Gaming How-To

How to Get Tainted Crystal Shards in Phantom Blade Zero

Two free shards near the Mirrorwood Depths bell, a 7,440 Remnant Dust price tag, and every accessory's first polish depends on them.

Two free shards near the Mirrorwood Depths bell, a 7,440 Remnant Dust price tag, and every accessory’s first polish depends on them.

by AllThingsHow StaffAllThingsHow Staff
Soul in the fog of Mirrorwood Depths in the Crimson Forest, Phantom Blade Zero

Quick answer: Buy one for 7,440 Remnant Dust from Quick Hand Zhang or a bell Store, or pick them up as purple glints, such as the two near the Mirrorwood Depths bell in the Crimson Forest. Each shard pays for an accessory’s first polish.

What Tainted Crystal Shards are for

The Tainted Crystal Shard sits in the “Accessory Polishing Materials” category in Phantom Blade Zero. Its item card reads:

“A naturally formed crystal untouched by carving or refinement. Though laden with mineral impurities, it is ideal for grinding into powder to polish jewelry and accessories.”

“Required to polish an accessory for the first time.”

That last line is the part that matters. Every accessory’s first polish costs one Tainted Crystal Shard plus Remnant Dust, and the Dust portion ranges from 3,168 to 81,600 depending on the piece. The full accessories list shows each one’s polish cost.

Fourteen accessories can be polished a second time, and that step swaps the shard for a Refined Indigo Crystal.

Don’t sell your spares. A shard sells back for 3,720 Remnant Dust, half of its 7,440 purchase price, so buying another later costs you double what you got for it.

Where to find Tainted Crystal Shards

Shards on the ground appear as a purple glint, which is a short violet column of light. Walk up to one and press E to grab it. Two of them sit a short walk from the Mirrorwood Depths bell in the Crimson Forest.

Activate the bell at Mirrorwood Depths, in the Crimson Forest. To reach it, travel through Mirrorwood from the Mirrorwood Entrance bell. Use the Crimson Forest interactive map to orient yourself along the way.
Beside the bell, pass through the gate bordered by lantern trees. Immediately inside, check the stream’s left bank for a purple glint; it marks the first shard.
A purple Tainted Crystal Shard glint by the stream just inside the lantern-tree gate in Mirrorwood Depths, Phantom Blade Zero

Press E to collect it. A “Tainted Crystal Shard” pickup message appears beside a stone lantern.

Tainted Crystal Shard pickup message beside a stone lantern in Mirrorwood Depths, Phantom Blade Zero
Go beyond Inanis’ memory flower bed, “New Life”, and enter the forest on the far side. After a short walk, another purple glint yields a second shard. On your first pickup, the game displays the complete Tainted Crystal Shard item card. The Inanis memory flower locations guide the route through this area.
Tainted Crystal Shard item card shown on pickup, Phantom Blade Zero
Grab the Refined Indigo Crystal lying near the “New Life” flower bed before you leave. That gives you the material for a second polish on the same trip.

Shards also turn up as pickups in plenty of other regions:

  • Weeping Creek Valley
  • Crimson Forest
  • Village of Lu
  • Pangzhen
  • Meigu Lake
  • Mandate Encampment
  • Mirage Estate
  • Mount Soulrend
  • Mountain of Imprisonment

Where to buy Tainted Crystal Shards

Quick Hand Zhang stocks them at five of his hideouts:

  • Crimson Forest
  • Village of Lu
  • Pangzhen
  • Meigu Lake
  • Mirage Estate

Some bell Stores stock them too. At the Mirrorwood Long Pillar bell, open the bell menu and pick Store. The Buy tab lists one Tainted Crystal Shard with a quantity of 1/1, and selecting it shows “HOLD Space TO PURCHASE 7440”. Hold Space and the shard is yours.

Tainted Crystal Shard for 7,440 Remnant Dust in the bell Store at the Mirrorwood Long Pillar bell, Phantom Blade Zero

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