Ghost of Tsushima: Which Way to Ascend Mt Jogaku, The Undying Flame Guide

Many of the Mythic Tales of Ghost of Tsushima pit you against several waves of Mongols or supreme duellists; in ‘The Undying Flame,’ however, your greatest adversary is the weather.

A challenging Mythic Tale that has you in a race against time to make the right turns to ascend Mount Jogaku, the reward of being able to use a flaming sword is more than worth the effort.

In this guide, we’ll be showing you the correct path to complete The Undying Flame, the way up Mount Jogaku, as well as what you’ll be rewarded once you complete the Mythic Tale.

Warning, this The Undying Flame guide contains spoilers, with each part of the Ghost of Tsushima Mythic Tale detailed below.

How to find The Undying Flame Mythic Tale

If you want to get your hands on the flaming sword in Ghost of Tsushima, you’ll first need to reach Act III of the main story, with the opening missions leading you to Jogaku Temple.

From Jogaku Temple, you’ll have to venture north, through the snow to find a musician on the side of the road who’s struggling to light a fire.

After you’ve helped him, he’ll tell you the tale of the Way of the Flame and how the Mongols came to wield such a power. Next, you’ll be told that you need to ascend Mount Jogaku.

For completing The Undying Flame, you’ll receive the ability to use the Way of the Flame (you’ll get a flaming sword), as well as receive a moderate legend increase, a new sword kit, and a new mask.

Ascend Mt Jogaku: Find the first campfire

To commence your ascent of Mount Jogaku, you’ll need to take the faded path that leads away from the musician’s camp. As you can see above, it takes you off of the better-marked path that goes past the camp.

Follow the path forwards until you meet a tall cliff face. You’ll be able to climb this by just jumping onto one of the climbing marks and moving upwards.

At the top of the cliff face, you’ll follow a short path around to the left, leading to find the first campfire.

From this point on, you’ll be against the clock. The longer you spend away from a campfire, the more you start to freeze. After a certain point, you’ll begin to lose health and eventually perish on the frozen mountain.

Ascend Mt Jogaku: Find the second campfire

There’s only one way to continue up Mount Jogaku from the first campfire, and that’s up a couple of rocks to then see an opening. To the right is a path and to the left is a bridge. Turn left and take the bridge.

At the end of the bridge, you’ll be met by a Bankhar dog, aimed to slow you down. Defeat the beast and keep heading straight forward. If you look to your right and up, you’ll see the raised area where the next campfire burns.

Another Bankhar dog will come to attack you on your way up the path of stone blocks which track up to the right (found by going straight after exiting the bridge), leading to the campfire.

On the map below, you can see the location of the second campfire as you find your way up Mt Jogaku.

Ascend Mt Jogaku: Find the third campfire

At the second campfire on the way up Mount Jogaku, you’ll seemingly only be given one path. It looks as though you should turn right behind the camp, defeat the Bankhar dog, and swing over the crevasse.

This is a misdirection. The way up Mount Jogaku is back the way you came. From the campfire, as you can see below, head back down the stone path.

While you head down, keep right and hug the mountainside. You’ll find a tight path leading down some drops and going between trees.

Down this route, when you find a clearing, turn right to scale the slope of Mount Jogaku. Head straight up and keep to the left of the large stone projection that you can see on the right in the image below.

As you reach the top, you’ll see a small ledge to jump up, with the path at the top turning to the right and heading down a walled passage. This passage leads directly to the third campfire.

On the map below, you can see where the entrance to this path begins on Mt Jogaku. Reach this point, and you’ll be able to run straight to the next campfire.

Ascend Mt Jogaku: Find the fourth campfire

At the fourth campfire, you’ll meet a friendly samurai, shivering in the cold. As you look at the shelter from the other side of the fire, you’ll see a raised path leading to the right: follow the path.

You’ll soon see a broken bridge. To cross the first gap, you’ll need to jump and use the grapple hook (R2) to reach the other side.

You won’t be able to jump or swing across the next broken bridge. Instead, turn your eye to the left to see a broken tree that you can grapple.

After grappling onto the broken tree, you’ll be able to climb to the right and onto the next bit of ground. Here, turn left immediately and run up the hill. A short way up, there’ll be a burned-out campfire that you need to light (R2).

On the map below, you can see the location of the fourth campfire on the way up Mt Jogaku.

Ascend Mt Jogaku: Find the fifth campfire

Before you leave the fourth campfire, you can find a scroll to read by the shelter.

