Learn how to cleanse the Sanctum of Exaltation in Crimson Desert, how to solve the secret puzzle, and deal with the Antumbra Order forces guarding it.
Where to find the Sanctum of Exaltation
You can find the Sanctum of Exaltation on the northern side of Pailune, east of the Silver Wolf Mountain, in Pailune.
Important: You will only be able to solve the Sanctum of Exaltation puzzle after meeting Bari, the Witch of Kindness.
The Sanctum is part of The Witch of Kindness questline, which includes three more Sancrums you need to find and cleanse:
- Sanctum of Exaltation (this one)
- Sancrum of Deliverance
- Sanctum of Atonement
- Sanctum of Solace
Dealing with the Antumbra Order
You have to liberate the Sanctum first. Each Sanctum is guarded by forces of the Antumbra Order. The Antumbra Order is a group of religious zealots who believe that darkness can bring true balance to Pywel. Their way of worshipping is by offering human sacrifices.
Most of the enemies in the Sanctums fight with traditional melee weapons. However, a few of them fly and cast shadows that deal considerable damage. Having to deal with them while being overrun by the sword and axe wielders is not fun, but luckily for you, there is an easy way to get rid of them.
To kill these flying enemies, simply use Blinding Flash to reflect the light against them. There is no death animation; they just disappear.
Arrows or Aerial Force Palm can work as well, but I don’t recommend this slower and less efficient method because the NPCs are very fast.
How to Cleanse the Sanctum
Once you have defeated all the enemies, a short cinematic will trigger. After that, you will appear standing in front of the first objective. Hit the wall with Axiom Force or your weapons. This will dry the water.
Next, turn to your left and go downstairs. Climb down to the small edge.
From here, use Axiom Force to grab and seal the first fusion core. It’s hard to see due to the shadows, but an easy way to find it is by aiming before using Axiom Force. When the pointer turns light blue, use Axiom Force and seal it in your Kuku Pot.
Head back to the Sanctum. On your way there, you will see a hole in the floor. This is the place that was filled with water. Step near the edge and seal the second fusion core in the Kuku Pot.
Go to the Sanctum and take out both cores from your Kuku Pot. The square one goes at the back of the Sanctum.
The odd-shaped core goes in the front, right column. It doesn’t need to be perfectly aligned; it will go in as long as it starts glowing green. You need to climb on top of it and use Aerial Force Palm.
Before leaving, don’t forget to turn off the braziers that are next to the spot where you drained the water. Doing so will give you access to a treasure chest that contains the Lightning Bolt Plate Gloves and a Palmar Pill.
Second (Secret) Puzzle
There is a hidden puzzle in this Sanctum. See the blue crystal at the front of the Sanctum? You have to use the Blinding Flash to redirect light directly into it. The circle with the little gems will start to rotate.
Make sure to focus the light only when a gem is passing through the circle at the top. A metallic sound will trigger when you do it correctly. I’d describe it as something metallic being hit with a sword.
Try to get used to the timing. That will make it easier for you. The piece that comes out of the Sanctum is the actual reward, not another part of the puzzle. Seal it away on your Kuku Pot.
If you have a custom keybind for Blinding Flash on a single button, this may prevent you from completing this puzzle and timing here is key.
Rewards
As a reward for cleansing the Sanctum of Exaltation, you will receive the High-Mobility A.T.A.G and Kuku Flame Spear blueprints.
The core of Exaltation is the reward for completing the hidden puzzle. This item is used to craft some cool Kuku Pot items.
