Phantom Blade Zero Tainted Crystal Shard Locations

These shards were collected on PS5 for Map Master, and the Phantom Blade Zero accessory wiki and region maps cover what to polish with them. Quick Hand Zhang is reported to sell shards for 7,440 Remnant Dust each, and selling one back is reported to return only 3,720, so spare shards are better kept than sold.

What Tainted Crystal Shards Do in Phantom Blade Zero: First Polishes at Jewel’s Shop

Polishing raises an accessory’s effect, and Jewel handles it at her shop on the Village of Lu’s southwestern side, close to the Crossroads Bell. Jewel’s Knot is reported to go from 15% to 25% max HP for 9,152 Dust and one shard, and the Jewel’s Knot and the other accessories you can polish list each one’s polished effect.

The shard only covers the first polish. A second polish on some accessories is reported to need a Refined Indigo Crystal instead, and the Dust cost of a first polish is reported to range from 3,168 to 81,600 depending on the accessory, so the shard can be the cheaper half of the bill or the costlier one.

Weeping Creek Valley and Crimson Forest Tainted Crystal Shards in Phantom Blade Zero

The valley’s shard is under the large wooden wheel in the river, and it can only be reached once the bridge barricade is removed, so it waits until that barricade is gone. The Phantom Blade Zero Weeping Creek Valley map with the river wheel pins the spot.

Crimson Forest’s shards cluster around Mirrorwood Depths, one at its entrance and two by a tree on the eastern side of the grove, with another at the tunnel entrance on the lower path past the Pangzhen Bridge. The Phantom Blade Zero Crimson Forest map of Mirrorwood Depths places the rest, beside a tree stump and a tree with a crow.

Village of Lu Tainted Crystal Shards in Phantom Blade Zero: Jewel’s Cliff, the Ravine, and the Black Serpent Store

The village has shards close to where you’ll spend them. Beyond the one on the cliff by Jewel’s Shop, a pair waits at the edge of the ravine, and another is on a shelf on the right side of the large store next to the Black Serpent House Bell, so you can polish an accessory without leaving the region.

Pangzhen & Mirage Estate and the Mandate Encampment add more, and the Phantom Blade Zero Pangzhen & Mirage Estate map past Jingyang Hall and the Phantom Blade Zero Mandate Encampment map from the Outer Gate pin them. Zhang is also reported to stock shards at his hideouts from Crimson Forest through Mirage Estate.

Which Accessory to Polish First With a Tainted Crystal Shard in Phantom Blade Zero

Polish Jewel’s Knot first if you wear it. It’s in the golden chest inside Jewel’s Shop, a free shard is on the cliff outside, and the reported polish takes it from 15% to 25% max HP, so one visit gets you the accessory, the shard, and the upgrade. The Whence the Weeping step that sends you to Jewel brings you to her in the story.

Buy a shard only for an accessory you’ll wear all game. At 7,440 Dust, a bought shard adds about 80% to a 9,152 Dust polish like Jewel’s Knot, so spend free shards first and bought ones only on accessories you never swap out, with the Remnant Dust each polish also costs set aside.