The short answer
- Where it unlocks
- In Pangzhen. Beat Xie Qiudong, the Divine Healer, then meet Xie Xiaorong, the Apprentice Healer, at the Green Serpent House on the west side of town (the house with green banners, next to the Green Serpent House Bell).
- Where you upgrade
- After that first talk, you can upgrade medicine at any Bell. Each level costs one Healer’s Memory plus Remnant Dust.
- The tiers
- Levels 1 to 2 use Apprentice Healer’s Memory, 3 to 4 Skilled Healer’s Memory, 5 to 6 Master Healer’s Memory. Level 6 is the maximum.
- Before Pangzhen
- You cannot upgrade anything until then, but you can still collect medicines. Take any purple-glow Healer’s Memory you see so you are ready.
- 6
- Max medicine level
- 3
- Healer’s Memory tiers
- 2
- Medicines equipped at once
- Pangzhen
- Where upgrades unlock
- 8 min
- Read time
- Nov 2026
- Checked on
30-second quick start (TL;DR)
- Unlock: beat Xie Qiudong, the Divine Healer, in Pangzhen, then talk to Xie Xiaorong at the Green Serpent House.
- Free gift: she hands you the Green Serpent Brew on that first visit.
- Upgrade anywhere: after that, every Bell offers medicine upgrades.
- Cost: one Healer’s Memory per level plus Remnant Dust. Apprentice for levels 1 to 2, Skilled for 3 to 4, Master for 5 to 6.
- Loadout: you carry two medicines at a time. Kuye Dew is a common second pick.
- Locations: the full table of where each medicine is found is below.
What this guide helps you do
Phantom Blade Zero launched on October 29, 2026 on PS5 and PC (Steam and Epic). Your first medicine, the Healing Gourd, stays the same for hours, and the game does not tell you how to make it better. This guide explains where medicine upgrades unlock, what each level costs, how the three Healer’s Memory tiers work, and where every medicine we could confirm is found.
It is written for the launch version with the day-one patch. Effects in the location table are the values players have posted; some may be upgraded numbers. Where a figure comes from only one report, we say so.
You carry two medicines, and the Healing Gourd is the first
You start with the Healing Gourd. Reports disagree on its numbers. One describes it as restoring 40% HP with 3 charges. Another lists 50% HP, extra healing at low HP and 4 uses, which look like upgraded values. Check your own item card.
You can equip two medicines at once and switch between them in a fight. On PS5 one control list puts medicine on the d-pad up and down. One report says the Healing Art skill adds one extra use. One list counts 17 medicines in total, although that figure comes from a single source.
Upgrades raise the HP percentage healed, the damage negation, and the Sha-Chi restored, and some levels add uses or a secondary effect. Sha-Chi is the guard meter in this game, so a medicine that tops it up keeps you blocking. For how that meter works, see the beginner guide.
Xie Xiaorong at the Green Serpent House unlocks upgrades
Medicine upgrades open in Pangzhen, the mid-game town. First you beat Xie Qiudong, the Divine Healer, a main story boss in Pangzhen. Then go to the Green Serpent House, on the west side of town. It is the house with green banners, and the Green Serpent House Bell is right there.
Inside you meet Xie Xiaorong, the Apprentice Healer. Reports word her title differently, so do not worry if your screen does not match exactly. On that first visit she gives you the Green Serpent Brew, which removes status effects, raises status resistance and restores 40% HP over time.
After that one conversation you do not need to come back. Medicine upgrades show up at any Bell, alongside the forge, shop and skill options.
Each level costs one Healer’s Memory plus Remnant Dust
Every medicine upgrade needs one Healer’s Memory and some Remnant Dust. Healer’s Memories are pickups with a purple glow in the world. Which tier you need depends on the level you are upgrading to.
| Medicine level | Material | Reported shop price |
|---|---|---|
| Levels 1 to 2 | Apprentice Healer’s Memory | 3,720 Remnant Dust |
| Levels 3 to 4 | Skilled Healer’s Memory | 4,960 Remnant Dust |
| Levels 5 to 6 | Master Healer’s Memory | 8,000 Remnant Dust |
Level 6 is the maximum for every medicine. The Remnant Dust cost rises with each level. One list gives the Phantom Remedy as an example: 2,800 Remnant Dust at level 1, rising to 9,800 at level 6. The shop prices above come from the same single list, so treat them as a guide.
Remnant Dust is also what you spend on weapon upgrades, skills and accessories, and players report running short around the 15-hour mark. Spread it over your two equipped medicines rather than levelling everything. One Hellwalker player says Healer’s Memories become abundant late in the game, so the squeeze eases.
Where every confirmed medicine is found
These are the medicines with a location backed by more than one report, in rough story order. Effects are as players have posted them.
