Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed "Even though my experience with Summer of Soul was one of the most magical because if you're too successful then you're singled out," Questlove says "And being singled out for positive reasons or negative reasons is such a nightmare for most Black people." The alienation of success — particularly as it relates to Black artists — is one of the themes Questlove explores in his new documentary, SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius). The film focuses on Sly Stone, a funk musician who headed up Sly & the Family Stone in the 1960s and 1970s including "Everyday People," "Dance to the Music" and "Family Affair," had a profound influence on music and culture "Sly will invent the alphabet for which most of pop and R&B or Black music will write from for the next 60 years," Questlove says "We're still writing from his dictionary to this day." and he struggled with fame and drugs: "As with most Black artists the guilt of being the winner sort of sets in and Sly will be kind of the first domino in a long list of people that will self-sabotage a good thing," Questlove says Questlove says he called the documentary SLY LIVES because he wanted fans to know that the musical trailblazer has been clean for close to a decade and has been doing well like he plays with his grandkids," Questlove says On Sly writing the 1967 hit "Dance to the Music" to be sarcastic What people don't know is that Sly basically considered "Dance to the Music" his sell-out song Sly had released this really intelligent debut album called A Whole New Thing which is probably my favorite album of his entire canon just so ahead of its time that only a certain few latched on to it And the rejection of that album kind of depressed Sly and his label said instead of you being the smartest guy in the room Fine." And so he did a very sarcastic thing … But what Sly doesn't realize is that in his very sarcastic he includes everybody and people grasp to it And so "Dance to the Music" is one of those accidental No 1 songs that he didn't intend on catching on On the 1969 song "Stand!" with the break beat at the end I kind of think that was Sly's nod to the Black community but he really didn't have much numbers on the board for his Black audience his white audience immediately latched on to him one of the burdens of Black genius is sometimes the burden of being white people's favorite Black person I gotta get right with my people first before the rest of the world loves me." So I almost feel as though in a sort of code-switch way he wanted to add a part to that song that really made Black people say So he adds this really funky part at the end that really solidifies his genius Then, 10 years later, in 1982, Michael himself will go through that same process of being the chosen one, being the God, being the unifier, being the center of attention, and then suddenly he'll just wind up on a kind of a hamster wheel of chasing perfection. And this happens to everyone: Prince, Whitney Houston It's that level of pressure that one puts on themselves And there's just no space for humanity in entertainment So I feel as though now's the time to have that conversation … especially with Black people [because] we are now in a space where we are open to things like the discussion of therapy and mental health On the pressure Sly faced to respond to the civil rights movement The messaging of his music was always encouraging always a cheerleader of justice and a cheerleader of positivity even though the music spoke of that optimism he was sort of falling apart at the seams because there's a pressure — or a burden — which is why we call it "the burden of Black genius," there's a burden when one puts themselves in that position where they often have to come up with the solutions or the answers to why society is the way it is On Sly's music becoming "Blacker" and moving into funk but because the music is so awesome and so mind blowing we wind up fetishizing his art and you don't see the pain of it What winds up happening is for every time the pressure is on Sly to prove his "Blackness," the more success he gets his only answer is to create "Blacker" music … The pinnacle of it will be his fifth album which every critic salivates over that album like it's the most amazing funk album ever." Yes this is clearly someone who is an unwilling participant in his journey Like anyone who's ever been mired in trouble Ann Marie Baldonado and Anna Bauman produced and edited this interview for broadcast Molly Seavy-Nesper and Jacob Ganz adapted it for the web Become an NPR sponsor "Good Girl, Sunny Pearl" is filled with fun, colorful images, and features a fun rhyming read. It is perfect for any dog lover of any age who has survived the infamous puppy training stage! Ben took to his social media to write: "I've waited almost a year to announce this and thought what better day to do it than on my birthday! I am so incredibly proud and excited to announce that I have written and illustrated my first ever children's book titled 'Good Girl, Sunny Pearl' Inspired by the true story of our very own Sunny Pearl and her adventures of her infamous puppy stages! "I've always loved writing and illustrating books all the way back to elementary school! (My mom still has them)! I set a goal for myself in January of this year to actually write, illustrate, and publish a book within the year, and it feels SO GOOD to finally have it finished! It was a learning curve like I've never experienced in terms of understanding the process and making it a reality and now here we are! "I have to thank @mrs._jewells for her input and patience during this process (many many 1-2am nights of me staying up working on this). I also want to thank my family for their support and encouragement, and my BSC family for seeing me work on this on the bus while on tour! A post shared by Ben Wells (@bentcb) Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson was in his zone at the turntables for the premiere party for Sly Lives about the captivating 1970's funkmaster Sylvester Stewart "I always thought the highlight of Sundance was spinning a good party," Thompson told NPR "Now I'm in a position where I can be the party." At the festival four years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic kept Thompson from premiering his directorial debut in person. That documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, Summer of Soul (... or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) went on to win an Academy Award for best documentary feature But Thompson's Oscars moment was arguably overshadowed by the infamous moment when actor Will Smith walked onstage to slap presenter Chris Rock cheering wildly for him as an Oscar-winning filmmaker "It's a hell of a victory lap," he said from a condo in Park City Thompson talked about Stone as a complicated provocateur Sly actually tried to go to taboo territory Sly has one foot in San Francisco with all the hippies and one foot in Oakland with all the gangsters." the film charts Sly Stone's rise from a Bay Area DJ to wild years with his band It illustrates Stone navigating fame before spiraling into drug addiction The documentary opens with a clip from a 1982 interview with journalist Maria Shriver "You were at that place that every musician wants to be Thompson says that interview question was rather harsh — "an audacious But I also secretly agree with her." He says she could have chosen a more nuanced way to ask about this story "but that's also the main reason why I did the film Telling Sly Stone's story with empathy was a way for Thompson to open a conversation about Black artists and mental health He talks to Stone's former bandmates and collaborators "Do you believe in the concept of Black genius?" he asks them he tries to get at what "the Burden of Black Genius" might mean — it's also the subtitle of the documentary Thompson says he's thought a lot about this subject He says there are a different set of rules for success for Black artists "The main question of the