Tracing the Traces of Mt Firmament VI: Finding Every Quest and Secret

You’re staring at a map completion percentage that just won't budge. It’s sitting at 98% or 99%, and honestly, it’s driving you a little crazy. We’ve all been there in Wuthering Waves. You’ve scoured the peaks, you’ve dived into the frosty waters, and yet the Traces of Mt Firmament VI quest or exploration data remains elusive.

Mt Firmament isn't just another zone in Jinzhou. It’s a vertical nightmare—or a dream, depending on how much you like grappling hooks. When Kuro Games dropped version 1.1, they tucked away "Traces of Mt. Firmament" as a side quest chain that basically acts as a tour guide for the island's lore. But finding the sixth part? That’s where things get messy for most players. It’s not just about walking to a waypoint. It’s about understanding how the Chronosorter mechanics interact with the environment and making sure you haven't skipped a pre-requisite hidden behind a stray NPC dialogue.

Why Traces of Mt Firmament VI feels impossible to find

Most players get stuck because they expect a linear progression. Gaming doesn't always work that way anymore. In the case of Mt Firmament, the quest markers sometimes "ghost" you if you haven't triggered specific world state changes.

The Traces of Mt. Firmament questline is essentially a collection of photo-taking and exploration tasks. You meet an NPC named Xingli. She wants photos. You give her photos. Simple, right? Well, by the time you reach the later stages, specifically looking for those final traces or the sixth major exploration milestone, the game stops holding your hand. You have to actually look at the environment.

The island is divided into distinct layers: the shore, the frozen cliffs, and the temporal anomalies. If you’re missing that final bit of "trace" data, it’s usually because of the Malleable Crane puzzles or a specific Windchimer that is tucked under a rock shelf you’ve flown over fifty times. I've spent hours circling the Truth-Seeker's Pass just to realize the "trace" I was looking for was actually a perspective puzzle I hadn't stood in the right spot to activate.

The Chronosorter Factor

You can't talk about Mt Firmament without talking about time manipulation. This is the core gimmick. If you’re hunting for the final traces, you have to toggle the state of the environment. Some chests and quest items—which count toward your total "traces" of exploration—only exist in the "past" or "present" versions of the map.

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If you see a block of ice that looks suspicious, it probably is. Use the Chronosorter nearby. Melt it. Suddenly, a quest item appears. This isn't just fluff; it’s the mechanical backbone of the entire 1.1 update.

The actual locations you’re probably missing

Let's get specific. When people search for Traces of Mt Firmament VI, they are usually looking for the final photo location or the last few Windchimers required to max out the exploration rewards at the Chenpi NPC.

1. The Loong's Crest: This is the highest point. Most people get here for the view, but they miss the small interaction point near the horn. It’s a "trace" of the Sentinel Jué. If you haven't stood exactly on the glowing gold particles, the quest won't update.
2. Hidden Caves near Hongzhen: There’s a waterfall to the north of the main village. Behind it isn't just a chest; there’s a tablet. Reading this tablet is often the "hidden" trigger for the final stage of the Traces questline.
3. The Underwater Ruins: You can’t breathe underwater, but the game lets you walk in certain air-pocketed ruins. There is one specific trace located near the teleport waypoint south of the "Luminous Shore" that requires you to follow a golden butterfly (a standard trope, but easy to lose in the blue-on-blue color palette of the zone).

Honestly, the hardest part is the verticality. The map is a lie. It’s a 2D representation of a 4D space. You might be standing right on top of the "trace," but it's 200 meters below you in a sea cave. Or it's 300 meters above you on a floating rock shard.

Dealing with the "Side Quest" Bug

There was a known issue—though mostly patched now—where the quest "Traces of Mt. Firmament" would stall if you completed the main "Thaw of Eons" story too quickly without talking to the NPCs in Hongzhen. If your quest log is empty but your map says 90%, go back to the souvenir shop. Talk to everyone. Sometimes the "VI" part of your exploration journey is just waiting for a dialogue trigger.

Maximizing your exploration efficiency

Don't just aimlessly wander. That's a waste of time. You've got better things to do, like farming Echoes with the right substats.

