This guide shows how to complete puzzles of the quest “Secret of the Scorching Desert” in the game Genshin Impact 3.1, released on 28th September 2022. This quest is part of Archon Quest Chapter III: Act IV – King Deshret and the Three Magi
The quest takes you into mysterious ruins located deep beneath the desert, and you must progress deeper within the ruins by completing many challenges.
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Rotating Pillar Puzzle
Three pillars can be found inside the ruin. Rotate each pillar until it resembles the figure (picture in sitting position) in the reference image. The pillars will also begin to glow blue to signify their proper location. You can begin from the left pillar. When all of the pillars have been correctly rotated, an elevator will appear in the center of the room. Step aboard the elevator and interact with it, prompting it to activate and transfer you to a lower floor.
Then, descend to find a locked Exquisite Chest surrounded by fungi. Defeat the enemies to obtain the loot. Continue down the stairs and head to the closed room on the left.
Sliding Wall Puzzle
Enter the room and turn left to activate the door. Only the wall with the long golden strip will open.
Head straight to make the door open automatically.
Turn right to find a Common Chest, but this wall will block your way. Turn right to cause the opposite side of the wall to open.
Proceed straight ahead and then turn left to find the Common Chest.
Turn left as you leave the room with the Common Chest.
Turn left again to remove the wall. Finally, take a right turn to enter a blue room. Defeat all the fungi in the blue room to unlock the elevator.
Elevator puzzle
Defeat all the enemies and return to the elevator to find a button on the wall that allows you to control the elevator. Interact with the button to make the elevator go up. Hop onto the elevator while it’s going up to reach the higher floor.
Rotating Pillar and Switch Puzzle
Kill all of the fungi to activate two switches on the ground. The left switch controls the left pillar, the right switch controls the right pillar, and the middle pillar always rotates in this puzzle. Your goal here is to figure out how to make all three pillars display the same image.
Left switch and Left Pillar
Start-Up by interacting with the left switch. Waiting until it starts glowing blue and immediately “turn off” the left switch. (Assuming the pillar starts glowing blue when the image is in sitting position as shown below)
Right switch and Right Pillar
Next, repeat the process so that the picture on the right pillar is identical to the one on the left. To begin, interact with the right switch. Wait until the images on the right pillar start glowing blue and matches with the ones on the left. Immediately turn off the right switch.
You have left and right pillars with the same image. The middle pillar keeps on rotating by itself. And when the middle pillar image matches the other two pillars’ images, the puzzle will get finished.
If you performed everything correctly, an elevator will appear, indicating that you’ve finished the puzzle. The rest of the quest can be completed by following the quest marker and mostly involve cutscenes.