film is: is success scarier than failing?" he says "We really have a fear of succeeding because that means that you're going to be alone and isolated and separated from what you know And either you're going to be away so long that when you come back you're going to change and then really alienate your home base — or you won't be able to take them with you Former music journalist Joseph Patel says these are the kinds of themes that make Thompson "one of our preeminent contemporary music historians." "We wanted to attract people who maybe knew the music but didn't know the story — and people who maybe didn't know the music that well at all but are of a certain generation," says Patel "And then there's a handful of Sly obsessives around the world Thompson also breaks down Sly Stone's influence on other artists in part by illustrating how many people went on to sample his music "You really see Questlove's DJ skills come into play," says Novena Carmel a DJ at Los Angeles-area NPR member station KCRW "I think that he could tell that Questlove is truly a musician and approaches him in the story with respect," she says "Questlove could also see a lot of himself in my dad in a way you know — as a musician and as a Black man in the world." Carmel says her father is now 81 years old and living quietly in the Valley "I'm just happy that he's here and that he's clean and he gets to enjoy his family and feel the love that he's going to get from this documentary," she says Questlove plans to work on a documentary about the band Earth The 67th Grammy Awards ceremony is set for Feb. 2, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will air live on CBS and Paramount+. Nominee announcements began at 11AM ET today via livestream featuring Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong READ MORE: 10 Times the Grammys Got It Wrong Nominations for the Best Rock Song songwriting Grammy went to the Black Keys (“Beautiful People [Stay High]”) (“Dark Matter”) and Green Day (“Dilemma”) Elsewhere in the rock performance category the Black Keys (“Beautiful People [Stay High]”) Green Day (“The American Dream Is Killing Me”) and Pearl Jam (“Dark Matter”) again earned Grammy nods was recognized in the Best Music Film category Beatles were also nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance Read More The 67th Grammy Awards ceremony is set for Feb. 2, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will air live on CBS and Paramount+. Nominee announcements began at 11AM ET today via livestream featuring Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong READ MORE: 10 Times the Grammys Got It Wrong Nominations for the Best Rock Song songwriting Grammy went to the Black Keys (“Beautiful People [Stay High]”) Questlove’s probing new film looks at the incredible life and works of the one-of-a-kind talent while also taking a broader look at the specific difficulties faced by Black artists Read moreSly’s story and what it says about expectations placed on Black artists is the subject of Sly Lives a vibrant and probing new documentary from the director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and the producer Joseph Patel the pair’s mesmerizing film about 1969’s Harlem Cultural Festival which won the best documentary Oscar in 2022 “Our premise is about Sly being the first post-civil rights Black star who has a white audience and a Black audience and what that specific American burden is on Black artists,” says Patel The impact of the Texas-born artist on popular music is hard to overstate. In an imperial run of six albums between 1968 and 1974, Sly and the Family Stone, as the critic Steven Hyden wrote in the New York Times “anticipated virtually every major trend in rhythm and blues of the next decade” Unusually for a late-60s America still reeling from Jim Crow Stone’s Family included members of multiple races and genders Their sound was a heady and often joyous merging of funk sunny vision of togetherness (Everyday People rousing anthems for equality (Stand!) as well as an agitated exploration of injustice in 1971’s classic There’s a Riot Goin’ On the album was both a pointed answer to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On as well as a display of Stone’s own innovation: it was the first major label record to use a drum machine arranging and playing nearly a dozen instruments on Sly and the Family Stone albums Stone produced the Great Society’s Somebody to Love later memorably covered by Jefferson Airplane (“He played every instrument and I just stood there with my jaw on the ground,” marvels the vocalist Grace Slick in the film.) “He’s got some magical way of weaving things together,” says Jimmy Jam As half of the iconic production duo Jam & Lewis he sampled a six-second snatch of Stone’s 1969 single Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) for the sledgehammering bassline of Janet Jackson’s 1989 Rhythm Nation “Sly created musical unity for my generation,” says Lewis “To be able to sample that and create that for the next generation of listeners is an amazing thing.” While other documentaries such as Michael Rubenstone’s 2017 film On the Sly have explored Stone’s story Patel notes that “they’re all done by white guys of a certain age and they all don’t really focus on his Blackness What makes this movie different is it’s the first look at Sly and his Blackness from a Black perspective LL Cool J and Mobb Deep (as well as others from Beck to Brandy); Questlove and Patel sought to imbue their documentary with the urgency of the culture In contrast to recent musical documentaries that predictably check off biographical beats sharply splices together footage from different decades and milieus embodying the restless energy of hip-hop’s rebels without a pause “We wanted it to feel like a Public Enemy album,” says Patel As well as artists including the disco god Nile Rodgers the funk queen Chaka Khan and George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic a raft of other music heavyweights act as what Patel calls “proxies for Sly”: Black artists who have taken idiosyncratic routes through fame There’s Andre 3000 who gave up rap to play flute the enigmatic hip-hop producer Q-Tip and D’Angelo the mercurial genius who was hailed as the next Marvin Gaye at 23 and then mainly receded from public life Questlove had a theory going into the project that they sometimes don’t feel like they’ve earned it or there’s a lot of guilt and they self-sabotage” Not everyone was ready to tackle these weighty issues on camera “There’s a couple of other artists that canceled last-minute because they were freaked out by the subject matter,” says Patel was unavailable to participate due to ill health.) does justice to its subject by celebrating Stone’s rarely paralleled talents as well as refusing to look away from his failings (His daughter’s recollection of snorting chalk powder with Monopoly money to be like her dad is particularly bracing to watch.) With empathy and care the film examines the bleak circumstances that might drive a Black artist who had been embraced by the white mainstream to drugs who has openly discussed her own struggles with addiction and to try and attain a false sense of everything’s OK when it’s not.” “[We] want people to realize how much Sly has given us,” says Patel we want people to realize their own culpability in not showing these artists – Black artists specifically – grace Sly Stone Photograph: Stephen PaleyThat’s a level of respect not always felt in watching a newly uncovered Stone interview conducted by Maria Shriver who peppers Stone with accusations about his downfall (Stone grips his armrest as if on a rollercoaster) And footage of an appearance on The Dick Cavett Show from 1970 the year that Life called Cavett “the brightest face on screen” “Could I dress like this and play with your group?” Cavett asks snidely like the funkiest pupil at a Buddhist monastery “I know how it feels to expect to get a fair shake,” Stone sang over heraldic brass and gospel harmonies in 1967’s Underdog “But they won’t let you forget / That you’re the underdog and you’ve got to be twice as good.” Even as he spelled out the inequalities faced by Black artists of the time many seemed to dislike that Stone dared to take pride in his hard-won achievements Questlove asks D’Angelo: “Why are we such workaholics?” The singer responds with a laugh “There’s no Prince and the Revolution without Sly and the Family Stone,” says George Clinton. Last year, Beyoncé used Stone’s music in a promotional video for Cowboy Carter A few days before the release of Sly Lives some of the crew gathered at a Super Bowl party Kendrick Lamar recreated the American flag with a formation of dancers dressed in red Patel and Questlove shot each other a look “That image has a different meaning today than it did in 1971,” Patel says referencing the indelible cover of There’s a Riot Goin’ On “But it was exactly it” – further proof that Sly lives Sly Lives! (AKA The Burden of Black Genius) is now available on Hulu in the US and on Disney+ in other territories Black Stone Cherry are proud to announce their new Record Store Day exclusive LP entitled ‘This is Black Stone Cherry’s RSD album entitled This is Black Stone Cherry’s RSD album Due for release physically on 12th April and digitally on 18th April via Mascot Records and previously unreleased songs taken from the band’s expansive discography together for the first time on a limited-edition vinyl In celebration of the news, the band have shared a previously unreleased single from the upcoming album, “Have You Ever Been Lonely.” Speaking on the new single “‘Have You Ever Been Lonely’ is a song of hope reminding us that even in our loneliest hour someone else has felt that and it is always worth it to keep moving.” The new release will be available on CD and a limited run of 3,000 white and black smoke marble vinyl worldwide 500 of which are reserved for UK fans to get their hands on Some of these songs were previously released as bonus tracks taken from deluxe configurations of BSC’s catalogue Other tracks are previously unreleased live recordings This is the first time that all of these tracks will be available in one physical collection “We are so honoured and excited to finally have something to offer as a special Record Store Day Release and ambassadors for any local record shop out there this is something we have wanted to do for many years We have put an incredible collection of songs together for this The release also features the latest version of “Out Of Pocket,” with guest vocals from Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage The original recording has been streamed five million times while cumulative plays across all DSPs of the tracks on the latest album Total streams for the songs on the prior album Black Stone Cherry ‘This is Black Stone Cherry’s RSD album Behind the Video: Vienna Teng Discusses Her “We’ve Got You (Two Truths)” Music Video Lily Lane Premieres Her Empowering New Single “Cry Baby” Skunk Anansie Debuts Latest Single “Animal” Halestorm Return with ‘Everest’ Album & Massive “nEVEREST” Global Tour Seven Hours After Violet Drops Reflective “Float” Music Video Shinedown Reveal Intimate UK Acoustic Performance Shaman’s Harvest Share “Rock n Roll Queen” Music Video Mike Plume Reimagines “This Is Our Home (8:30 Newfoundland)” Mark Morton: “I was starting to break out of the clouds I could tell that was happening and it felt really free to be creative.” it was like monsters with guitars and I was blown away.” Shadows of a Silhouette Premiere Energetic New Single “No Matter Where I Go” KING 810 Reveal ‘Rustbelt Nu Metal’ Album Details & European Tour Dawn Of Ouroboros Announce Extensive Spring & Summer US Tour Dates Headliner to Date at Boston’s MGM at Fenway Diablo® and Berserk Join Forces with Beast In Black for Epic Collaboration Deafheaven – ‘Lonely People With Power’ [Album Review] ©2025 V13 Media is part of V13 Media Group, owned by V13 Ventures. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy // Terms of Use 2025Sunken Stones - Official Gameplay Trailer | Black Voices in Gaming 2025Enjoy a sea shanty and check out gameplay from Sunken Stones in this trailer for the upcoming turn-based puzzle-strategy game about pirates and cursed treasure and defeat monsters by strategically placing units on a 5x5 grid Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Titan | Tagged: , Conan: Battle Of The Black Stone's big bad final page spoilers point to Conan's 2025 event from Titan Comics they revealed the "villain" if you can call it that… also a character created by Howard – or at least a name – and also used previously by Marvel and in the Capcom games… Shuma Gorath was actually created by Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner in 1973 for Marvel Premiere a race of ancient eldritch beings who predate Earth and was a recurring antagonist of Doctor Strange The character's name is taken from Robert E Howard's short story The Curse of the Golden Skull which features a dying magician named Rotath invoking the "iron-bound books of Shuma-Gorath" in a curse against humanity A godlike ruler of nearly a hundred alternate universes the character has the power to destroy galaxies and realities Shuma-Gorath ruled the world and demanded human sacrifice until eventually banished by the time-travelling sorcerer Sise-Neg The entity eventually returns during the Hyborian Age of Conan but is imprisoned within a mountain by the power of the god Crom and the Avengers with the Spear of Destiny he has appeared in Marvel Comics' Fear Itself Heroic Signatures and licensee Titan Comics are laying claim to him for 2025… Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY have released a new version of their hit song "Out Of Pocket" featuring a guest appearance by Jesse Leach from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE BLACK STONE CHERRY states: "We have been fans of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE since we can remember Having Jesse be a part of one of our songs has truly made this a special moment in our sonic journey." Leach adds: "I'd always appreciated the BLACK STONE guys as good humans and songwriters and I am definitely a fan after seeing their show Being asked to jump on this track was such an honor and a pleasure as well BLACK STONE CHERRY has just completed a U.S tour with CLUTCH and RIVAL SONS and is preparing to embark on a European headlining tour The trek will kick off on October 29 in Berlin AYRON JONES will provide support on the entire run BLACK STONE CHERRY said: "Our beloved Cherry Heads in Europe we have seen your comments and read all of your messages which have kept us feelin' fuzzy since the last time we saw you and we can't wait to come back for a full headline tour in October and November! We look forward to seeing your faces and hearing your voices The opus was made available in white solid vinyl BLACK STONE CHERRY released the album's lead single which went on to be a crowd favorite on the band's U.K featuring Chris Robertson (lead vocals/guitar),Ben Wells (guitar/backing vox) and John-Fred Young (drums/backing vox),are joined for the first time on an album recording by Steve Jewell Jr. The band's fanbase will be more than familiar with Steve as he has been touring with BLACK STONE CHERRY since 2021 "He is just fantastic," Wells told the Richmond Register of Jewell who had previously played guitar in the band OTIS but was asked to switch to bass when he joined BLACK STONE CHERRY "He has brought the musical ability of the band up an extra level His bass playing is unreal — and you can hear it all over this record He knocked it out of the park… He makes our sound a little grittier "Screamin' At The Sky" features all-new material written collaboratively while on tour BLACK STONE CHERRY decided to try something it's always dreamed of doing: tracking an album at The Plaza Theater in Glasgow Kentucky — a legendary 1020-seat venue built in 1934 that boasts meticulous acoustics The Man-in-Stone in Black Myth Wukong is trapped near Squall Hideout you have to fight the Man-in-Stone himself If you want a walkthrough guide to take you through the steps of this peculiar quest here's how to free the Man-in-Stone in Black Myth Wukong The Man-in-Stone side quest in Black Myth Wukong involves two optional boss fights but ends with one of the Chapter 2's best rewards: the Azure Dust spell which allows you to shapeshift temporarily into a high-defence rock monster.  