To get to the next campfire, continue up the hill and turn left. You’ll have to swing across some trees, jump on some branches, and climb some rocks.

Make your way across the trees and up the rock face to get to the fifth campfire on the way up Mt Jogaku, as marked on the map below.

Ascend Mt Jogaku: The way to the summit

This is the final part of climbing required in The Undying Flame Mythic Tale, but there is a surprise in store if you go the wrong way.

First, check by the shelter as there’s another scroll to pick up. From the campfire, head directly away from the shelter and towards a pathway that heads to the right.

As you run through to an opening, look left to locate the climbing wall. After the first few climbing grips, you’ll need to jump and grapple to move higher.

Climb upwards but keep an eye out for any climbing ledges that will take you to the left. If you go directly up and climb over a fairly low ridge, you’ll be attacked and thrown away by a bear.

So, on the way up, veer to the left as soon as the ledges become visible instead of popping over the top of the bear ledge. These will take you around and above where the bear is waiting.

At the top here, you’ll need to turn right, jump over the gap (at the bottom of which, the bear waits), and run up the path leading you to a dojo.

How to get the flaming katana

Atop Mount Jogaku, you’ll speak with Bettomaru, the keeper of the secret of the Way of the Flame. Before you duel the master, you’ll need to pick up a stone, which is placed towards the back of the duelling circle.

Then, you commence the battle.

Bettomaru isn’t the most menacing adversary in Ghost of Tsushima: they’re mostly only dangerous when they cast a flaming sword.

Without a flaming sword, you can parry almost all of their attacks and lay down many heavy attacks. They will occasionally use an orange-tint unblockable shot without the fire, but this is quite rare.

When there is fire on Bettomaru’s sword, however, you’ll need to dodge (O) every strike.

Bettomaru will usually use a four-stroke combination, with each of the flaming attacks being unblockable. Just keep dodging until the flames die out and then go gung-ho with heavy attacks.

Partway through, you’ll be able to use a flaming sword in Ghost of Tsushima for the first time. Press R1 when the prompt shows and lay down some flaming katana attacks.

You don’t have to defeat Battomaru, just diminish roughly two-thirds of their health.

How to descend Mt Jogaku

You’re not expected to climb back down Mount Jogaku the same way that you came up the mountain.
Before you leave, however, be sure to explore Bettomaru’s dojo as there’s plenty to loot.

When you’re ready to leave, head to the back of the duelling circle, where you can overlook the area, and you’ll find a grappling tree stump.

Press R2 to descend Mt Jogaku. It’s then a straight shot to the musician to get the other rewards for completing The Undying Flame side quest.

How to use a flaming sword in Ghost of Tsushima

To use the Way of the Flame, you’ll need a new item, Incendiary Oil. If you have some, you’ll need to equip it as your quickfire weapon (R2, then right on the d-pad) and then press R1 whenever you want to have a flaming sword.

You’ll start with an Incendiary Oil capacity of just two, so if you want to use the flaming sword often, you’ll need to go to a Trapper and upgrade the pouch by trading predator hides.

The Undying Flame sword kit and mask rewards

For completing the Mythic Tale, you’ll be able to use a flaming sword whenever you have Incendiary Oil equipped, but you’ll also get two cosmetic items.

After you speak to the musician, you’ll be rewarded with a face mask called the Purity of War. It’s a white warrior’s mask, with the description “A warrior’s unswerving resolution will bring victory.”

You’ll also receive a new sword kit, Izanami’s Grief. The orange and blue kit comes with the following description: “The fire of a warrior’s fury cannot be contained.”

Now that you’ve finished The Undying Flame, you’ll be able to use a flaming sword in Ghost of Tsushima, as well as equip a new face mask and sword kit if you so choose.

Looking for more Ghost of Tsushima guides?

Ghost of Tsushima Complete Advanced Controls Guide for PS4

Ghost of Tsushima: Track Jinroku, The Other Side of Honour Guide

Ghost of Tsushima: Find Violets Locations, Legend of Tadayori Guide

Ghost of Tsushima: Follow the Blue Flowers, Curse of Uchitsune Guide

Ghost of Tsushima: The Frog Statues, Mending Rock Shrine Guide

Ghost of Tsushima: Search the Camp for Signs of Tomoe, The Terror of Otsuna Guide

Ghost of Tsushima: Locate Assassins in Toyotama, The Six Blades of Kojiro Guide

Ghost of Tsushima: Find the White Smoke, The Spirit of Yarikawa’s Vengeance Guide