You’ve been swimming around the Morte Region for hours. Your map is covered in pins, your stamina bar is crying for mercy, and honestly, you're starting to wonder if the treasure of the secret springs is just a developer prank. It’s not. But it is one of the most annoying, multi-step puzzles Genshin Impact has ever thrown at us in the 4.2 Fontaine expansion. It’s not just about finding a chest; it’s about a series of cryptic maps that don't always point where you think they do.
Finding it feels like a chore if you don't know the trick.
Most players stumble upon the "Autumn's Regret" map and think they're done. Wrong. This isn't a one-and-done deal. To actually claim the treasure of the secret springs, you have to navigate a messy web of six or seven different treasure maps, all hidden inside giant clams or tucked away in underwater ruins. If you’re looking for a quick "go here, click that" guide, you’ve probably realized by now that the game wants you to suffer a little bit first.
Where the Treasure of the Secret Springs Actually Begins
Everything starts with the "Freeman’s Manifesto." Or maybe you found "Parker’s Hopes" first? It doesn't really matter which one you grab, but you need to understand that the treasure of the secret springs is the culmination of the "Liam’s Ballad," "Athos’s Confessions," and "Barrow’s Expectations" notes. These aren't just flavor text. They are literal blueprints.
The "Autumn's Regret" note is the heavy hitter here. You’ll find it in a clam near the southeast of the Tower of Ipsissimus. Once you read it, it tells you to go to a small lake east of the Weeping Willow of the Lake.
The water there is disgusting. It's green, murky, and full of bacterial mats. You can't just dive in.
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You have to use the Xenochromatic Ball Octopus power—basically the Swiss Army knife of Fontaine puzzles—to clean the gunk off the surface. Once the water is clear, you dive into a portal. This teleports you to a hidden underground "Secret Spring." This is where the name comes from. You aren't looking for a fountain in the middle of a city. You’re looking for a subterranean cavern that smells like damp moss and ancient mora.
The Puzzle That Trips Everyone Up
Inside the secret spring, you’ll find a small table with a chair and a bunch of levers. This is where people get stuck because the instructions in the "Autumn's Regret" note are kinda vague. It says something about the "chair of the humble servant" and the "fire of the hearth."
Basically, you have to interact with the levers in a specific order. If you mess up, nothing happens. No chime, no chest, just silence.
- Hit the lever by the chair first.
- Then go for the one near the water.
- Then the one by the fire.
- Finally, the one on the wall.
If you do it right, a Precious Chest spawns. Inside? That’s the "Autumn's Regret" portion of the treasure of the secret springs. But wait—there's more. You haven't actually finished the hidden achievement "À la volonté du peuple" (To the People's Will) until you find all eight maps and their corresponding treasures.
Why the "Liam’s Ballad" Map is a Pain
While you're hunting the treasure of the secret springs, you’ll likely run into Liam’s Ballad. This one is brutal because it involves a fight. You have to go to a tiny island northeast of the Lumidouce Harbor. There’s a Treasure Hoarder there named Liam. He’s a "Local Legend," which in Genshin-speak means "he has way too much HP and will probably one-shot your squishy DPS."
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Defeating him is the only way to get the chest. It’s a literal battle for the treasure.
Decoding the Hidden Lore
HoYoverse didn't just put these here for the Primogems. Well, they did, but there’s a story too. These maps belong to a group of friends or comrades who went their separate ways. When you find the final chest in the treasure of the secret springs arc, you realize these locations were their meeting spots. It’s bittersweet.
Most people skip the text. Don't.
Reading the descriptions of the maps gives you a glimpse into the lives of the people who lived in Fontaine before the prophecy started coming true. It adds a layer of weight to the world-building that you miss if you’re just speed-running for pulls. Honestly, the environment design in the secret spring cavern is some of the best in the game. The lighting is moody, and the way the water drips from the ceiling makes it feel genuinely isolated.
The Final Checklist for Completionists
If you’re still missing that one last chest, check these spots. They all count toward the total "treasure" haul of this region:
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- The Tower of Ipsissimus Clams: There are several maps hidden in the giant shells around the base of the sunken tower.
- The Weeping Willow Portal: Make sure you actually used the Octopus ability to clear the purple slime, or the portal to the spring won't appear.
- The Rocky Outcrop: One of the maps (Barrow’s) leads you to a rock that looks like a bird. You have to climb it. It's tedious, but the view is nice.
- The Underwater Ruins: Athos’s map leads you to a trench. Bring a character with high HP because the local fauna is aggressive.
The treasure of the secret springs isn't a single item. It’s a journey across the Morte Region and the Erinnyes Forest. If your exploration percentage is stuck at 98%, this is probably why. Those tiny hidden chests from the maps don't show up on the Treasure Compass. You have to manually trigger them by standing on the right spot or lighting the right torch.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
Stop wandering aimlessly. Follow this workflow to wrap this up in about 20 minutes.
First, teleport to the Statue of the Seven in the Morte Region. Dive straight down and look for the giant clams. Hit them with a basic attack to open them. Grab every "Map" item you see.
Second, open your inventory and read "Autumn's Regret" specifically. Teleport to the Weeping Willow. Don't fight the enemies; just use the octopus power to clear the three nodes of filth in the pond. Dive in.
Third, when you're in the secret spring, ignore the decorations. Go straight to the levers. Chair, Water, Fire, Wall. If the chest doesn't appear, you likely missed one of the other maps first. The game tracks which ones you've read.
Finally, check your achievements list. Look for "À la volonté du peuple." If it’s not lit up, you’re missing one of the eight maps. Usually, it’s "Freeman’s Manifesto" because it requires lighting torches in a specific order at the "The Rusty Rudder" ship tavern. Once you have all eight, the achievement pops, and you can finally say you've conquered the treasure of the secret springs.