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First, get the Lootmapper. If you aren't using the Lootmapper in Mt Firmament, you are playing on hard mode for no reason. It highlights the chests, but more importantly, it helps you visualize the layers of the map. If you see a chest icon but nothing is there, start looking for a hole in the ground.

Second, the Windchimers. These are the "Anemoculus" of Wuthering Waves' 1.1 region. There are 50 of them. Finding the 40th through 50th is basically what constitutes the "Traces of Mt Firmament VI" experience for completionists. Most of these are stuck to the undersides of bridges or high up on the "frozen" waterfalls that look like solid glass.

Tactical Checkpoints for 100% Completion

• Check the Resonance Caskets: Even though the main ones are in Jinzhou, the "traces" left behind here often count toward the local map completion.
• The Photon Barrier puzzles: There are a few near the Forbidden Forest area that require a specific sequence. If you mess up the sequence, the "trace" doesn't register. Reset the puzzle by teleporting away and back if it feels stuck.
• NPC Quests: "Gift of Trees" and "Mt. Firmament's Story" are the two big ones. If these aren't done, your "Traces" count will never hit the maximum.

The Truth about the "VI" designation

In many community guides and forum posts, "VI" (or 6) refers to the sixth tier of the rewards at the Windchimer merchant or the final stage of the photo quest. It's a bit of a colloquialism. The game doesn't always explicitly label it "Part 6" in your journal. Instead, it’s the point where you’ve cleared the "Aspirations in the Mountain" quest and are cleaning up the remaining secrets.

It's actually kinda cool how Kuro Games layered this. They didn't make it a checklist. They made it a scavenger hunt. But when you’re one item short, "cool" is the last word you’d use. You’re probably using words I can’t type here.

Expert Tip: The Camera is a Tool

Remember that the quest "Traces of Mt. Firmament" is fundamentally about the camera tool. If you are at a location that looks significant—like the view of the suspended dragon statue—and nothing is happening, try opening your literal in-game camera. Sometimes the "trace" isn't an object you pick up, but a photo you take. Look for the little green camera icon on your HUD. If it's there, you’re in the right spot for a Trace.

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Correcting Common Misconceptions

People think you need to find every single tiny box to finish the "Traces" of the island. You don't. The exploration percentage is actually a bit generous. You can hit 100% while still missing a couple of common chests. However, you cannot hit 100% if you miss the "Viewpoints" (the purple telescopes). Those are the real Traces of Mt Firmament that most people overlook. There are exactly six major viewpoints on the island. See the connection?

If you have five telescopes on your map and you're looking for the sixth, check the very edge of the map, far to the southeast of the Dragon's Rest. It’s on a tiny sandbar that barely looks like part of the zone.

Actionable steps to finish your Mt Firmament collection

If you are stuck at 99%, do exactly this:

1. Teleport to the top of Mt Firmament. Use the highest waypoint. Glide slowly down in a spiral. Most "traces" are missed because we teleport to the bottom and try to climb up. It's much easier to see things from above.
2. Check your Archive. Go to the "Gallery" and then "Viewpoints." If you see a silhouette, you haven't found that trace yet. Match the silhouette to the landscape.
3. Visit the Windchimer merchant. If you can't buy the last tier of rewards, you are missing Windchimers. Use an interactive map for the last five. Don't try to "wing it" at that point; you'll just get frustrated.
4. Change the time of day. Some NPCs for the final traces only appear at night (in-game time). Move your clock to 21:00 and check the Hongzhen square again.
5. Look for the "Sparkles". Unlike Jinzhou, Mt Firmament uses a lot of gold-leaf environmental effects. Sometimes a "trace" is just a pile of leaves you need to attack or a small glow on a rock.

Completing the Traces of Mt Firmament isn't just about the Astrite—though, let's be real, we all want the pulls. It’s about the lore of Jué and the sentinel's sacrifice. It’s the best content in the game so far, so take a second to actually read the dialogue once you find that final VI milestone. It makes the grind feel a lot less like a chore and more like a story.