Black Myth Wukong: "Cannot absorb spirits without guidance" explained
Here's what this cryptic message means, and how to get that missing guidance.
Early on in Black Myth: Wukong, you may get the notice "Cannot absorb spirits without guidance" after beating some of its Yaoguai Chief bosses and rightly wonder, what does that even mean? Luckily, we're here to help, as below we explain everything you need to know about how to absorb spirits in Black Myth: Wukong, and where to find that missing guidance.
What does "Cannot absorb spirits without guidance" mean?
Spirits are Yaoguai demons you're able to summon in battle in Black Myth: Wukong, and you'll gain a fair number of them throughout the game by defeating its various sub-bosses known as Yaoguai Chiefs. One of the earliest spirits you're able to obtain is the Wandering Wight, an early, optional boss in Chapter 1's Forest of Wolves, as well as the frog sub-boss Baw-Li-Guhh-Lang. When you defeat them, though, you may find you're unable to absorb their spirits. So what gives?
Before you can absorb spirits, you have to talk to the Blessed Gourd Master, who can be found very close to the 'Snake Trail' Shrine in the Bamboo Grove in Chapter 1.
To get to his location, you'll need to beat the Yaoguai King Lingxuzi, and progress up through the forest until you reach the Bamboo Grove's Snake Trail shrine on the main story path. Head up the stairs next to the shrine and before you cross the bridge, head left and you'll see the Blessed Gourd Master right in front of you.
As you approach him, a cutscene will kick in and he will automatically upgrade your gourd so you can now absorb those pesky spirits. Going forward, if you approach a blue spirit after defeating a Yaoguai Chief, you'll be able to successfully absorb it and make use of its special abilities in battle.
As for those spirits you might have fought and defeated before obtaining this all-important 'guidance', fear not. If you return to a shrine, you'll have the option to 'Retrieve Spirits' when you next offer incense to open the shrine menu. Select this, and you'll be able to add any spirits you've beaten straight into your arsenal, as shown in the screenshots below.
That's all there is to it! You've now obtained the necessary guidance to absorb spirits in Black Myth: Wukong, so go forth and start seeking out more bosses so you can make use of their unique abilities.