As the Destined One journeys across the breathtaking yet treacherous landscapes of 2026's still-captivating action RPG, the desire to grow stronger never fades. Watching numbers climb is its own kind of storytelling—a quiet proof that every battle leaves a mark. Yet, unlike many soulslikes where leveling simply means dumping points into strength or vitality, Black Myth Wukong plays a different tune. Here, the sparks you collect overwhelmingly fuel powerful stances, spells, and transformations. Those base attributes—health, stamina, attack power—seem stubbornly rooted in place unless you swap armor or curios. But scratch a little deeper, and the game reveals a secret path few discover on their first playthrough: permanent stat increases aren't a myth. They just require a little…medicine.

For those tired of relying on fleeting buffs, the answer sits quietly in Yellow Wind Ridge. Or rather, it cowers. Meet Xu Dog, a small, jittery deity with a problem far bigger than his courage. He’s lost a precious healing formula to the gluttonous lightning frog, Lang-Li-Guhh-Baw.

Finding Xu Dog feels like stumbling upon a scared animal—he’s tucked behind a boulder in the cave leading to that very arena. He trembles, and honestly, who can blame him? The world is full of things that want to eat tiny deities. Summon the courage he lacks, defeat the electrified amphibian, and return. The reward is immediate goodwill and an unexpected promotion: the Mortal Medicine crafting menu appears at every Keeper’s Shrine. But that is merely a taste. The true feast hides further in.

Continue pressing through the arid, wind-whipped ridges until the Cellar shrine comes into view, right before the showdown with the Yellow Wind Sage. The air here tastes of dust and old secrets. Look to the right, where a massive furnace radiates a dull, knowing warmth. That pot near it? It’s not empty.

Xu Dog has taken refuge inside, perhaps still hiding from the world’s dangers. Speak to him in this new hideout, and the Celestial Medicines crafting menu unlocks—a system that permanently rewrites the Destined One’s physical limits. No equipping, no swapping, no expiration. Just tangible growth.

Crafting these medicines demands Mind Cores, rare materials dropped by bosses, plucked from treasure chests, or occasionally found as shimmering luck-based loot. The investment feels weighty, but the payoff is forever. The table below breaks down each elixir and its cost.

Celestial Medicine	Stat Increase	Mind Cores Required
Celestial Taiyi Pill	Increases Maximum Health	3
Celestial Nonuplet Pill	Increases Maximum Stamina	3
Celestial Bitter Pill	Increases Maximum Mana	3
Celestial Iron Pill	Increases Defense	2
Celestial Golden Pill	Increases Attack Power	5
Celestial Jade Pill	Increases Critical Hit Rate	5

Here’s a delightful quirk that makes experimentation stress-free: you can remake any Celestial Medicine as often as you like, at zero additional cost. Facing a boss that punishes even a slight stamina shortage? Pour your Mind Cores into Celestial Nonuplet Pills. Later, when you crave raw damage output, simply redistribute them into attack-boosting recipes. No punishment, no wasted hours. It’s almost…generous? Well, that’s where things get interesting. The furnace behind Xu Dog lets out a low hum, as if it approves of your ambition.

Let’s be honest—nobody likes being locked into a single build forever. The ability to reshuffle stats at will means that the truly permanent change isn’t a single number on a screen, but the flexibility to evolve with each challenge. You might walk into a fight relying on a massive health pool, and walk out having completely re-calibrated yourself into a glass cannon just to see if it speeds up the kill. The game never scolds you for it.

Of course, what you craft is only half the equation. You still need to… well, go get those Mind Cores. The strongest bosses in Black Myth Wukong guard them jealously. There’s something deeply satisfying about hunting down a towering yaoguai, not just for the thrill, but because you know its defeat will literally become a permanent line on your character sheet. Each core carries a bit of that enemy’s story, melted down and mixed into your own strength.

While all medicines shine in the right context, veteran players often gravitate toward certain early priorities. Health (Taiyi Pill) gives breathing room for learning deadly attack patterns. Defense (Iron Pill) quietly reduces chip damage that adds up over long exploration segments. Attack (Golden Pill) becomes a late-game obsession, shaving precious seconds off relentless boss gauntlets. Mana (Bitter Pill) is a spellcaster’s best friend, enabling more frequent uses of immobilization or transformation. And critical hit rate (Jade Pill) turns the right combination of curios and spirits into an avalanche of lucky strikes.

Remember that the game’s systems all speak to one another. A respec of your foundation skills might suddenly make that mana boost feel twice as potent. Equipping spirits like the Wandering Wight cranks up defense even further, while certain armor sets multiply the effect of raw attack numbers. Xu Dog’s medicines aren’t an isolated mechanic—they’re the quiet backbone that lets every other choice sing louder.

In the end, increasing your stats permanently in Black Myth Wukong isn’t about grinding levels in a menu. It’s about a short, trembling deity, a set of ancient elixirs, and the willingness to peer into a dark corner of the Cellar. The numbers rise, yes. But the real gain is the certainty that you, the Destined One, have carved your legacy into something no tempest or sage can ever take away. So the next time you find yourself stuck, maybe check that pot behind the furnace. You never know what—or who—might be hiding in there, ready to change everything.