If you’re working through Chapter 9 of Crimson Desert and just picked up the “Reveal the secret of the stone tablet” objective during the Crossing Point mission, you’ve reached one of the more puzzle-heavy stretches in the whole game. This part of the Thinning Blade questline sends you to the Spire of the Sun, where two separate mirror puzzles stand between you and an Abyss Gate, and on the other side of that gate is a boss fight against Goyen. I’ll walk you through how to reveal the secret of the stone tablet in Crimson Desert step by step, solve both mirror puzzles, and beat Goyen without too much trouble.

Bookmark this guide before you head out, because the second mirror puzzle has a few steps that are easy to second-guess once you’re standing in front of it. And if you’re working through the rest of Thinning Blade, check our other Crimson Desert guides while the laser beam does its thing.

Where to Find the Spire of the Sun for the Crossing Point Mission

The stone tablet that kicks this whole sequence off shows up after you’ve purified the golden statues earlier in The Calling questline. Reading it points you north toward the Forebearer’s Barrens, in the western part of the Crimson Desert map. That’s where you’ll find the Spire of the Sun, a tall tower surrounded by mirror pedestals and crystals, and it’s the location marked for you once the Crossing Point mission updates.

When you arrive, you’ll see the first set of mirrors arranged to bounce a laser beam between several pedestals. This is the easier of the two puzzles here, so don’t overthink it. The whole area is built around getting that beam from its source, through a sequence of reflections, and eventually up into the central tower. Everything you do at ground level is just setup for what happens once the beam reaches the tower itself.

Before you start moving anything, take a second to look at where the beam currently points and where the unlit crystal sits. That crystal is your target for this first puzzle, and once it’s lit, the beam continues on toward the second puzzle area and, eventually, the tower.

How to Reveal the Secret of the Stone Tablet: First Mirror Puzzle and Crookstone Walkers

For the first puzzle, you only need to move one pedestal. Find the mirror pedestal that’s blocking the beam from reaching the central crystal and shift it one position to the left. You can do this with the Stab ability, or you can walk around to the back of the pedestal and just push it, which works just as well and doesn’t require any particular skill unlocked.

Once that pedestal is in place, the laser beam redirects toward the central crystal, lights it up, and then travels off toward the second puzzle area. You’ll head there next, but don’t rush off just yet.

Before moving on, deal with the two Crookstone Walkers patrolling nearby. These enemies go down quickly with Force Palm, so don’t be intimidated by them. If your spirit meter is empty when you reach them, switch to Focus mode for a moment and let it refill before engaging. Clearing both Walkers is worth doing, since they drop rewards that come in handy for the rest of your run through the Abyss, and the fight itself takes barely any time. If you want a refresher on getting the most out of Force Palm against tougher enemies, our Force Palm strategy guide for Samara the Sandwatcher covers the same core combo you’ll be using here.

Crimson Desert Spire of the Sun Puzzle: Solving the Second Mirror Maze

The second mirror puzzle is where most people slow down, and for good reason. Here, the beam arrives at a wider area with five movable mirrors sitting on square pedestals, and there’s exactly one arrangement that sends the beam where it needs to go. Every other combination leaves you stuck.

The key thing to remember is that you can only move the pedestals with square bases. Any round or fixed pedestals in this area are staying put no matter what you do, so don’t waste time trying to shove them around. All five of the movable mirrors are needed to solve this puzzle, so you won’t have any spares left over once you’re done.

The general approach is to work from the side where the beam enters. Move the corner mirror so that the light coming from the middle mirror hits it directly, which redirects the beam into a stationary mirror on that same side, and from there it bounces across to the opposite side of the puzzle area. Once the beam reaches the far side, move the last movable mirror all the way to one edge so it reflects the light into the final stationary mirror, which sends the beam on toward the crystal that opens the path forward. Like with the first puzzle, you can move these pedestals with Stab or just push them by hand, whichever feels faster to you.

If you’ve worked through other environmental puzzles in the game, this one will feel familiar. Our Trembling Woods puzzle guide covers a similar lever and Stab combination if you want more practice with the mechanic before tackling this one.

Go Through the Spire of the Sun to Enter the Abyss

With both ground-level puzzles solved, the beam finally reaches the central tower. The puzzle inside the tower is much simpler than the two you just finished, but it does take a bit of repetition. Climb the stairs to the second floor, where you’ll find a mirror you can rotate and aim directly.

Adjust this mirror so the beam it reflects reaches the mirror waiting on the next floor up. As soon as the beam connects, a stone staircase extends on the side of the tower, giving you a path up to that next mirror. From there, you’ll repeat the same process: aim the mirror, watch the staircase appear, climb up, and aim the next one. The steps are identical each time, just at a higher floor, so once you’ve done it once you know exactly what to do for the rest.

