Crimson Desert: How to Enter Jijeong Temple Pagoda in Chapter 9

You found the Jijeong Temple Pagoda in Crimson Desert, but the Abyss Gate at the top will not open. The pagoda is not a free-roam door you can force early — it is gated behind Chapter 9 story progress, and specifically behind the quest Face the Inner Self. Once that quest is active, the gate at the peak opens.

The short version

• The pagoda sits on the highest peak southwest of Serpent Marsh, in the South Demeniss region.
• The Abyss Gate is locked until you reach the Chapter 9 quest Face the Inner Self, which follows the quest True Strength.
• From the foot of the mountain, glide toward it and climb to the very top — the gate is at the summit, not in the marsh or the lower temple grounds.
• The open gate leads into the Abyss and unlocks Ascetic’s Rest.
• The correct spelling is Jijeong, not “Jijieng.” It is one location, not two.

This guide answers one question: how to get the pagoda’s Abyss Gate open and step through it. It does not cover the wider temple puzzles around it — mixing those up is the single most common reason players think the entrance is bugged.

Why the gate stays shut: it is story-gated

If the game will not let you interact with the pagoda, the cause is almost always story progression, not a hidden switch or a collectible you missed on the mountain. The Abyss Gate is dormant until the right Chapter 9 quest is active.

• You need to be in Chapter 9 of the main story.
• Clear the quest True Strength first — this is the training step that comes right before the gate opens.
• Once True Strength is done, Face the Inner Self begins and the long-dormant gate at the pagoda finally opens.
• If your current objective is still pushing you through temple trials, statue work, or another fight, you are not at the pagoda-entry moment yet — keep following the main quest.

This is why players can stand in exactly the right spot and still get nowhere: the pagoda behaves like a story-gated Abyss node, not a building with a permanently open door.

Where the Jijeong Temple Pagoda is

The pagoda is the summit structure on the mountain southwest of Serpent Marsh, in the South Demeniss region. If you are searching the marsh itself or hunting the lower temple grounds for a standard doorway, you are in the wrong place — it is at the very top of the peak.

You may see the name spelled Jijieng in some videos. The correct spelling is Jijeong, and it refers to one place: the elevated temple complex above Serpent Marsh, topped by the pagoda on the highest ridge.

The route up the mountain

The approach is a long vertical climb. The fastest way is to glide toward the mountain southwest of Serpent Marsh from a higher starting point, then climb the rest of the way to the very top rather than scaling a sheer cliff from the lowest ground. The gate sits at the peak.

Upgraded stamina or the Aerial Maneuver skill makes the ascent noticeably easier — it helps you cover the tall mountain without running dry mid-climb and falling back down. These do not bypass the story requirement; they just stop you wasting time repeating the climb. Watch your camera angle on the final stretch, because the ledges near the top are hard to read from directly below.

How to enter the pagoda

Once you are at the right point in Chapter 9, entering the pagoda is about arriving in the correct quest state — not solving a door puzzle on the spot. Do this in order:

• Open your Quest Log and confirm you are on the Chapter 9 main path, not cleaning up unrelated world content.
• Finish True Strength first if your objective still references temple trials, statues, or another encounter inside the complex.
• Continue until the main quest becomes Face the Inner Self — this is the step that opens the Abyss Gate.
• Glide and climb back to the pagoda summit southwest of Serpent Marsh.
• Interact with the now-open Abyss Gate at the pagoda to head into Ascetic’s Rest.

What waits inside is an Abyss segment, not a loot room. The gate opens into a flooded cave: go forward, take the right path, then head upstairs to the top of the area to trigger a cutscene. Expect a full progression flow with its own mechanics rather than a short interior scene. If you are heading deeper into Abyss content from here, our Crossroads of Uncertainty walkthrough and Abyss Challenges (Axiom Force) guide cover the puzzle rooms you will run into next.

Common mistakes

• Arriving too early. The mountain and pagoda are physically reachable before the story lets you use the gate. If Face the Inner Self is not active, the gate stays shut.
• Skipping True Strength. The gate opens only after that training quest is complete — it is the step right before Face the Inner Self.
• Searching the marsh or lower grounds. The gate is at the summit, not in Serpent Marsh or on the lower temple terraces.
• Treating it as free exploration. The pagoda is a story-gated Abyss node, not a discovery landmark.
• Confusing the spelling. Jijeong and “Jijieng” are the same place — do not waste time hunting for a second temple.

Practical takeaway

To enter the Jijeong Temple Pagoda in Crimson Desert: reach Chapter 9, clear True Strength, then start Face the Inner Self — that is the moment the Abyss Gate opens. Glide and climb to the peak southwest of Serpent Marsh in South Demeniss, step through the gate, take the right path inside the flooded cave, and head upstairs to reach Ascetic’s Rest. If the gate is still inactive, your next step is story progress, not another climb.