Quick answer: Zuo Shang is the last boss of the Final Battle ending. Ring The Fallen Dream bell on Mount Soulrend, walk up to the golden light pillar and press E; he waits by a lakeside pavilion and fights in two phases.
Endgame story spoilers follow.
Zuo Shang at a glance
The concluding encounter of the Mount Soulrend ending route is against Zuo Shang.
His health bar initially identifies him as “Zuo Shang, the Order’s Shadow Sovereign”. When phase two begins, another bar appears, titled “Zuo Shang, the True Lóng”.
This is not the same encounter as the two early fights against him. Those are covered separately under Zuo Shang prologue fights.
The arena is a flooded lake in the rain, next to a wooden pavilion and surrounded by bamboo forest.
His weapon is a golden longsword, which he uses to unleash waves of golden sword energy.
Just a short walk from your arrival point stands the broken bell named Phantom of The Old House.
In our run, the save was on the Final Battle route, with Secrets at the Heart of the Lake and all five Lóng Pillar trials done, and the fight had both phases. The full requirements for each ending are in the Phantom Blade Zero endings guide.
Where to find Zuo Shang
Phase 1: The Order’s Shadow Sovereign
Golden light burst
Zuo Shang rises above the water, sending out an eruption of dazzling golden rays.
Whip blade
He swings his golden sword in overhead arcs and loops after it stretches into a long, whip-shaped curve.
Lengthened blade
The sword becomes an enormous glowing blade, which he drives forward in a long thrust.
Flying swords
Swords of gold sail through the air before plunging down around Soul.
Leaping slash
From a distance, he jumps toward Soul and cuts with a broad golden slash.
Ring sweep
A broad ring of golden light cuts low through the water, circling him.
Phase 2: The True Lóng
The second phase transforms the arena: the pavilion shatters, pieces of debris remain suspended, and gold light fills the lake. Zuo Shang takes the form of a golden-armoured figure wielding a long sword.
He opens the phase with “No one in this world can stand against me!”
For much of the phase, the arena loses its colour, leaving only the gold illuminated; lines of a song also appear along the screen’s left edge.
True Lóng attacks
Dive
He drops from above, sword first.
Light sweep
He sweeps broadly, sending a cone of golden light bursting outward.
Light beam
A beam of golden light shoots from him across the water’s surface.
Dragon spirit
A dragon-shaped mass of gold races through the arena, blurring the screen as it goes by.
Crescent slash
He ascends while cutting with a high, golden crescent.
Golden ring
A gigantic ring of gold expands across the arena.
Falling blades
Blades of gold descend in streaks around him.
Blade lock
In our run, one dive from above ended in a blade lock, and a white E prompt with a ring around it appeared between the blades. It went unanswered, and Soul went down moments later.
The finale
A close-range sword clash plays out in the finishing scene, with a mouse-button prompt displayed during the sequence.
After the finale concludes, the Final Battle ending plays, unlocking With Heart and Blood.
Tips for the Zuo Shang fight
- Before approaching the pavilion, rest at the Phantom of The Old House bell. A death sends Soul back there, and the long scene will not play again.
- As you make your way up, activate The Fallen Dream bell to keep one close to the light pillar.
- In the first phase, watch for him rising into the air. The golden light burst comes from above.
- After his dive in phase two, look for the white E prompt if the blades lock together.
- In our run, every attempt ended quickly: about 40 seconds on Pathbreaker and 30 seconds on Wayfarer in the first phase, and about a minute on Pathbreaker and 40 seconds on Wayfarer in the second.
Zuo Shang rewards
In our run, three reward cards showed after the credits, in the Realm of Mirage.
Aureate is a One-Handed weapon with Damage 324 and Guard Break 120. Its card reads “A longsword forged from pure gold, its blade smooth as silk. With it, one can imitate Zuo Shang’s unique Golden Sword Energy.” The card lists the Golden Lóng Sword skill and asks “Equip the new weapon now?”
Broken Lóng Body is a Weapon Soul Tempering Material. Its card reads “A fragment from Zuo Shang’s ‘Sacred Lóng Vessel.’” and its effect line is “Used to Soul Temper Aureate.”
Radiant Heart is a Story Item. Its card reads “An intricate mechanical heart. A heart that beats without end.”
