Quick answer: Parry his attacks to drain the shield bar above his 41,800 HP. When it empties, he drops to one knee for roughly 10 to 15 seconds. Hit him hard during that window.
During Chapter 1 of Phantom Blade Zero, the story quest AGAINST THE FLOW takes you to the Village of Lu, where Zhuo Bi, the Gatekeeper, fights as a massive warrior in armor. He advances behind a towering shield carved with a demon’s face and attacks with a long polearm. You can barely reach his health until the shield is dealt with.
Zhuo Bi at a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Name bar | “Zhuo Bi, the Gatekeeper” |
| Health | 41,800 HP plus a separate shield bar |
| Weapons | Demon-face tower shield, long polearm, rock spikes |
| Preferred range | About 4 to 10 metres |
| Damage on Wayfarer | About 110 HP per hit, up to about 225 HP |
| Respawn point | Young Master Lan’s Hideout bell |
| Rewards | Bastion, Bastion exploration ability, 15,000 Remnant Dust |
These damage values are for Wayfarer, with Soul at 1,275 max HP and 3 healing gourds. His attacks hit harder on Pathbreaker, the standard difficulty. A death sends you back to the Young Master Lan’s Hideout bell.
Where to fight Zhuo Bi
In the Village of Lu, Zhuo Bi fights in an enclosed yard bordered by wooden houses and a fence, with a blue-lantern-decorated gate overhead. To get there from Young Master Lan’s Hideout, pass through the ravine, barn, and riverbed, then ascend a rope ladder. Follow the Zhuo Bi location and route guide for the complete route. Entering the yard starts the fight.
How Zhuo Bi’s shield bar works
A shield bar sits above Zhuo Bi’s health. While it holds, your strikes hit the shield, and his HP barely moves.
Clean parries against his attacks chip that bar down. Heavy Phantom Edge hits wear it down too. Dodging does nothing to it.
Once the bar is empty, his guard breaks. He sinks to one knee, staggered, with an E prompt over him, and stays open for roughly 10 to 15 seconds. Close the distance and unload everything you have.
After that, the shield bar refills to full on its own. The fight runs as a repeating loop of parry, break, and punish.
Zhuo Bi’s attacks and how to answer them
The game gives his moves no names, so they are listed here by how they look. Damage figures are for Wayfarer.
Shield wall advance
He advances with the demon-face shield braced before him, then strikes with a bash. Keep guarding and parry that hit; attacks aimed at the shield’s face won’t do you any good.
Shield swing
At close quarters, he raises the shield and brings it down in a swing or chop, dealing roughly 110 HP per hit to Soul. Parry on its descent. See the parry guide for timing details.
Leaping slam
He launches himself upward from a distance and crashes down onto Soul. Evade the impact zone to either side with Dodge, or parry as he lands.
Polearm sweep
His long polearm sweeps through a broad area around him and deals roughly 110 HP. Parry the swing or retreat with a back-step to get clear.
Rock spikes
A row of sharp, uneven spikes erupts from the earth and advances toward Soul. Move laterally to leave their path.
Blue-glint attacks
He sometimes ducks behind his shield before attacking, accompanied by a flash of blue light. Treat blue as a parry cue: parry it, since every parry wears the shield bar down.
Four-hit string
A chain of four quick blows, about 110 HP each if all of them connect. Stay on guard and parry each hit, and hold your counter until the string finishes.
Red-flash attack
A red flash marks this move, which pierces a held guard and deals about 225 HP, twice the damage of an ordinary hit. Once red appears, dodge rather than block.
Tips for the Zhuo Bi fight
- Use parries as your main answer to his attacks; they wear down the shield bar. Evade the red-flash attack, the airborne slam, and the rock spikes.
- Hold your heavy damage for the broken-shield window. Hits against a standing shield barely touch his health.
- Keep within close range: his best distance is 4 to 10 metres, from which he leaps toward you.
- Spend Remnant Spark on your Phantom Edge while he is staggered.
- Use a gourd after a combo finishes, while you’re at a distance. On Wayfarer, plan for roughly four drinks during the fight.
Wayfarer softens his hits but leaves his moves unchanged, and you can switch difficulty at any time.
Zhuo Bi rewards
| Reward | What it is |
|---|---|
| Bastion | Phantom Edge (Artifice), Damage 226, Guard Break 198 |
| Bastion exploration ability | Blocks crossbow bolts, even unequipped |
| Remnant Dust | 15,000 |
| Blackstone Shard | In a chest beside the arena gate |
The Bastion is Zhuo Bi’s own shield, built to absorb attacks and turn the damage into a counterattack. Hold Ctrl to raise it and block all enemy attacks. Keeping it up drains Sha-Chi, blocking drains more, and the shield shatters when Sha-Chi runs out. While it is raised, left click shoves enemies in front of you away.
Its art, Reprisal Shockwave, triggers when you release before Sha-Chi runs out. Soul slams the shield into the ground, sending out a shockwave that grows with the damage absorbed. The reward card asks “Equip the new Phantom Edge now?” so you can slot it in immediately.
The Bastion exploration ability lets Soul push deeper into dangerous areas by blocking crossbow bolts, whether or not the Phantom Edge is equipped.
