stagger just because you hit them with a light attack.
Finalizing your collection
Once you finally see that gold glow, grab it and head to the nearest shrine. Equip it just to see the icon in your Gourd. It looks like a bleached, hollowed-out turtle head. Kind of macabre, but fits the aesthetic of the game perfectly.
If you are going for 100% completion, this is one of the "walls" you have to climb.
Next Steps for the Hunt:
- Check your gear: Equip the Golden Carp curio and the See No Evil mask before you start.
- Pick your spot: Use the Mindless Cliff shrine for a single, fast kill, or Longevity Road for a slightly longer loop with more targets.
- Optimize the kill: Use Immobilize immediately to prevent the Turtle Treasure from starting its spin animation.
- Reset quickly: Don't waste time picking up every tiny drop of Will unless you really need it; focus on the gold glow.
- Audit your inventory: Frequently check the "Soaks" section of your Gourd menu to ensure you didn't miss the pickup notification during a mindless farming session.
The grind is real, but the reward is a completed journal and a slightly better chance at the rest of the game's rare loot.