Mó Yuan, Leader of the Bastion of Mó Boss Fight in Phantom Blade Zero: Moveset, Attacks and Tips (Lóng Pillar Trial 5)

Quick answer: Mó Yuan, the boss Donnie Yen plays through facial and motion capture, is the fifth Lóng Pillar trial in Phantom Blade Zero. You fight him at the Weeping Creek pillar in Weeping Creek Valley.

He opens with a rush and a long blade, then mixes close red cuts, leaping kicks, flash-marked aerial strikes and red crescent sweeps.

Mó Yuan at a glance

His name, Mó Yuan, appears on the boss bar alongside the title Leader of the Bastion of Mó; the bar has a single health segment.

Mó Yuan, Leader of the Bastion of Mó boss bar with Mó Yuan across the burning yard, Phantom Blade Zero

During combat, his long blade accompanies a dark cloak and long hair streaked with grey.

The trial belongs to the Bloodline Awakening quest, which covers all the Lóng Pillar trials.

In our run, after four challenges against the Gold-Masked One, Bloodline Awakening concluded with its fifth trial.

The fight takes place at night in the same burning temple compound as the earlier trials. Burning halls border a broad, open yard, enclosed by walls of fire.

Separately, a Discord quest awards a Mó Yuan Avatar Decoration; it isn’t part of the fight.

Where to find Mó Yuan (Lóng Pillar trial 5)

Go to Weeping Creek Valley and rest at the Weeping Creek Lóng Pillar bell, roughly 35 m from the pillar. The menu bears the title “Weeping Creek Lóng Pillar”. This is one of the game’s bells, and you can use it to prepare before the battle.

Weeping Creek Lóng Pillar bell menu in Weeping Creek Valley, Phantom Blade Zero

Head over to the pillar. A chain dangles above a dragon head carved from pale stone, its red eye glowing and its jaws open; it rests in a creek pool bordered by red.

Turn toward the dragon head and hit E once the prompt comes up. The opening scene will begin.

E prompt at the Weeping Creek Lóng Pillar dragon head in the red-ringed creek pool, Phantom Blade Zero

Let the scene play out. A man wearing a gold-trimmed cloak takes a gold mask off his face, then stands amid the flames in a temple compound with a red blade in hand before walking away through the fire.

Opening scene of Lóng Pillar trial 5: a man lowers a gold mask from his face, Phantom Blade Zero

Be prepared to fight as soon as the scene finishes. Combat begins immediately; unlike the Gold-Masked One trials, the Man in Black doesn’t speak with you first.

Mó Yuan delivers two brief lines at the start of the battle. He urges Soul to follow his heart whatever happens, then calls this his final lesson.

Mó Yuan attacks at once after the trial 5 opening scene, Phantom Blade Zero

In our run, within seconds of the scene ending, he charged from the opposite side of the arena and attacked.

A broken bell named “Lóng Pillar” stands at the edge of the arena. Its menu offers Return to the Waking Realm, Upgrade Equipment, Store, Train Abilities, Save and Leave.

Broken Lóng Pillar bell menu at the edge of the Mó Yuan arena, Phantom Blade Zero

Mó Yuan moveset and attacks

Rush from range

Retreat offers only a short reprieve: within seconds, he can rush from one end of the yard to the other.

Close blade strings

At short range, he unleashes quick long-blade cuts that send out red streaks and blood-red bursts.

Mó Yuan close blade string with red streaks and blood-red bursts, Phantom Blade Zero

Leaping kick

He launches himself toward you with a flying knee, leaving both feet off the ground.

Mó Yuan leaping knee kick at Soul, Phantom Blade Zero

Aerial strike with a blue-white flash

He leaps high, and a blue-white flash runs across the screen while he is in the air, the same cue seen in the Gold-Masked One trials.

Blue-white flash as Mó Yuan strikes from the air, Phantom Blade Zero

Aerial strike with a red flash

As he rises into a high leap, a red flash sweeps across the screen.

Red flash across the screen while Mó Yuan is in the air, Phantom Blade Zero

Leaping red crescent

He leaps toward you with a broad red crescent trailing behind him.

Mó Yuan leaps in trailing a red crescent arc, Phantom Blade Zero

Overhead raise

Up close, he hoists the blade over his head, then strikes downward.

Mó Yuan raises his blade high overhead at close range, Phantom Blade Zero

Knockdowns

Certain attacks send Soul sprawling, after which he attacks again from above.

Soul knocked flat while Mó Yuan follows up from the air, Phantom Blade Zero

The arena fills with weapons

As combat continues, swords and spears appear planted upright throughout the yard.

Swords and spears standing upright across the Mó Yuan arena, Phantom Blade Zero

The finisher prompt at low health

Once his health is nearly gone, a white E prompt appears over Mó Yuan and remains there as he continues fighting.

White E prompt on Mó Yuan at very low health, Phantom Blade Zero

Use E to trigger the finisher that concludes the trial.

In our run, E had no effect when pressed during one of his attacks. It activated when Soul was close to him, about one to two metres away.

Tips for fighting Mó Yuan

While he’s airborne, either flash sweeps across the screen just before he strikes from above, giving you a warning.
In our run, when Soul died, he reappeared beside the broken “Lóng Pillar” bell, while Mó Yuan waited across the arena with full health.
In our run, the Pathbreaker attempt lasted under a minute, and the Wayfarer attempt about seven minutes.

Mó Yuan reward: Bastion of Mó Mask and Bloodline Awakening

Completing trial five awards the Bastion of Mó Mask. The reward card lists BASTION OF MÓ MASK beneath “Weapon Soul Tempering Materials”.

Bastion of Mó Mask reward card after Lóng Pillar trial 5, Phantom Blade Zero

Its effect line is “Used to Soul Temper Sanguine.” The card’s description reads:

“A golden mask crafted over generations by the people of the Bastion of Mó to suppress the surging Sha-Chi in their bloodline.”
“The dangerous experience of losing control of his Sha-Chi as a youth taught Soul patience and restraint, leaving him accustomed to facing every hardship with calm and composure. But the mask has not come too late: it is proof of his bloodline, and it will help him wield that bloodline’s power.”

Then the quest card shows “Find all five Lóng Pillars and complete their trials (5/5)” struck through, followed by “BLOODLINE AWAKENING” with “COMPLETE”.

Bloodline Awakening 5/5 quest card and Phantom and Blade achievement, Phantom Blade Zero

You also earn the Steam achievement Phantom and Blade at that point; its description is “Complete [Bloodline Awakening]”.

Bloodline Awakening complete quest card at the collapsed Weeping Creek pillar, Phantom Blade Zero

Back in the open world, rubble fills the creek pool where the Weeping Creek dragon pillar stood.