you'll need to complete a small quest chain that initially starts as an attempt to free the Man-in-Stone from his confinement - here's how it goes and get an immediate reward - the aforementioned Azure Dust spell that turns you into an incredibly durable Rock Guai temporarily.  Not only that, but the Man-in-Stone will then become a merchant from that point on with a small range of unique items - including the Sobering Stone, which is how to sober up the drunk Black Myth Wukong pig Joel FraneySocial Links NavigationGuides WriterJoel Franey is a writer podcaster and raconteur with a Masters from Sussex University none of which has actually equipped him for anything in real life As a result he chooses to spend most of his time playing video games reading old books and ingesting chemically-risky levels of caffeine He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook they should probably add another just to be safe The Weekly Injection: New Releases From PROPAGANDHI The Weekly Injection: New Releases From GHOST MACHINE HEAD & More Out This Week 4/25 The Weekly Injection: New Releases From MELVINS BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT & More Out This Week 4/18 The Weekly Injection: New Releases From EPICA THE MARS VOLTA & More Out This Week 4/11 The Weekly Injection: New Releases from ALLEGAEON FULL OF HELL Grinds Hard On New Single "Broken Sword HEALTH & CHELSEA WOLFE Team Up For Collaborative New Single "Mean" PRIMUS Recruits MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN For New Single "Little Lord Fentanyl" DRY KILL LOGIC Comes Back With New Single "Now You Belong With The Dead" WITCHCRAFT Stays Doomed On New Single "Spirit" 10 Modern Metal Artists You Need To Catch At Sonic Temple 2025 10 Butt Rock Anthems That Actually Kinda Rule LARCENIA ROE Names The Top Five Most Brutal Album Covers 10 Black Albums By Bands That Aren't Metallica 10 Greatest Nü-Metal Performances of All Time PARADISE LOST's New Record Is Done Being Recorded METALLICA Announces Massive Load Reissue Feat The Extended Version Of "The Outlaw Torn" Two Major Rock & Metal Names Appeared In Google's Year In Search 2024 Roundup Man Arrested For Getting Too Drunk & Resisting Arrest At A HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS Show In Disney Important: Here's CARCASS Partying To "Feliz Navidad" On Stage CRADLE OF FILTH's Jesus Shirt Is Still Making Crybabies Mad When We Were Young Festival Merch Riddled With Typos Interview: From Dystopian Thrash To Existential Cosmic Horror – How CRYPTOSIS Expanded Their Sound With Celestial Death Interview: ARCH ENEMY's MICHAEL AMOTT On Evolution & Pushing Boundaries With Blood Dynasty Inside IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT's "More Forgiving More Palatable Avant-Death Experience" Goldstar POWERWOLF's MATTHEW GREYWOLF Discusses The Band's New Album North American Tour & Historical Figures In Their Music MAX CAVALERA Sets The Record Straight On A SEPULTURA Reunion His Future Plans & Much More With Metal Injection SUFFOCATION Announces Headlining Dates Around CARNIFEX Tour PARADISE LOST & MESSA Announces European Tour Dates HIGH ON FIRE & NECROT Announce European Tour DANCE GAVIN DANCE Announces Full Lineup For Their Swanfest ANCIIENTS Announces First US Tour In Eight Years Enter your information below to get a daily update with all of our headlines and receive The Orchard Metal newsletter And how to find the NPC near the Squall Hideout Shrine Looking to free the man trapped in the rock in Chapter 2 of Black Myth: Wukong? You'll first meet the Man-In-Stone (as the character is called) in the Fright Cliff region of Black Myth: Wukong, in Chapter 2 of the game The Man-In-Stone questline is a fairly short one, but it's well worth completing properly. Black Myth: Wukong follows the soulslike tradition of adding some rather convoluted questlines which you must puzzle throughout without the help of a journal to track your progress we'll walk you through how to complete every step of the Man-In-Stone quest in Chapter 2 of Black Myth: Wukong including exactly where you can find the NPC near Squall Hideout We'll go over the entire quest in more detail below but first: here is a quick summary of all the steps you must take to complete the Man-In-Stone questline in Black Myth: Wukong The Man-In-Stone is a character who you'll meet about halfway into Chapter 2 of Black Myth: Wukong So the first step in order to start this questline is to complete Chapter 1 Chapter 1 is fairly small and linear compared to the others so it shouldn't take you too long to get through the 3 required Yaoguai King boss fights in order to start Chapter 2 Your first major milestone in Chapter 2 is found at the end of Sandgate Village Once you've fought your way past the various Rat enemies patrolling the area take the right-hand path through the large clearing where the two-headed Rat Captains can be found There are also several Rat Archers looking down on the area Proceed to the double doors at the end of the area and open them to begin your first boss fight against the Rat King and his son There are two ways to go about this fight: you'll need to defeat this boss encounter before you can reach the Man-In-Stone After defeating the Rat King and Second Rat Prince, feel free to rest at the "Valley Of Despair" Keeper's Shrine on the edge of the arena and follow it all the way until you enter the Fright Cliff region A short distance in front of you will be the "Squall Hideout" Shrine where you can rest if needed the path before you splits at Squall Hideout and around the corner you should see several paths one of which is a lower path that cuts through the rock and at the very end of the path you'll see a strange rock formation Interact with the Man-In-Stone to speak with him and he'll tell you that he's been trapped in this rock by a spell is to head into the cave further into Fright Cliff and discover the source of the spell holding the Man-In-Stone prisoner The cave in question can be accessed from either path left or right of the "Squall Hideout" Shrine, but from the Man-In-Stone's location the easiest way is to just go back to the start of the lower path, and instead take the raised path just to the left of it. You'll pass a Buddha head which you can interact with to obtain a Buddha's Eyeball you can either take the first left (for a chest and a longer path into the cave) or the second left (which leads directly into the cave) deal with the two ranged Blazebone enemies on the wooden platform and then head past them as if to exit out into the open once more But instead of heading out of the cave fully turn left at the cave mouth and you'll see a path curving upwards and to the left Take this path up towards an elevated area of the cave At the top of the slope you'll see a stone plinth on the right-hand side, where a unique Poisestone enemy is waiting. This isn't related to the Man-In-Stone quest, but while you're here you can feel free to defeat the Poisestone in order to obtain its Spirit and it's also helped out by a couple of ordinary Poisestones as well Proceed further into the cave's upper level and you'll come to a cavern At the end of the cavern is a large rock creature with crystals embedded in its front Attack the creature to begin the boss fight against the Mother Of Stones The Mother Of Stones doesn't do much at all herself she sits there and attempts to distract you by spawning stone enemies that attack you from behind But if you do your best to kite them and evade their attacks while damaging the Mother Of Stones you'll find this is a fairly easy boss fight and you'll receive a unique item: Stone Essence As an aside: you can turn right and exit out of the cavern onto a walkway