Why Chapter 4 Black Myth Wukong is the Most Heartbreaking Part of the Game

Why Chapter 4 Black Myth Wukong is the Most Heartbreaking Part of the Game

Honestly, by the time you hit Chapter 4 Black Myth Wukong, you think you’ve seen it all. You've fought a giant bear in a burning temple and survived the wind-swept sands of the Yellow Wind Ridge. But nothing quite prepares you for the Webbed Hollow. It’s oppressive. It’s dark. It's filled with these skittering sounds that make your skin crawl if you’re wearing headphones.

Most people call this the "spider chapter." That's a massive understatement.

This isn't just about killing bugs. It is a tragic, messy, and deeply personal dive into the lore of the Journey to the West that Game Science managed to adapt with incredible maturity. You aren't just a monkey swinging a staff here; you’re a witness to a family falling apart under the weight of ancient grudges and unrequited love.

The Visual Shift in Chapter 4 Black Myth Wukong

The transition from the snowy peaks of the previous area into the damp, silk-choked caverns of the Webbed Hollow is jarring. Intentionally so. You go from wide-open vistas to verticality that feels claustrophobic. You’ll spend a lot of time looking up, trying to figure out if that’s a ledge you can reach or just more decorative webbing.

The level design here is a maze. Seriously. If you don't have a good sense of direction, you're going to get lost near the Pool of Shattered Jade. It’s one of those rare moments in modern gaming where the environment itself feels like a boss you have to overcome. The lighting is moody, filtered through layers of translucent silk, creating this sickly green and purple hue that defines the entire experience.

📖 Related: The Problem With Roblox Bypassed Audios 2025: Why They Still Won't Go Away

Meeting the Spider Sisters and the Zhu Bajie Connection

The heart of Chapter 4 Black Myth Wukong isn't the combat, though the combat is stellar. It’s the story of the Spider Sisters and their mother. If you know the original novel, you know the Zhu Bajie (the pig demon) has a... complicated history with women. This chapter leans into that hard.

It turns out, the "villains" here aren't just monsters. They are a family trying to survive, led by the Matriarch who has a history with Bajie that dates back to their time in the celestial heavens. When you see the cutscenes involving the Violet Spider, it’s not the typical "I'm going to eat you" dialogue. It’s mournful. It’s bitter. It makes you feel like the jerk for barging into their home and wrecking the place.

The Boss Fights: Quality Over Quantity?

Well, there's actually a ton of bosses here. But a few stand out:

  • The Centipede Guai: This thing is gross. It’s a giant ball of legs and aggression. It tests your ability to manage camera angles more than your actual parry timing, which is a bit of a recurring theme in the tighter caves.
  • The Violet Spider: This is the emotional peak. The fight isn't the hardest in the game, but the arena—a massive, silk-laden chamber—is breathtaking.
  • The Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master: This is the big one. The final boss of the chapter. If you haven't found the specific vessel (The Weaver's Needle) from the secret area, this fight is a nightmare. He uses a golden light that shrinks your stamina bar to almost nothing. It feels cheap until you realize the game expects you to explore and find the counter-item.

Don't Miss the Secret Area: Purple Cloud Mountain

If you finish Chapter 4 Black Myth Wukong without finding Purple Cloud Mountain, you’ve missed the best part of the game. Period.

👉 See also: All Might Crystals Echoes of Wisdom: Why This Quest Item Is Driving Zelda Fans Wild

To get there, you have to find and defeat the Venomous Arming several times. It’s a bit of a chore, but the payoff is a hidden map that looks nothing like the rest of the chapter. It’s a lush, autumnal forest bathed in sunset light. It’s gorgeous.

This area explains the backstory of the Duskveil and the Scorpionlord. Pro tip: Don't fight the Duskveil until you've dealt with the Scorpionlord, or you might miss out on some unique interactions and loot. The Scorpionlord is arguably harder than the main boss of the chapter. He hits like a freight train and has a poison tail that will end your run in three seconds if you're careless.

The Tragedy of the Fourth Sister

There's a character you meet throughout the chapter simply known as the Fourth Sister. Unlike her siblings, she seems tired. She’s cynical. She helps you, in her own way, by leading you toward the seals you need to break.

The way her story ends—or rather, the way it’s snatched away—is one of the most discussed moments in the Black Myth community. It’s a reminder that in this world, the "gods" or the celestial bureaucracy are often more cruel than the demons themselves. When the Crane Immortal descends to take her away, it feels like a genuine gut punch. You've spent hours fighting through her home, only to see her treated like a resource to be harvested.

✨ Don't miss: The Combat Hatchet Helldivers 2 Dilemma: Is It Actually Better Than the G-50?

Practical Tips for Survival

If you're currently banging your head against a wall in the Webbed Hollow, keep these things in mind:

  1. Antidote Powders are non-negotiable. Everything here poisons you. Even the air feels like it’s trying to infect you. Keep them on your quick-dial.
  2. Use the Staff Spin. The little spiderlings that swarm you are weak, but they can stagger-lock you. The staff spin move (where you hold the button to deflect projectiles) works wonders for clearing space.
  3. Find the Needle. I cannot stress this enough. Go to the Purple Cloud Mountain secret area and finish the questline there to get the Weaver's Needle. It makes the final boss of Chapter 4 infinitely more manageable by canceling out his second-phase "Golden Sun" effect.
  4. Look for the Meditating Spots. There’s one right near the cliffside that gives a great view of the entire hollow. It’s a free skill point and a rare moment of peace.

Why This Chapter Sticks With You

Chapter 4 Black Myth Wukong works because it’s a change of pace. It moves away from the "boss rush" feeling of the earlier chapters and tries to tell a cohesive, tragic story about family and fate. By the time you leave the hollow and head toward the flaming mountains of Chapter 5, you aren't just thinking about the loot you got. You’re thinking about the Violet Spider’s wedding dress and the sisters left behind.

It’s a masterclass in environmental storytelling. It takes the "scary spider level" trope and turns it into a Shakespearean tragedy with a staff-wielding monkey at the center.

Next Steps for Your Playthrough

Before you move on to the next chapter, make sure you've backtracked to talk to the Xu Dog if you’ve gathered any new formulas—the poison resistance medicine is vital for what comes next. Also, double-check that you've collected all the Luojia Fragrant Vines hidden in the spider cocoons throughout the hollow; your gourd's healing capacity will need those extra charges for the endgame. Finally, if you haven't defeated the secret boss in the Purple Cloud Mountain, go back and do it now. The rewards are too good to leave behind, and once you trigger the final cutscene of the chapter, the mood shifts entirely.