| Medicine | Where | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Healing Gourd | Starting medicine | Heals a share of HP; numbers vary by report |
| Focus Pill | Weeping Creek Valley: chest on the cliffside north of the ransacked settlement, after Peng Meng | Less Sha-Chi use, 50% HP over time |
| Vessel Restorative | Weeping Creek Valley: Sha-Chi Tower furnace section, needs the Deep in the Valley quest | 100% HP, 1 use, Sha-Chi recovery |
| Simmering Brew | Crimson Forest: right after beating Hua Qianxiao and the bridge collapse | Sha-Chi over time, 50% HP over time |
| Kuye Dew | Crimson Forest: through the Tunnel Crank near the Outlaw Trap Bell, on a ledge overlooking the start | Damage reduction, 60% HP over 10 seconds, 3 uses rising to 5 |
| Miracle Remedy | Snowy Sha-Chi Tower south of the Burial Grounds Bell, chest at the bottom | 50% HP, plus 50% more when low |
| Spirit-Returning Broth | Village of Lu: house with a basement south-west of the village, past the Well of the Three Puppets | Guard break boost, 40% HP |
| Forbidden Concoction | Village of Lu: second floor of a house down a narrow path, past the elite that unravels the bridge threads | Phantom Edge damage, 40% HP |
| Green Serpent Brew | Pangzhen: gift from Xie Xiaorong on your first visit | Removes status effects, raises resistance, 40% HP over time |
| Everflow | Pangzhen: down a well after Gu Wanyue, then beat Xie Qiudong | 30% HP, regains a use on a kill when empty |
| Merciful Dew | Pangzhen: reward for A Mother’s Heart (two Memory Flowers) | 80% HP over 10 seconds, 6 uses |
| Phantom Remedy | Mandate Encampment: beat Wan Jun the Coppermaul, then smash floorboards with the Bashpole near the Battlefield Ruins Bell | About 80% HP and 80% Sha-Chi over 6 seconds, can be interrupted |
| Lament Draught | Mandate Encampment: chest on the second floor of the shrine in the Training Grounds Depths, after Yubi (Illusory Pipa quest) | Damage boost, 40% HP |
| Longevity Tonic | Meigu Lake: reward for Kin Against Kin (Memory Flowers, Meigu Village East Dock) | Full HP, damage boost at full HP |
| Phantom Brew | Meigu Lake: with all 4 Acolyte Masks, go to the Four Guardians’ Mirror Bell; chest at the end of the Discordance realm | 70% HP plus brief invulnerability |
| Sha-Chi Blood Catalyst | Reward from Quick Hand Zhang | Heavy Sha-Chi combo damage, 30% HP, sets you alight |
One more, Ritual Wine, is reported in Pangzhen with a status buildup effect and 40% HP, but its exact spot has not been published. Look for it while you explore the town.
Several of these sit behind other content. The Phantom Remedy needs the Bashpole, which drops from Wan Jun. The Phantom Brew needs all four Acolyte Masks, which are also true ending requirements. Mandate Encampment is an optional region, so it is easy to skip two medicines without noticing.
Vessel Restorative and Kuye Dew are the early favourites
No one has ranked a single best medicine, but some picks come up again and again.
- Early game: Vessel Restorative (a full heal in one use) and Kuye Dew are the usual recommendations. Players keep Kuye Dew upgraded as their second medicine through the mid-game, since it reaches five uses.
- For bosses: one list suggests Phantom Brew, for the short invulnerability, and Kuye Dew.
- Emergency heals: the same list names Longevity Tonic, Vessel Restorative and Miracle Remedy.
Because you only carry two, a sensible pairing is one large single heal and one heal over time with several uses. Put your Healer’s Memories into those two first.
Step-by-step: unlocking medicine upgrades
Tick these off as you go. Your progress stays on this device.
Take every Healer’s Memory you see
They are purple-glow pickups. You cannot spend them before Pangzhen, but you will want them.
Take Kuye Dew and Vessel Restorative
Both are found before Pangzhen and are the strongest early picks.
Reach Pangzhen
Follow the main story into the town.
Beat Xie Qiudong, the Divine Healer
A main story boss in Pangzhen.
Go to the Green Serpent House
West side of town, green banners, next to the Green Serpent House Bell. Light the Bell.
Talk to Xie Xiaorong
She unlocks upgrades and gives you the Green Serpent Brew.
Upgrade at any Bell
Spend one Healer’s Memory and Remnant Dust per level, up to level 6.
Fill the gaps
Use the table above to pick up the medicines you missed, including the two in Mandate Encampment.
Troubleshooting and common mistakes
- Mistake: Looking for an upgrade option before Pangzhen. Fix: It does not exist until you meet Xie Xiaorong after beating Xie Qiudong.
- Mistake: Walking back to the Green Serpent House every time. Fix: After the first talk, every Bell offers medicine upgrades.
- Mistake: Using the wrong Healer’s Memory. Fix: Apprentice covers levels 1 to 2, Skilled 3 to 4, Master 5 to 6.
- Mistake: Spreading upgrades across every medicine. Fix: You only carry two. Level those and keep Remnant Dust for weapons.
- Mistake: Skipping Mandate Encampment. Fix: It is optional, but it holds the Phantom Remedy and the Lament Draught.
- Mistake: Assuming a delayed heal is your fault. Fix: One player complains of input delay on the heal button. Heal early, not at the last sliver of HP.
FAQ
How do you upgrade medicine in Phantom Blade Zero?
Beat Xie Qiudong, the Divine Healer, in Pangzhen, then talk to Xie Xiaorong at the Green Serpent House. After that, upgrade at any Bell with one Healer’s Memory and Remnant Dust per level.
What is the max medicine level?
Level 6. Levels 1 to 2 use Apprentice Healer’s Memory, 3 to 4 Skilled, and 5 to 6 Master.
Where is the Green Serpent House?
On the west side of Pangzhen. It is the house with green banners, next to the Green Serpent House Bell.
How many medicines can I equip?
Two at once. One report says the Healing Art skill adds one extra use.
What is the best medicine?
Nobody ranks one, but Vessel Restorative and Kuye Dew are the common early picks. Phantom Brew is suggested for bosses because of its brief invulnerability.
Can I buy Healer’s Memories?
One list gives shop prices of 3,720, 4,960 and 8,000 Remnant Dust for the three tiers. That comes from a single source, so check the shops near you.
Checklist
0 of 9