where another Buddha head awaits you Once you've dealt with the Mother Of Stones who is waiting patiently where you left him at the end of the lower path in Squall Hideout Interact with him to deliver him the Stone Essence the Man-In-Stone will triumphantly burst out of the ground Turns out all he wanted was a pawn to fetch the Stone Essence for him You may have noticed that after the Man-In-Stone emerges from the ground and you'll prompt a miniboss fight against the Man-In-Stone - if you can call it that he'll retreat back into the ground and plead for mercy He'll also return the Stone Essence to you to help make amends and you'll receive a new Spell: Azure Dust a transformation spell that turns you temporarily into a rock guai which is immune to status effects The Man-In-Stone also states that if you return to him later he'll offer you his treasures in exchange for a payment of Will (the main currency of Black Myth: Wukong) The final step in the Man-In-Stone's questline is to reload the area by fast-travelling to (or resting at) the nearest Keeper's Shrine simply return to the Man-In-Stone and speak to him He is now a certified vendor with a shop and everything so you can return to him whenever you like in order to purchase his items You can purchase the following items from the Man-In-Stone's shop: I recommend purchasing the Goldflora Hairpin curio as it increases the Will gained from defeating enemies when equipped - so essentially I'd also recommend purchasing the Iron Pellet because it is a fantastic soak for your Gourd which prevents you from being interrupted by enemy attacks when using the Gourd No part of this website or its content may be reproduced without the copyright owner's permission Rock Paper Shotgun is a registered trademark of Gamer Network Limited Here's how to reach the secret bosses in Chapter 2 of Black Myth: Wukong and a good 16 or so are hiding away in Chapter 2 In this guide, we'll walk you through how to find every single boss location in Chapter 2 of Black Myth: Wukong, ranging from main story bosses like the Tiger Vanguard and Yellow Wind Sage, to secret Yaoguai Kings such as the Black Loong, Fuban, and Mad Tiger Below is the full list of all Yaoguai King and Yaoguai Chief bosses you can find in Chapter 2 of Black Myth: Wukong: Keep reading to find out exactly how to reach all 17 boss locations in Chapter 2 of Black Myth: Wukong The first boss of Chapter 2 that you're likely to come across is Lang-Li-Guhh-Baw, a giant amphibian with quite a family resemblance to Baw-Li-Guhh-Lang from Chapter 1. To reach this Yaoguai Chief, simply drop down to the right of the "Village Entrance" Keeper's Shrine in Sandgate Village who asks you to deal with Lang-Li-Guhh-Baw in the clearing just ahead on the lower platform you'll know largely what you're in for with this fight Expect lots of back-kicks and tongue attacks What's different this time around is that Lang-Li-Guhh-Baw's attacks are imbued with lightning and the boss itself is capable of summoning sparks of lightning which chase you down requiring lots of careful dodging to evade The good news is that if you return to Xu Dog after defeating this boss you'll unlock the ability to craft your own consumable medicines at Shrines The Earth Wolf lies beyond the main gate right in front of the "Village Entrance" Shrine but you cannot reach it this way until later on you must head around the right-hand side by turning left in the cave where Xu Dog resides and following the path all the way into the larger area patrolled by the two-headed Rat Captains hug the left-hand wall until you find an entryway through into the area on the other side of the gate where the Earth Wolf can be found on patrol The Earth Wolf behaves much like any big lumbering beast you may have encountered previously, all swipe attacks and charges. The Pillar Stance is useful for staying out of the danger zone, and of course you should make liberal use of Immobilize to keep it still and burst it down with your hardest-hitting attacks. On death, you can absorb its Spirit using the Blessed Gourd Possibly your first major hurdle in Chapter 2's roster of bosses will be the joint encounter of the King Of Flowing Sands These two rats are found beyond the double doors in the area of Sandgate Village where the two-headed Rat Captains patrol (or patrolled followed by an interesting two-pronged fight The main brunt of the attack comes from the much larger Second Prince in this fight while the diminutive King prefers to stay at a distance and hurl ranged attacks at you to interrupt your combos but we'd encourage you to focus on the Second Prince then the King will flee and the fight will be over then the Second Prince will become much more powerful If you thought the Second Prince was a hulking brute The First Prince Of Flowing Sands is located only a short walk down the left-hand path from the Valley Of Despair where you fought the King and Second Prince he will make a blood offering to awaken the First Prince after which he'll summarily be killed and eaten by his son The Tiger Vanguard is the first Yaoguai King of Chapter 2, and he's suitably rather tough to defeat. To find him, head through the cave that houses the First Prince At the far end of the cave there is a small and not much further beyond that is a gap you can squeeze through take the path to the right and you'll reach the "Temple Entrance" Shrine outside the Crouching Tiger Temple After that it's a straight trek up the temple steps to reach the Tiger Vanguard The Tiger Vanguard is impressively light on his feet for such a large and powerful foe and his lunging sword attacks can wipe out most of your health bar in one go so this is a fight to take quite patiently Make use of the Red Tides spell to transform yourself and give yourself a "risk-free healthbar" as I call it where you can just go all out on aggression for a short while without caring too much about the damage you take and it'll drop the Keeness Of Tiger unique item that you can use to open a couple of doors later on After the big beefy Tiger Vanguard a little Tiger's Acolyte Yaoguai Chief should be no problem follow the path beyond the Crouching Tiger Temple to enter the Yellow Wind Formation region so all you need to do really is keep pressing on until you find a bridge just beyond the "Windrest Hamlet" Shrine The Stone Vanguard, interestingly, can be found at the intersection point between two region paths, so there are two ways to reach it. The first is by continuing beyond the Tiger's Acolyte and through the entire Yellow Wind Formation At the very end there is a ledge where you can drop down into the Stone Vanguard boss arena The other way to reach this arena is by heading to the right from the Valley Of Despair (King + Second Prince arena) through the Fright Cliff region and all the way to the end In all honesty I found the Stone Vanguard considerably easier than the Tiger Vanguard and speed is extremely important in Black Myth: Wukong including its "special" attack where it sends a bunch of minions to jump towards you in quick succession The only annoyance really is its high health pool which means you have to exercise some patience and you'll obtain the Sterness Of Stone item which - when combined with the Keeness Of Tiger item - will allow you to do two things: Both of these paths will eventually lead you to the same location, where you can find the final story boss of Chapter 2 - the Yellow Wind Sage There are still plenty more bosses to find around here The Gore-Eye Daoist is a fairly lowly Yaoguai Chief in the grand scheme of things, despite appearing fairly late on in Chapter 2. To get to him, you can take one of two routes: either you can open the main door near the "Valley Of Despair" Shrine (after defeating both Vanguard bosses) and follow the path across the bridge; or you can head through the Stone Vanguard arena past the "Rock Clash Platform" Shrine then turn right at the end of the path and take the sand slide down to the "Windseal Gate" Shrine just cross the bridge and head up the hill Both paths lead