Black Myth Wukong “Cannot absorb Spirits without guidance” Explained

After defeating certain enemies in Black Myth: Wukong, a floating Spirit may remain where they fell. Unfortunately, if you’re still in the early stages of the game, you may not be able to take the Spirits and are instead met with a message stating, “Cannot absorb Spirits without guidance.” Continue reading for our guide on how to retrieve Spirits in Black Myth: Wukong.

How to Absorb Spirits in Black Myth Wukong

In Black Myth: Wukong, you will likely encounter your first Spirit after defeating the Wandering Wight miniboss, but you won’t be able to retrieve it. However, you should leave the Spirit behind and continue progressing through the game, as you won’t be able to absorb Spirits until you have your Gourd upgraded into The Blessed Gourd.

To obtain The Blessed Gourd, you will have to reach the second major area in Chapter 1, Bamboo Grove, and find the NPC located near the Snake Trail Keeper’s Shrine. This NPC can be found just up a flight of stairs next to the Keeper’s Shrine.

The Snake Trail area is hard to miss, and you will naturally progress to it shortly after defeating the first major boss of Chapter 1, Lingxuzi.

After meeting the Snake Trail NPC, you will obtain the Blessed Gourd, and can now absorb any future Spirits from your fallen enemies. But wait, what about the Spirits you had to leave behind?

How to Retrieve Lost Spirits in Black Myth Wukong

Since you were likely unable to retrieve the Wandering Wight’s Spirit upon initial defeat, you probably left it behind to find the Blessed Gourd. If you return to the spot where you defeated the enemy, you’ll notice the Spirit is no longer there.

Luckily, you can easily retrieve any Spirits you left behind or failed to notice just by visiting a Keeper’s Shrine. After obtaining the Blessed Gourd, you’ll now have a new option at Keeper’s Shrines: Retrieve Spirits.

Opening this menu will present you with any Spirits you failed to pick up in the past which can easily be added to your collection.

You can equip any Spirit you’ve absorbed to your character through the Equipment menu and, when your Qi meter is full, can transform into that Spirit for a special attack. Additionally, equipped Spirits will grant you passive stat enhancements, like increased damage negation or reduced stamina consumption.

Fancy some in-game photography? Check out How to Use the Black Myth: Wukong Photo Mode.