How to Get the Dread Axe in Phantom Blade Zero (Iron Chain Breaker)

The Dread Axe is a Phantom Edge in Phantom Blade Zero. You get it from a boss fight in Weeping Creek Valley, and it does two jobs. It breaks shields in combat, and it cuts through iron chains that block your path.

Quick answer: Defeat the boss Peng Meng, the Axemaster, in Weeping Creek Valley to get the Dread Axe Phantom Edge. It also breaks iron chains blocking paths, even when not equipped.

Where to find Peng Meng in Weeping Creek Valley

Peng Meng waits along the river in Weeping Creek Valley. The route below starts at the closest bell and runs straight to the fight.

Travel to the Outpost bell in Weeping Creek Valley and rest there. It is the nearest bell to the boss, about 140 metres away, so it is where you will return if the fight goes badly.

Follow the path until you pass a small roofed pavilion with a carved stone stele. From there, keep heading southwest along the river.

Keep walking until a short cutscene triggers, roughly 15 metres before the boss. It introduces Peng Meng, a huge masked brute wearing a crown of metal spikes.

Peng Meng, the Axemaster with his crown of metal spikes in the intro cutscene in Phantom Blade Zero — Peng Meng’s intro cutscene

Fight Peng Meng once the “PENG MENG, THE AXEMASTER” banner appears. The game also shows a tutorial that reads “Press 1 to switch weapons and fully restore Sha-Chi!” He hits hard. On PATHBREAKER, the default difficulty, single hits take roughly 120 to 240 HP.

Masked brute swinging a large axe at Soul on a misty rocky riverbank, with a boss health bar above — Soul fights Peng Meng, the Axemaster on a rocky riverbank as a prompt explains how to switch weapons and fully restore Sha-Chi.

Defeat him to receive the Dread Axe. A “Dread Axe Exploration Ability” tutorial card appears after the fight.

What the Dread Axe does in combat

The Dread Axe is a Phantom Edge. Its lore describes it as “A thick-bladed great axe once wielded by the Axemaster, Peng Meng.” The item text reads:

Dread Axe Phantom Edge in Phantom Blade Zero — The Dread Axe

“A massive, weighty axe capable of splitting mountains and cleaving through armor in a single blow. It has high Shield-Breaking power.”

The game backs that up with a hint of its own: “Heavy weapons like the Dread Axe are effective at breaking shields!”

Every use of a Phantom Edge consumes Remnant Spark.
Remnant Spark uses are restored when you rest at a Bell.
You can equip two Phantom Edges at once and switch between them.

Dread Axe Iron Chain Breaker ability

Some Phantom Edges have uses outside of combat, and the Dread Axe is one of them. Picking it up grants the field ability Iron Chain Breaker, which lets the axe cut through iron chains that block paths.

Tutorial panel showing a character cutting giant rusty chains blocking a wooden gate, with explanatory text below — The Dread Axe Exploration Ability tutorial explains that the Dread Axe can cut through massive chains even when not equipped.

The ability works even when the Dread Axe is not equipped. You don’t need to give up one of your two Phantom Edge slots to clear chains. Owning the axe is enough.

Once you own the Dread Axe in Phantom Blade Zero, iron chain barriers stop being scenery. Walk up to one (see how to break iron chains) and an “L Ctrl” prompt appears on the chains. Press it and Soul hacks through in a short scene. One sits at the Outpost in Weeping Creek Valley, on the wooden barricade just southeast of the Outpost bell. Approaching that chain pile starts the quest FESTERING SECRET, with the objective “Investigate the chain-sealed courtyard at the outpost”. Cut the chains and you can climb the stairs into a bamboo courtyard, where a swordsman and a spearman are waiting. A second chain wall stands across the river from The Axemaster’s Fall Crane Bell. The same prompt cuts it and opens the river path.

Dread Axe arts and unlock levels

Most of the Dread Axe’s arts unlock as you raise the weapon’s level.

Art	Unlocks	Effect
Iron Chain Breaker	Field ability, on pickup	Once obtained, Dread Axe can break iron chains blocking the path, even when not equipped.
Rapid Charge	Tempering art	Increases charge speed by 30%.
Full-Power Charge	Weapon Lv. 5	Double-tap [Phantom Edges] to consume 1 additional Remnant Spark and immediately perform a fully charged strike.
Armored Resilience	Weapon Lv. 10	Lv. 1: Slightly reduces damage taken while charging. Lv. 2: Moderately reduces damage taken while charging. Lv. 3: Greatly reduces damage taken while charging.
Rushing Axe	Weapon Lv. 15	Press [Phantom Edges] after dodging or while sprinting to charge the attack while running.
Crushing Force	Weapon Lv. 25	Releasing a fully charged attack while running unleashes a more powerful leaping cleave.

To upgrade the axe, open the Upgrade Equipment screen and switch to the Phantom Edges tab. The game also points out that “E can also upgrade Phantom Edges.” Taking the Dread Axe from Lv. 1 to Lv. 2 costs 1 Darkfire Charcoal and 640 Remnant Dust. In return, Damage rises from 309 to 340 and Guard Break goes from 208 to 229.

The Dread Axe upgrade screen from Lv. 1 to Lv. 2 in Phantom Blade Zero — Dread Axe Lv. 1 to Lv. 2: 1 Darkfire Charcoal and 640 Remnant Dust

To reach those levels, upgrade the Dread Axe at the Forge or at any bell under Upgrade Equipment.