to the same little clearing where you can find the Gore-Eye Daoist The Gore-Eye Daoist himself is hardly worth the effort it takes to reach him He's got an interesting moveset which seems to involve spraying poisonous blood everywhere but overall he's not that much more powerful than certain regular non-boss enemies so it shouldn't take you long to deal with him and move on The Mother Of Stones is a large, tucked-away boss who is required for the Man-In-Stone questline though she doesn't feature in the player's Journal at all you must enter the cave in the centre of the Fright Cliff region then take a left turn just before exiting out of the cave This path leads you to an upper level of the cave where you can find the Mother Of Stones chilling in a corner the Mother Of Stones simply summons more and more rocky minions to antagonise you keep evading their attacks while bashing away at the Mother Of Stones which you can deliver to the Man-In-Stone to continue his quest The Man-In-Stone is an NPC who doesn't really qualify as a true boss You can find him and begin his quest by taking the lower route through the rock on the right-hand side of the "Squall Hideout" Shrine in Fright Cliff and hence him asking you to deal with the Mother Of Stones in order to free him When you deliver the Stone Essence to him on your return he'll burst out of the ground and reveal he tricked you and just wanted the item with such a small health bar that you can probably burst him down before he's really done you any damage and he'll surrender and (after an area reset) become a vendor; and you'll also unlock the Azure Dust transformation spell as a reward The Yellow Wind Sage is the final main story boss of Chapter 2 and he's probably the toughest Yaoguai you'll face in this chapter you can take one of the two following paths: Both these routes will take you to the same large deserty area, and at the end of this area you can walk into the sandstorm to begin your fight against the powerful Yellow Wind Sage. This foe combines the speed of the Tiger Vanguard with the strength of the Stone Vanguard, but the worst thing about him is his array of hard-to-avoid wind-based attacks. For this reason, I highly recommend you first defeat Fuban because it drops an anti-wind vessel that counteracts bastards like the Yellow Wind Sage Shigandang is a secret boss that can be found in exactly the same arena as the Stone Vanguard you need to collect all six Buddha's Eyeballs scattered throughout Fright Cliff Each one can be plucked from an associated giant Buddha head statue The six Buddha Eyeballs can be found in the following locations: Take all six Buddha's Eyeballs to the large boulder in the Stone Vanguard arena and you'll find that you can interact with the boulder to place all the Eyeballs inside it the boulder will rise from the ground and become the secret Yaoguai King Expect a fight very similar in nature to the Stone Vanguard here albeit against a slightly more powerful foe The most dangerous thing about this boss is the shockwaves it releases when it slams or pulls its fists out of the ground The Mad Tiger is a Yaoguai Chief that can only be unlocked by completing the Old Rattle-Drum questline. Don't know what I'm on about? Once you defeat the Tiger's Acolyte you'll receive the Old Rattle-Drum item if you travel to three specific areas in order you can interact with the spirit of a child who will lead you to a the secret Mad Tiger boss Here are the three locations where you can use the Old Rattle-Drum: After playing the Old Rattle-Drum at all three locations Interact with the well to jump down into a new area - the aptly-named "Bottom Of The Well" - where you can fight the Mad Tiger with some startlingly powerful attacks - each of which can take off over half your healthbar in one go He's definitely intended to be tackled late on in Chapter 2 once you've built up your stats and unlocked as many Skills as possible and A Pluck Of Many spells in order to burst down the Mad Tiger's health early on and control the tempo of the fight from the start When you first meet the boar-faced Yellow-Robed Squire he is a passive NPC rather than a boss to fight You can find him resting in a clearing at the far end of the Rockrest Flat His questline unlocks the ability to fight 3 new bosses (including himself) then as you approach the Yellow-Robed Squire he will attack you and he'll approve of your strength and invite you to follow him through the double doors behind where you fought Go through the double doors to enter Chapter 2's secret region where the next two bosses in this list await you The "Tiger Vanguard" is a variant of the original Tiger Vanguard who you encounter a short way into the secret area that you can unlock by following the Yellow-Robed Squire's questline read the instructions just above to learn how to face this boss This alternate Vanguard is mercifully easier than the original Tiger Vanguard but shares a lot of the same traits and moves including a surprising agility and some highly damaging combos With spells like A Flock Of Many now at your fingertips though it shouldn't be too difficult to overwhelm the Vanguard and force him to let you pass beyond the gate it guards The fight against Fuban is actually quite simple and you must attack its legs as they are the only body part that take any damage powerful slam attacks which are fairly easy to dodge you can climb up onto Fuban's back and destroy the vessel it carries allowing the Yellow Wind Sage to join the fight and quickly take Fuban down with your help As a reward for felling this secret Yaoguai King you'll gain a Vessel which can counteract wind-based attacks - making it exceptionally handy against the Yellow Wind Sage boss fight end the end of Chapter 2 The final boss in our Chapter 2 list is Black Loong, a very easily missed Yaoguai King who resides behind a "sand waterfall" to the right of the Rockrest Flat Shrine. You can only access this boss by obtaining a specific item elsewhere in this chapter: the Loong Scale. Incidentally, this is the same item that gives you access to the Red Loong boss in the Forest Of Wolves in Chapter 1 Below we'll go over how to get the Loong Scale and how to find and defeat the Black Loong To get the Loong Scale in order to unlock the Black Loong boss fight, you need to break open the clay wall on the left-hand side of the First Prince boss arena in the Valley Of Despair Normal attacks aren't strong enough to crack it but there are still multiple ways that you can break open the wall: you can interact with the crack to squeeze through it and into a small secret room Inside this room there is a chest containing the Loong Scale take it to the large sand waterfall on your right-hand side as you stand before the Rockrest Flat Shrine in Fright Cliff you'll get a prompt to interact with it using the Loong Scale allowing you to pass beyond into the Black Loong boss arena albeit very large and bestial as befits a draconic Yaoguai King At first glance this powerful bossay appear fairly easy - it has some very powerful attacks but they're quite easy to dodge where it repeatedly strikes the ground to produce electric shockwave after shockwave and it's exceptionally difficult to avoid them all The best way to deal with this attack is to clamber onto a nearby rock entirely safe from the Black Loong's tantrum until the time comes to return to the fight and finish him off That concludes our guide on how to find every single boss in Chapter 1 of Black Myth: Wukong! If you're struggling to defeat certain bosses in this list, you can gain the upper hand with our guide on the best skills in Black Myth: Wukong The King of Flowing Sands' gate tally needs Tiger's Keeness and Stone's Sterness to open Finding Black Myth Wukong Sterness of Stone and Keeness of Tiger will open the tally - the mechanism that holds shut the door of the Rat King of Flowing Sands in Chapter 2 what exactly are they and where do you find them we’ve got everything you need to know about how to find the Sterness of Stone and Keeness of Tiger in Black Myth Wukong but it’s a necessary step to continue your journey as the Destined One After defeating the King of Flowing Sands and Second Rat Prince in Black Myth Wukong you're shown a huge door with a "tally" next to it - a lock device that will open it with the right items it'll simply say: Required: Sterness of Stone This isn't about personal improvement - though your character won't know it yet the Tally needs two different items by that name to unlock the door and let you progress Each one is dropped by a specific boss you'll need to hunt down and slay The Keeness of Tiger is dropped by the Tiger Vanguard boss who is found at the entrance to the Temple of the Crouching Tiger go to the Valley of Despair checkpoint (next to the Tally itself) You'll encounter the King again in a cutscene with a boss you don't have to fight - pass the boss and push through a crack in the rocks ahead of you and make sure you're ready for close-quarters combat so he'll try to close the distance and press the advantage using broad swings and sudden flashes of steel that test your ability to Perfect Dodge.  