Phantom Blade Zero The Axe's Grudge trophy

Early game · trophy, PS5, Steam, The Axe's Grudge, Peng Meng, Axemaster, Dread Axe

By Hizzle Guides · Published 2026-11-04 · Facts checked 2026-11-04 · Game version checked: PC 1.0302256 official November 4 patch reviewed; PS5 trophy context; exact PS5 build parity UNSURE; no in-game testing

Phantom Blade Zero The Axe's Grudge trophy unlocks by defeating Peng Meng, the Axemaster, on Weeping Creek Valley's story route. Prepare for the whole axe sequence, dodge his grab and attack after the actual recovery. Single source trophy method: combat descriptions have multiple supporting accounts, but two independent complete platform-unlock checks are not established.

Reach Peng Meng

Reach the Outpost and activate its Bell. Forge's service opens weapon upgrades here, so inspect your current equipment before leaving. Follow the story route through the outpost toward the open river area; the published location is southwest of the Outpost, not a later optional arena.

The nearby Cell Key opens the Outpost Courtyard room containing a Blackstone Shard in the published walkthrough. That pickup and Peng Meng's defeat are separate objectives; follow your current story marker if the river route remains blocked. early build supplies an opening loadout without requiring his Dread Axe before you have earned it.

Read the sequence before spending your opening

What Peng Meng does	Response supported by the published walkthroughs
Broad axe strings	Defend through the follow-up swings; the first blocked hit does not end his turn. Time the blue-streak counter when you recognize it.
Foot lift followed by an arm reaching for Soul	Expect the grab and dodge as it arrives, rather than spending a sword combo in front of him.
Ground impact and spreading shockwave	Leave the impact area and watch for the later overhead attack before moving back in.
Low forward body lunge	Move to a flank instead of retreating straight along its path.
Guard finally breaks	Use a short damage opening, then reset your defense when he recovers.

If your Sha-Chi is nearly spent, change to your second main weapon when available. Hizzle's learning suggestion is to recognize one full string before trying a long retaliation. That exercise is advice, not a tested damage rotation.

Single source numeric reference: AllThingsHow reports 18,720 HP on Pathbreaker/Wayfarer and a 9,000 Remnant Dust reward. We have not independently measured those values or confirmed them for every difficulty and patch.

Claim the Dread Axe, then keep the quests separate

Winning awards Dread Axe, a Phantom Edge that can break certain chained exploration barriers. It is not a main weapon and does not require finishing the later Four Fierce Axes evidence chain first. That chain's eventual tempering reward is a separate objective in Soul Tempering.

Speak with Yu'er at the Outpost and protect Apprentice Healer before the later Jing Ye deadline. healer tale guide covers the longer healer route; beating Peng Meng alone does not finish it. Continue toward Inspection Crank route and The Hunt trophy for the next major tool gates.

Planning field	Current scope
Platform/grade	PS5 Bronze; matching official Steam name and requirement; method evidence remains as labeled.
Missable	Story-related in the PS5 roadmap. Nearby quest rewards have separate deadlines.
Difficulty/time	Hizzle estimate 3/10; attempt time UNSURE, not measured in-game.
Players/online	One player; no co-op step described.
DLC/playthrough	Base game; early first run.

PC 1.0302256 changes some enemy behavior generally; no universal old timing or exact PS5 parity is claimed. We have not tested the fight in-game.

Sources we checked

UNSURE marks what this guide hasn't established. Hizzle Guides research from public sources; we don't claim in-game testing unless a page says so.

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