Ci and Cuo are one of two world bosses added with the Hidden Mountain expansion for Where Winds Meet, alongside the Ironheart Centipede. They are quick to reach but harder to bring down, thanks to a two-phase fight built around a shifting spotlight and a merged form. The tricky part for most players is simply finding the entrance, which sits underwater and is easy to miss in the dark.
Quick answer: Dive into the lake east of Old Mohist City, swim to the pale puppet leaning against a structure across from the small waterside house, and interact with it to enter the boss room. Set the in-game time to daytime first so you can see it.
Unlock Hidden Mountain first
You cannot reach either Hidden Mountain world boss until the region itself is open. That access comes through the quest “Yingying’s Invitation,” which involves solving a set of puzzles and getting past a misty river that blocks your crossing. Finish that questline and the new region, along with its NPCs, treasures, and bosses, becomes available to explore.
Ci and Cuo location east of Old Mohist City
The pair have been thrown to the bottom of a lake sitting east of Old Mohist City. On the shore you will spot a tiny house by the water where birds gather. The entrance to the fight is beneath the surface, not on land.
Phase one: attack whoever holds the spotlight
The battle opens with the two puppets fought one at a time. Only the puppet standing in the spotlight can take damage, so ignore the other one until the light moves. When the spotlight switches, change targets and keep pressing.
Most of their attacks in this phase telegraph clearly. They move in circular patterns and dive down to strike with a slash you can deflect. When they land, they follow with spin attacks, so create space and wait them out. The attacking puppet will not chase you once it commits to a spin, which makes this a safe moment for ranged damage. A Rope Dart works well here since you can pull yourself back into melee range the instant the spin ends.
The one move with a short window is a dash that sometimes comes right after both puppets spin together in the center of the arena. Stay ready to react whenever they combine like that.
Phase two: the merged puppet
Drop both health bars and a cutscene plays. Ci and Cuo fuse into a single puppet, and the pace picks up sharply. The merged form charges straight at you, then chains into melee strikes.
This phase is far more direct. The puppet throws slashing combinations you should deflect as much as possible, and each combo finishes with a ground slam unless you stagger the puppet and interrupt it with your own attacks first. There is little movement around the arena now, and the merged form is not very durable. Deflect consistently to keep your health topped up and you can burn it down quickly.
Confirming the kill
World bosses in Where Winds Meet can only be defeated once in the open world, so the fight ends for good the moment the merged puppet’s health empties. If you die mid-fight, the Hero’s Tomb in the boss room lets you resurrect and continue rather than restarting the approach. Compared with the Ironheart Centipede, which takes longer to reach but goes down faster, Ci and Cuo trade an easy walk-in for a stiffer fight.
