Where you fight: About 88 m north-east of The Lady’s Shrine Bell (Mountain of Imprisonment)
Nearest Bell: The Lady’s ShrineApproximate: distances are estimated from the game data, and the map painting is not to scale.Open this spot on the map →
In the frame above A dark armoured figure stands among flying white rings in a hall of red pillars; a figure in a straw hat crouches in the foreground.
How to beat this fight
- In the first phase the flail spin speeds up and ends in a red attack. The room is tight. Jump off the pillars to get out of some swings.
- In the second phase, the Whirling Executioner, dodge just before he reaches you while he is rolling. Two wind swipes and one sword swipe are followed by a blue attack, and often a red one right after. A clean parry on the blue attack skips the red.
- He drops the Flying Guillotine, which opens locks on almost every map.
Attacks & how to counter
Attacks seen 6
These labels are our plain descriptions; the game has published no move names.
- Flying-guillotine throw Throws a bladed, hollow flail-like "flying guillotine" meant to land on your head.
- Weapon dropped on the head He makes the weapon drop onto the player character’s head, decapitating him in one motion, as But Why Tho’s writer describes it.
- Chain spin that deflects shots (Extreme) In Extreme mode he spins the chained blood-drop weapon to swat away your cannon shots, then attacks.
- Domed weapon swung overhead The domed weapon is held high above his head on its haft as the player crouches below him. Seen in the State of Play deep dive at 11:28.
- Red spinning disc A red, spinning disc-shaped blur appears right beside the player. Seen in the State of Play deep dive at 11:38.
- Red flash across the hall A horizontal red flash streaks across the screen at his position just before he attacks. Seen in the State of Play deep dive at 11:44.
How to counter 3
- Climb the pillar next to him (context prompt) to get at his back; the writer finished him with the Power Surge ultimate.
- Use the environment: run up the pillars and smash down on him.
- Outside Extreme mode, open with a charged Tiger Cannon shot for heavy damage; your hits can interrupt his big move.
Location, drops & connected quests
- The last boss of the 2024 demo.
- Arena seen: a hall of red pillars with an altar (State of Play 11:22). Seen in the State of Play deep dive at 11:23.
- Drops The Flying Guillotine.
Where, in detail
- The deep dive shows a dark wooden hall: red-lit pillars down both sides, spiral coils hanging from the ceiling, racks of candles along the walls and an altar with a seated statue at the far end.
Phases and mechanics
- A second phase, seen in the demo’s hardest mode. gcores reports that he had a second phase in the demo’s hardest mode.
- Behaviour depends on difficulty: fixed combos on normal, adaptive on the hardest setting.
- Arena pillars are an interaction for dodging his big attack (and he uses them too in Extreme mode)
- Domed blade weapon raised. He holds a domed, bell-shaped metal weapon up in the air while small white discs with square holes drift through the red-pillared hall. Seen in the State of Play deep dive at 11:23.
Watch the footage
The clip starts at 11:22 in the official State of Play gameplay deep dive (PlayStation on YouTube, August 2026): about 26 seconds on Hellwalker, with the “DEAD” screen twice. YouTube loads only when you press play.
Frame by frame
Just before the fight the difficulty menu is on screen with Hellwalker selected and its description: “The ultimate trial. Enemies strike without mercy, adapt without warning, and hold nothing back.” The narration runs over the first twelve seconds of the fight. Nothing official names his moves either; read each step by its time in the deep dive.
11:24State of Play deep dive · PlayStation
- Seen Two seconds in, he has the weapon up high while the player closes from the side.
- Narration
“Hellwalker” mode brings in core fighting game mechanics.
Official frame at 11:24.43, YouTube blh1v1dGJ2s · © PARAWULIN PRODUCTION LIMITED / S-GAME
11:32State of Play deep dive · PlayStation
- Seen A horizontal red line crosses the whole screen just before his next attack; at 11:34 the screen goes to “DEAD”.
- Narration
They react to your spacing, punish your whiffs, and adapt to your habits in real time.
Official frame at 11:32.90, YouTube blh1v1dGJ2s · © PARAWULIN PRODUCTION LIMITED / S-GAME
11:39State of Play deep dive · PlayStation
- Seen After the retry the player is back on the hall floor with him, now attacking with a long blade whose edge glows red.
Official frame at 11:39.43, YouTube blh1v1dGJ2s · © PARAWULIN PRODUCTION LIMITED / S-GAME
11:42State of Play deep dive · PlayStation
- Seen He has stepped back toward the altar end of the hall, with pillars down both sides.
- Counter Gamereactor’s writer took the context prompt at the pillar next to him to climb it and get at his back, then finished him with the Power Surge ultimate.
- Counter But Why Tho’s writer ran up the pillars and smashed down on him.
Official frame at 11:42.48, YouTube blh1v1dGJ2s · © PARAWULIN PRODUCTION LIMITED / S-GAME
Launch-build boss dossier (29 October 2026)
“At the summit of the Mountain of Imprisonment, in the temple of the Lady of the Veil, Huangxing, once one of the Three Pillars of Kunlun and now the mastermind behind Perfect Transcension, holds court. Wearing a masked helm, his left arm from the elbow down is composed of intricate mechanisms. With it, he can wield the Flying Guillotine at range or draw his sword for close combat, his attacks forceful and relentless. Countless opponents of Perfect Transcension have died by his hand. He will use their blood to forge a new path. The Mandate’s upper ranks are corrupt, its disciples weak; those in power lack resolve, while those with resolve lack power. Yuyin clings to the Wulin’s rules, while Moji is painfully naive. These injustices have prolonged the bloodshed and caused countless needless deaths. He joined forces with Master Bai to conspire against Yuyin and the Chord. He pushed Perfect Transcension through the Encampment, seized the Mountain of Imprisonment with his elite followers, and showed no mercy to those who opposed him, even Moji. A new Wulin, a new Phantom World, is unfolding before him. There is no need to look down at the bones beneath his feet.”
Huangxing, the Kunlun Renegade — Phantom Blade Zero in-game boss dossier
“A ghost-faced saw wheel bursts from his body and merges with the Flying Guillotine. His mind takes shape as a phantom realm, where the statue of the Lady of the Veil stands tall, revealing the supreme secret he longs to uncover and the overwhelming power he seeks to claim. It also conceals the true statue in the shrine, and the gaze of Moji sealed within it. The saw wheel roars and spins. He has cast aside the form of a human, and seems to have cast aside the last of his humanity. It was he who sealed Moji inside the statue, to prove himself right, to make him witness the Mandate’s decay, and to show him the new Wulin he would forge. The saw wheel roars and spins. His remaining guilt, rage, and resentment, the last vestiges of his humanity, seem to fade away. The power he seeks is so immense. What does it matter if he sacrifices his flesh and humanity to obtain it? The saw wheel roars and spins. He throws himself into a frenzy of slaughter, finally freed from having to face the statue in his heart. Moji would never accept him like this. Now, he no longer needs his approval.”
Huangxing, the Whirling Executioner — Phantom Blade Zero in-game boss dossier
Connected weapon: Flying Guillotine. Connected quest: Pillars of Kunlun.
Key facts
Boss · Bounty
Huangxing
The area boss of the 2024 demo.unconfirmed
First shown: The 2024 demo.
- In the official 2025 demo walkthrough, after the Wan Jun “Coppermaul” fight, a subtitle reads “Master Huangxing! You lied to me!!!” No speaker name is on screen, and no source explains the line.