My Journey to Collect Every Luojia Fragrant Vine in Black Myth: Wukong

Let me tell you, fellow seekers, the journey to find every last Luojia Fragrant Vine in Black Myth: Wukong was a pilgrimage in itself. I remember staring at my gourd, feeling its weight, knowing each precious sip was a lifeline against the game's relentless challenges. The promise of upgrading it, of having more chances before needing to rest at a shrine, became an obsession. Those sparkly yellow flowers, clinging to ancient trees like whispers of vitality, weren't just collectibles—they were my ticket to survival. But let me tell you, for all their soft, golden glow, these vines have a mischievous streak. They love to hide, I swear! You can be staring right at a spot and still miss them if you don't know exactly where to look. It's like the game itself is playing a gentle trick on you. This is the story of how I tracked down every single one, from the misty groves of Black Wind Mountain to the fiery plains of the Bull King's domain.

The Shen Monkey's Secret Stash

My first lesson was that not every treasure needs to be wrestled from the wild. The wily Shen Monkey, that old merchant, holds a few vines in reserve—but he doesn't just hand them out. When I first met him near the Marsh of White Mist Shrine in Black Wind Mountain's Bamboo Grove, his shelves were bare of the precious vines. It turns out he's a bit of a gatekeeper. You have to prove your worth by conquering chapters before he'll even consider selling.

Here’s the deal he offered:

• First Vine: Complete Chapter 2. Cost: 2000 Will.

• Second Vine: Complete Chapter 3. Cost: 3000 Will.

• Third Vine: Complete Chapter 4. Cost: A whopping 6000 Will.

So, my first actual purchase happened at the start of Chapter 3, after a frantic trip back to his stall. A word of warning, though: once you finish Chen Loong's questline, the old monkey packs up and moves to the Zodiac Village. Don't go looking for him in the bamboo grove after that!

Chapter 1: A Gentle Start

Black Wind Mountain held just one wild vine for me, and it was practically a gift. Standing at the Marsh of White Mist Shrine, I simply turned my back to it and looked across the path. There it was, glowing softly on a large tree nestled behind some bamboo. It felt like the game was saying, "Here you go, kid. The real hunt starts later."

Chapter 2: The Hunt Begins in Earnest

The Yellow Wind Formation is where things got serious. Two vines were waiting, but they weren't just sitting out in the open.

Vine #1: Starting from the Windrest Bridge Shrine, I crossed the bridge and navigated the old village (left, then up stairs on the right, down stairs on the right, then left—phew!). As soon as I left through the village's back gate, the vine was right there on my right. Easy enough.

Vine #2: This one required some nerve. From the Windseal Gate Shrine, I headed towards the high tower. Just before it, I turned left, and there was the vine next to a statue. The catch? The Gore-Eye Daoist was standing right in front of it, just itching for a fight. Let's just say I earned that one.

Chapter 3: Into the Frozen Wastes

Besides the one I bought from Shen Monkey, three more vines were scattered across the Pagoda Realm and the bitter cold that followed. Man, my fingers were freezing just thinking about it!

Vine #1 (Pagoda Realm): From the "Outside the Wheel" Shrine, I went upstairs into a dark cave. Inside, behind a shallow pond, the vine was waiting in the gloom.

Vine #2 (Bitter Lake): From the North Shore shrine, I walked towards the massive frozen lake and turned left at the shore. I followed the shoreline until I saw a huge, arched spine fossil. Instead of going under it, I took the path to the left. A left turn, then another left up some stairs, led me to a gate flanked by two flames. The vine was right there... but so were two airborne enemies that popped up to say hello.

Vine #3 (Longevity Road): From the Longevity Road Shrine, I ran down the slope behind it, away from the main path. A lower road led to a staircase. I went up and just kept running in the same direction until I found an open spot with the vine on the other side. Another airborne enemy spawned as I got close. They really don't want you to have nice things, do they?

Chapter 4: The Tricky Ones

This chapter tested my patience with four well-hidden vines. One required accessing the secret Purple Cloud Mountain area, which meant defeating the Venom Daoist boss twice. Yeah, you heard that right.

Vine #1 (Old Village): Starting from The Verdure Bridge Shrine, I crossed the algae-covered platform, turned left, but instead of crossing the bridge, I dropped into the gorge on the right. Sticking to the left path led into a village where the vine sat in the center, guarded by a nasty giant scorpion. Not fun.

Vine #2 (Cliff of Oblivion): This was the real head-scratcher. Facing the Cliff of Oblivion Shrine, I took the left path (after defeating Buddha's Right Hand). I went straight, crossed a dragonfly bridge, and dropped down. An immediate right turn led me on a path circling a rock pillar. The key was spotting a small wooden ledge on the left and dropping down again. After a suspension bridge, a large cave, and a terrifying narrow bridge swarming with cocoon spiders (Cloudstep is your best friend here), I found the vine in the next area.

Vine #3 (Mountain Trail): A welcome breather! This one was right next to the Mountain Trail Shrine, impossible to miss after the brutal Violet Spider boss fight.

Vine #4 (Purple Cloud Mountain): Once I finally unlocked this area, this vine was a cakewalk. From the Valley of Blooms Shrine, I turned my back to it and saw the vine across a small stream on my right. Just had to deal with the grumpy tree-like enemy standing guard.

Chapter 5: The Fiery Finale

Only two vines here, but the journey to get them was epic.

Vine #1 (Height of Ember): From the Height of Ember Shrine, I walked towards the village buildings. Before reaching the far end, I went down to the left, stuck to the right side of the path, and it led me straight to it.

Vine #2 (Fallen Furnace Crater): From the final Shrine in the Field of Fire, I walked down the slope away from the Bull King's arena, down the path formerly guarded by a rolling boulder. I took every left turn I could. This led to the ashen plains where the Stone Vanguard boss roams. The vine was sitting right there on the left side of his arena. Seeing it next to that hulking mass of glowing rock was... intimidating, to say the least.

The Reward of the Hunt

And that was it. Every last Luojia Fragrant Vine, found and collected. The feeling of returning to the Shen Monkey (or later, finding him in Zodiac Village) with a full pouch and upgrading my gourd to its maximum potential was... indescribable. Each new charge felt like a hard-won trophy. This hunt took me to every corner of the game's beautiful, dangerous world, forced me to master navigation, and taught me to see the environment with new eyes. It was more than just a collect-a-thon; it was a journey that made me a better, more resilient player. Now, with my gourd fully upgraded, I feel ready to face anything the journey westward throws at me. Maybe I'll go look for those Awaken Wine Worms next...