Once you beat the Tiger Vanguard, you'll get the Rock Solid Spell (one of the best spells in the game, and tied to many of the best Black Myth Wukong skills) as well as the Keeness of Tiger Key Item who you can only access after beating the tiger first Past the Tiger's arena you'll enter a new village area The route is actually fairly direct from there - there are all sorts of paths branching off it to try and lure you with optional fights and loot after a fight on a bridge with a warrior called the Tiger Acolyte you'll have to fight through a long tunnel before eventually reaching the Stone Vanguard The Stone Vanguard is the easier of the two fights the Stone is more defensive - a slower foe with a large health pool who uses AOE strikes and summons explosive rock minions especially if you learn the timing for jumping over its earthquake attacks The downside is that with no nearby checkpoint the tunnel leading up to it can drain your health - but a wise player will simply sprint past all the enemies there without engaging them Black Stone Cherry are gearing up for a handful of tours across the globe — and the bands they're hitting the road with cover a wide spectrum of rock "We're doing Clutch and Rival Sons," Robertson said on Loudwire Nights on Thursday (Aug. 22). That tour, which starts in September, follows their summer run of shows with Nonpoint "Then we go to Europe, taking Ayron Jones with us and then we go to the U.K. and we're picking up Skillet to be with us as well It's a year full of being on the road." Host Chuck Armstrong told Robertson that while these bands all cover a lot of ground musically Black Stone Cherry somehow fits in with each of them "I think our problem has always been that we can play with anybody," he admitted it kind of puts us in this thing — 'Well where exactly do they fit?' It's always been a bit of a struggle We're just proud that we get the opportunities that we do." For anyone who has seen Black Stone Cherry in concert there's no question the band takes advantage of every single opportunity that comes their way to create an unforgettable READ MORE: Mark Tremonti Discusses Creed's Early Years + Why He Likes to Stay Busy "We all deal with enough on a day-to-day basis that when we go to a concert it should be true escapism," he shared "That's what I'm looking for I want to escape everything and just be in that room with the music so we try to make sure that our shows embody that and that we really project that in what we do Gallery Credit: Loudwire Staff Black Stone Cherry's Chris Robertson opens up about the band's live shows, cover songs and more.\nRead More Black Stone Cherry are gearing up for a handful of tours across the globe — and the bands they're hitting the road with cover a wide spectrum of rock "We're doing Clutch and Rival Sons," Robertson said on Loudwire Nights on Thursday (Aug. 22). That tour, which starts in September, follows their summer run of shows with Nonpoint "Then we go to Europe, taking Ayron Jones with us and then we go to the U.K. and we're picking up Skillet to be with us as well Host Chuck Armstrong told Robertson that while these bands all cover a lot of ground musically READ MORE: Mark Tremonti Discusses Creed's Early Years + Why He Likes to Stay Busy The Dark Wives standing stones were ancient structures in Vera's final episode and you might be wondering if they really exist The Dark Wives standing stones were a key feature in the Vera season 14 finale and many fans might have been left wondering if they are real monoliths His body was found not far from the Dark Wives and Vera couldn’t help being reminded of her childhood when she came in sight of them too as her late birdwatcher father Hector had taken her on egg-stealing trips there Given the prominence of these standing stones in Vera’s final episode it’s all-too-easy to be curious about the Dark Wives and whether they really exist Sadly for those hoping they might be able to visit the Dark Wives in person someday or learn more about their history these standing stones in Vera are entirely fictional You’d be forgiven for mistaking them for real monoliths as even Vera star Brenda Blethyn herself reportedly thought they must be "ancient" when she first laid eyes on them ‘Those stones must be ancient!’ And Geoff the art department made them and put them there.’ They looked so realistic Must’ve been some feat getting them up there." The Dark Wives had to be "in place in the middle of nowhere for two weeks" at Rothley Crags and although some viewers might have expected ITV’s Vera to create the standing stones with CGI the final result with the huge prop stones was so spectacular "When we were developing this idea we went to the production designer and said we want to put three - four metre - standing stones on crags in the middle of Northumberland and they have to be there for two weeks," said executive producer Will Nicholson "Viewers can’t see how they are made but you have to liaise with the National Trust to be able to put them there." Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news expert advice on styling and beauty trends and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered The standing stones had to be strong enough to survive in the Northumberland elements for the two weeks and Will praised the work of the production designer and the art and rigging departments for achieving this feat "You expect most people to say they will do it with CGI But we’ve been very lucky with our production designer Jonathan Tolson - he’s a local chap as well "He got his fantastic art department team together along with the rigging department and after a few recces they came up with a solution as to how to do it So hats off to them because they did it and they stayed up there in some quite strong winds," he declared The Dark Wives also appear in the Ann Cleeves novel of the same name that this final Vera episode is based on and in both show and book they have an undeniable presence In the opening of the ITV drama’s episode Vera explains to DI Joe Ashworth that the Dark Wives is what the stones are called in the area and when he spots a poster for a local Witch Hunt she reveals a little more A post shared by ITV (@itv) the Witch Hunt is nothing more than a spooky game of hide and seek but the story goes that there’s a witch trapped under each stone by a carving on the underside She remarks that this myth is probably "just a ploy to shut women up" In the Dark Wives book it’s a similar story with the local superstition going that a giant petrified three women for being too talkative In the climax of the book the local village takes part in the Witch Hunt on the hill by the standing stones in the dark making for a very atmospheric reveal of the killer who briefly escapes thanks to the intervention of their accomplice In the show the Witch Hunt happens during the day which perhaps makes sense for logistical reasons given the challenge that comes with filming in dark conditions The