Nioh 3 Sacred Mountain Defiled Walkthrough

The Sacred Mountain Defiled mission takes place on the forested slopes of Mount Kurama, a steep vertical environment unlike the flat battlefields of earlier missions. The map is structured as a winding upward climb from a forest trailhead at the base to a corrupted Shinto temple at the summit. Rows of weathered torii gates line the main path, many of them broken or leaning from the Tengu corruption that has taken hold of the mountain.

From the first Shrine at the mountain base, the path leads north through a dense cedar forest. This initial area introduces the wind gust mechanic — exposed ridges between tree cover will blast your character sideways if you are not hugging the inner wall. Two Kodama are hidden in this lower section: one behind a moss-covered Jizo statue near the trailhead, and another inside a hollow tree trunk just past the first torii gate.

The torii gate path continues upward through a series of stone steps flanked by fox statues. Yokai Realm pockets appear along this stretch, creating floating platforms above gaps in the stairway. These platforms are the only way to reach certain supply caches and the third and fourth Kodama. Step onto the purple-shimmering platforms carefully — they vanish 6 seconds after you touch them, so move quickly.

Midway up the mountain, the path narrows to a rope bridge spanning a deep gorge. This is where you encounter Kajiwara Kagetoki, the mid-boss of Sacred Mountain Defiled. A Shrine sits on the near side of the bridge. The fifth Kodama is hidden behind this Shrine, tucked under a rock overhang that is easy to miss if you rush straight onto the bridge.

After defeating Kagetoki and crossing the bridge, the upper mountain opens into a network of switchback trails, rope ladders, and shortcut ropes. This vertical exploration section rewards thorough searching — two more Kodama (the sixth and seventh) are placed along the rope shortcut routes that connect different elevations. A wandering monk NPC stands near the upper Shrine and provides lore about the Tengu corruption consuming the mountain. He also sells Purity Talismans and Wind Resistance items.

The final stretch leads through a collapsed gate into the temple courtyard at the summit. The eighth and last Kodama is behind a fallen stone pillar to the left of the courtyard entrance — destroy the wooden debris blocking it. Beyond the courtyard, the Great Tengu awaits in the open temple grounds with a panoramic view of the mountain below.

Sacred Mountain Defiled features a mix of yokai and corrupted wildlife enemies. The lower forest is populated by Karasu Tengu (crow tengu), small Kodama Maneaters, and Nurikabe wall yokai that block narrow passages. The upper mountain shifts to stronger Ippon-Datara and Onyudo yokai, along with corrupted warrior monks who fight with naginatas and have surprisingly long reach. Yokai Realm pockets on the floating platforms spawn Biwa Boku-boku that buff nearby enemies — destroy them first.

Boss 1: Kajiwara Kagetoki (Mid-Boss)

Kajiwara Kagetoki is the mid-mission boss of Sacred Mountain Defiled. He fights as a corrupted samurai general on the narrow rope bridge, using a combination of quick sword draws and grapple-throw attacks that can knock you off the bridge edges. The arena is extremely tight, giving you very little room to dodge laterally. Kagetoki's weakness is Purity element — apply Purity talismans or use a Purity-imbued weapon to quickly build Purified status. When Purified, Kagetoki loses his yokai-enhanced grab attacks entirely, making the fight significantly safer. Stay in Mid Stance for balanced dodge distance on the narrow bridge, and bait his overhead slash combo before punishing with two to three hits.

Boss 2: Great Tengu (Final Boss of Sacred Mountain Defiled)

The Great Tengu is the final boss of the Sacred Mountain Defiled mission and one of the most mechanically demanding fights in Nioh 3 up to this point. The Great Tengu has two distinct phases. Phase 1 is a ground-based fight where the Tengu uses its massive fan weapon for sweeping wind attacks, tornado summons that track your position, and a rapid three-hit claw combo. The arena is the open temple courtyard, giving you room to maneuver but also exposing you to knockback from wind attacks.

Phase 2 triggers at 40% HP when the Great Tengu takes flight. In this aerial phase, it performs diving attacks from above, creates wind shear zones on the ground, and summons smaller Karasu Tengu adds. The aerial dives are telegraphed by a brief hover animation — dodge sideways at the last moment, then punish during the landing recovery. Water is the Great Tengu's primary weakness. Applying Saturated status grounds the Tengu more frequently during Phase 2, reducing the time it spends airborne. Equip Water talismans or a Water-element weapon for this fight. Our full Bosses Guide covers all encounters in detail.

The optimal approach for Sacred Mountain Defiled is a dual-element loadout. Equip Purity talismans or a Purity weapon for the first half of the mission and the Kajiwara Kagetoki bridge fight, then switch to Water talismans or a Water-infused weapon for the Great Tengu at the summit. This covers both boss weaknesses efficiently. The wandering monk NPC near the upper Shrine sells both Purity and Water talismans if you run out, so speak with him before the final boss.

For the wind gust sections on Sacred Mountain Defiled, timing is everything. The gusts follow a 5-second cycle — watch for the leaf particle effect that appears 1.5 seconds before each blast. Sprint to the nearest torii gate pillar or rock wall when you see the leaves swirl. In Low Stance, your character has less displacement from gusts, making it the safest stance for traversal on exposed ridges. Do not attempt to fight enemies on ridge sections during active gust cycles.

The Yokai Realm floating platforms on Sacred Mountain Defiled are time-limited but respawn when you revisit the area. If you fall, you lose some health but land on the stone steps below rather than dying. Use the platforms to grab supply caches and Kodama, but do not linger — each platform vanishes 6 seconds after contact. Sprint across in Low Stance for maximum speed.

Before the Great Tengu fight, make sure your gear is at least +5 enhancement level. Sacred Mountain Defiled is a significant step up from the previous mission. If your damage feels insufficient, farm the Karasu Tengu loop near the first Shrine — they give approximately 4,200 Amrita each and respawn on rest. The Great Tengu's Phase 2 aerial dives deal heavy damage even through blocking, so dodging is mandatory. Practice the timing: dodge sideways exactly when the Tengu begins its descent, not when it hovers.

Completing the Sacred Mountain Defiled mission unlocks several unique rewards exclusive to this mission in Nioh 3. The reward pool scales with your current difficulty tier and includes both guaranteed drops from bosses and rare loot on repeat clears.