In Where Winds Meet, Puppeteer Sheng Wu is a world boss that can be quite hard to face if you don't know its patterns and weaknesses. But once it clicks, it can turn into a stylish two-part duel with tons of dodge and parry combinations. Here's everything you need to know about the boss, the fight, and what to bring to the arena.

Puppeteer Sheng Wu Boss Location

Puppeteer Sheng Wu appears in Qinghe, in the Verdant Wilds region. The boss is located roughly northeast in Qinghe, about halfway between Bamboo Abode and Battlecrest Slope, close to the Verdant Wilds teleportation campfire.

Head out from that campfire and look for the open clearing where a smoke-ring arena forms once the encounter starts.

Puppeteer Sheng Wu Boss Rewards

  • Echo Jade - x20
  • Exquisite Scenery: Tome - x1
  • Medicinal Tales - x3
  • Zhou Coin - x8000
  • Decoration: Shadow Puppet Doll - x1
  • Stored EXP- x8000
  • Qinghe Exploration - x50

Puppeteer Sheng Wu Boss Mechanics Fight and Tips

The fight with Sheng Wu happens in 2 phases, with an intermediary phase.

Phase 1

In Phase 1, Sheng Wu fights you directly with a mix of short and long strings that punish panic rolls but reward well-timed parries. Most attacks in this phase can be either blocked, parried, or dodged, letting strong defensive fundamentals carry you through.

Middle Phase

After the first phase, Sheng Wu's minions (puppets) will come to fight. Comparatively, they are easier to beat. But do keep up the defensive trifecta of block, parry, or dodge going and make sure to get past this phase quickly. Defeating both puppets makes Sheng Wu reappear in a more vulnerable state, opening a window to pour in damage before the cycle repeats.

Phase 2

Once you deplete Sheng Wu’s first health bar, the boss disappears in smoke and fully refills HP, transitioning into a more chaotic second phase. The arena tightens into a smoke ring, and Sheng Wu starts relying more heavily on summoned puppets to pressure and confuse you.​​

How to beat Puppeteer Sheng Wu in one go

Step 1

Equip at least one parry-capable weapon like Strategic Sword or Heavenquaker Spear and an AoE or ranged art for puppets. Then head to Qinghe’s Verdant Wilds campfire, and approach the open-field area. The arena locks once engaged.​​

Step 2

Dodge or parry most glaive strings. Focus on parrying the later hits in combos rather than trying to block everything. Dodge or parry the Iron-Rod and Nameless Rush's attacks. You'll see his edge glow red. So be wary of those.

Step 3

Conserve healing for Phase 2. Use stagger from parries to open damage windows after strings. Avoid chasing recklessly during boss retreats.​

Step 4

Kite the puppets in the smoke-ring arena, using your AoE and area control arts to defeat them quickly.

Keep the boss in camera view to anticipate offscreen attacks.​

Step 5

When both puppets die, Sheng Wu briefly becomes vulnerable. Use this time to unleash burst damage with your strongest arts and combos.​

Step 6

Stay disciplined against aggressive or long strings. Use dodge and parry, manage stamina, and capitalize on boss mistakes until Sheng Wu falls.

The following loadouts are recommended for the fight.

  • Mystical Arts - with Strategic Sword and Heavenquaker Spear for their high stagger potential.
  • Mystic Arts - with Meridian Touch - to break ground and stagger boost.
  • Infernal Arts - with Evening Snow and Steadfast Stance for crowd control and solid defense when the puppets swarm.