killer remains the same but is apprehended without any escape after DCI Stanhope manages to talk them out of hurting anyone else and into accepting their arrest Vera seasons 1-14 are available to watch now via ITVX and the Vera Farewell Pet documentary special airs at 9pm on 3rd January on ITV1 Emma ShacklockEmma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing She specialises in the British Royal Family Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC When she’s not writing about the latest royal outing or unmissable show to add to your to-watch list long walks and watching yet more crime dramas either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Sharon Stone has finally revealed the cause of her painful-looking black eye—and it's not as sinister as it might seem The 66-year-old actor posted a photo of herself while on holiday and in the snap "This trip has been tough; but I'm tougher," she wrote in the caption After people started speculating how it might have happened, Stone took to her Instagram account once again "Hi, I know you're all worried about how I got a black eye so I thought I'd let you know," Stone said in the video shielding her eye by wearing a pair of sunglasses "I've been in so many hotels in so many countries that I got up in the middle of the night to pee and didn't know where I was I'm just fine and I'm having a great time and I'm being welcomed very beautifully on my trip everywhere that I've gone and I'm having just the greatest time as she took off her sunglasses to show her eye "It's getting better but it really is a good-looking shiner You should have seen what I did to that marble floor She captioned the post: "Black Eye update 😀 Thank you all for your kind messages." Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Stone for comment on Thursday When Stone first uploaded a photo of her eye in which she was leaning against an elevator doorway she received concerned and supportive comments from various fans and others in the entertainment industry ❤️," Beverly Hills socialite Nikki Haskell wrote a three-time Emmy Award-winning Canadian television personality The Basic Instinct actor is currently traveling having filmed her most recent black-eye update from her hotel pool in Turkey Earlier Instagram posts show Stone posing in Rome and the Vatican "Walking in the streets of Rome w my son before he leaves for pre med school 🥰," the Hollywood star previously captioned a photo of her and her son Laird Vonne Stone including Roan Joseph Bronstein and Quinn Kelly Stone She showed off her travels in another post writing: "Thanks Cannes for another fun photoshoot ❤️ And thanks @theparislibby." Stone got her big break playing a villain in Paul Verhoeven's 1990 film Total Recall ET: This article was updated with additional information Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all The Man-in-Stone will call out to you when you get close Aid this trapped stranger and recover the Stone Essence The Man-in-Stone is one of the NPCs you'll encounter while exploring the many realms of Black Myth: Wukong and this character has a unique problem; he's encased in rock If you've arrived at the not-at-all unsettlingly named Fright Cliff in chapter two's Yellow Wind Ridge you may have already encountered some rock guai enemies who are effectively a pair of legs holding up a massive rock It's all the fault of a nearby rock guai dwelling in a cave according to the Man-in-Stone so you'll have to defeat it in order to help him Completing this NPC's quest will get you one of the harder-to-come-by Transformation spells Here's how to help the Man-in-Stone in Black Myth: Wukong Once you arrive in the Fright Cliffs in the Yellow Wind Ridge in chapter two it's relatively easy to track down the Man-in-Stone Talk to him and he'll explain that he needs some help that he wants you to defeat a rock guai in a nearby cave that's creating all the stone enemies wandering around the area The Mother of Stones will summon waves of rock guai to fight you as you damage her(Image credit: Game Science)She drops the Stone Essence item once defeated(Image credit: Game Science)The rock guai in question is the Mother of Stones boss but she's tricky to find in the maze-like passages of the Fright Cliff From that same Squall Hideout Keeper's Shrine: The Mother of Stones is pretty easy to recognise since she's a stationary golem with glowing crystals set into her but she'll summon waves of rock guai that you'll have to defeat if you want to damage her undisturbed so just take your time and defeat the enemies Hand over the Stone Essence and the Man-in-Stone will hop out of the ground and admit he tricked you(Image credit: Game Science)Fight the Man-in-Stone to teach him a lesson(Image credit: Game Science)After the fight you can absorb the Azure Dust Transformation spell(Image credit: Game Science)Return after resting and the Man-in-Stone will also become a vendor(Image credit: Game Science)Now you've got the Stone Essence you can return it to the Man-in-Stone He pops out of the ground and calls you gullible for helping him claim such a treasure Attack the Man-in-Stone and he'll become a boss He isn't that hard to beat—he's just a slightly bigger version of the regular rock guai with a different moveset he'll hop back into the ground and you'll be able to absorb the Azure Dust Transformation spell that lets you turn into a Man-in-Stone and headbutt enemies he'll explain that he can sell you some fine treasures if you return.  Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals Sean MartinSenior Guides WriterSean's first PC games were Full Throttle and Total Annihilation and his taste has stayed much the same since When not scouring games for secrets or bashing his head against puzzles you'll find him revisiting old Total War campaigns or still trying to finish the Horus Heresy Here’s how to get your hands on Stone Essence from the mysterious Stone Guai in Black Myth Wukong As you explore Black Myth Wukong and fight multiple you’ll also find yourself encountering unique NPCs these NPCs have found themselves in some sort of predicament that they demand your assistance with as is the case with the Man-in-Stone found during Chapter 2 but he says you can help him if you’re able to defeat the mysterious Stone Guai in the nearby cave here’s our Black Myth Wukong Man-in-Stone quest guide the Man-in-Stone is found in a tiny ravine just beyond (and slightly to the right of) the Squall Hideout Keeper’s Shrine in Chapter 2 of Black Myth Wukong he’ll advise that himself and others have been trapped in stone by a mysterious Stone Guai in a nearby cave From the Squall Hideout Keeper’s Shrine go left into the cave and keep going deeper into it You’ll eventually come to a large creature with blue glowing patches; this is the Mother of Stones This means that Mother of Stones is light work to defeat they will summon Poisestone enemies at regular intervals these guys are regular mobs and aren’t too troublesome just take care to not get trapped in a corner by them you can quite easily do AoE damage on the boss and her mobs using the Baw-Li Spirit Skill or even the Red Tides Transformation Spell Return to the Man-in-Stone and deliver this to him He’ll very quickly tell you to get lost considering the hard work we just completed for him you’ll be able to retrieve the Azure’s Dust Transformation Spell from him before speaking to him again After resting at or returning to a Keeper’s Shrine, the Man-in-Stone will then serve as a new merchant for you to use. He also happens to sell the Sobering Stone item, which is needed to kick off the Boar quest who leads to a secret boss if you complete his quest For more on Black Myth Wukong, take a look at our tips and tricks for the game, as well as where to get the Loong Scales and all Buddha’s Eyeballs Both items lead to even more secret bosses you don’t want to miss out on VG247 is a registered trademark of Gamer Network Limited Sharon Stone has been traveling through Europe in recent weeks and most recently shared photos from a hotel room in Turkey