The final mirror needs to send the beam up to a crystal mounted on the ceiling of the tower. Once that crystal lights up, the way to the top of the Spire of the Sun opens completely. Climb to the top, and you’ll find the entrance to the Abyss waiting for you. Step through, and after a short cutscene and dialogue, Elder Goyen appears and challenges you to prove your strength.

How to Beat Goyen in Crimson Desert (Abyss Boss Fight Guide)

Compared to some of the bosses you’ve already fought by this point in Crimson Desert, Goyen is genuinely one of the more manageable fights in the Abyss. He fights with a sword and shield and mostly relies on attacks that circle around you before striking, which gives you plenty of time to read his movements and respond.

The strategy that works here is the same one that works against most bosses in this game. Start in Focus mode, which slows Goyen down and makes his attacks easier to read. Wait for a basic attack, parry it, and follow up with a couple of Force Palm strikes. Those hits fill Goyen’s yellow stamina bar quickly. When your spirit runs low, drop back into Focus mode to let it recover, then wait for his next attack and repeat the cycle.

Once that yellow bar fills completely, Goyen drops to one knee to recover, and that’s your best window to land heavy, high-damage attacks without worrying about a counter. The one thing to watch for is red warning circles coming from the bracelet on your wrist while you’re in Focus mode. That’s the signal that the incoming attack can’t be parried, so dodge instead of blocking. During the fight, you’ll also get a tutorial popup for the Expertise skill, even if you’ve already unlocked it earlier. It’s just a short pause in the action, so read it and get back to the fight. If you want to dig deeper into how Expertise fits into a Force Palm build, our Fortain the Cursed Knight walkthrough goes into more detail on combining the two.

By the time Goyen kneels for the second or third time, his health pool is nearly gone, so just keep repeating the parry, Force Palm, Focus mode cycle and you’ll close out the fight without much drama.

Unwavering Steps Rewards: Nest of Valor, Witch’s Ring, and the Hidden Fated Shadow Sword

Beating Goyen completes the Nest of Valor challenge and wraps up the main objectives tied to the Unwavering Steps quest, which also unlocks the Spire of the Sun challenge you just finished. For your trouble, you’ll receive the Witch’s Ring and the Greymane’s Earring, both solid additions if you’re still rounding out your accessory loadout heading deeper into the Abyss.

There’s also a reward here that’s extremely easy to miss. After the fight, head toward the stairs on the right side of the arena, near the water’s edge, and into a small side room. Sitting on a weapon stand inside is the Fated Shadow sword, a Mythic-grade one-handed weapon that arrives already at Refinement Level 6 and comes pre-slotted with Greysoul Howling, a unique Abyss skill that hits hard as a finisher. The game gives you no marker, no tooltip, and no prompt pointing you toward it, and once you move on with the main quest, that side room seals behind you, so grab it before you leave the arena.

If you’re enjoying the corruption and Abyss-cleansing theme running through this part of the story, our guide on cleansing all four Sanctums in Crimson Desert covers a related set of challenges that pair nicely with what you’ve just finished here.

Where do I find the Spire of the Sun in Crimson Desert?

The Spire of the Sun is in the Forebearer’s Barrens, in the western part of the Crimson Desert map. You’re directed there after reading the stone tablet during the Crossing Point mission in Chapter 9.

How do I reveal the secret of the stone tablet in Crimson Desert?

Solve the two mirror puzzles outside the Spire of the Sun, then use the mirrors inside the tower to send the beam up to the ceiling crystal. This opens the path to the Abyss Gate and completes the stone tablet objective.

Which mirrors can I move in the Spire of the Sun puzzle?

Only the pedestals with square bases can be moved, either by using the Stab ability or by walking behind them and pushing. Round and fixed pedestals stay in place and aren’t part of the solution.

Is Goyen hard to beat in Crimson Desert?

No, Goyen is one of the more approachable Abyss bosses. His attacks are predictable and easy to parry, and the Focus mode, parry, Force Palm cycle that works on most bosses in the game handles him without much difficulty.

What rewards do I get from Nest of Valor and Unwavering Steps?

Defeating Goyen rewards the Witch’s Ring and Greymane’s Earring, plus access to the Spire of the Sun and Nest of Valor challenges. There’s also a hidden Fated Shadow sword in a side room near the arena’s water’s edge that’s easy to miss.

That’s everything you need to reveal the secret of the stone tablet in Crimson Desert, get through the Spire of the Sun puzzles, and take down Goyen in the Abyss. Check out our other guides on ingametor.com for more of the Thinning Blade questline and the boss fights waiting beyond it.