Where Winds Meet: Level 96 Iron Centipede and Red Puppet

To clear the Level 96 Sword Trial against Iron Centipede and Red Puppet in Where Winds Meet, focus your defense on Iron Centipede's disarming phase and delayed body crushes while keeping clear of Red Puppet's gold targeting zones. Defeating Iron Centipede first removes the encounter's heaviest crowd-control threat and lets you safely dismantle Red Puppet afterward.

Surviving Iron Centipede's Disarms and Slams

Iron Centipede's primary hazards are its active disarm state and rhythm-disrupting ground pounds.

When the boss coils and its armored plates rattle, attacking its plated segments triggers a disarm penalty that locks your martial arts inputs. The moment you see this rattling animation, stop attacking and backstep out of melee reach. If you trigger the lockout, stop trading hits and sprint at mid-range until the debuff wears off to avoid follow-up strikes.

The Centipede's body slams require precise timing:

1. Watch the ascent: The boss rears up and pauses briefly at the top of its rise. Do not dodge on the way up, or the descending crush will hit you during recovery frames.
2. Evade on descent: Initiate your dash or parry only as the boss accelerates downward.
3. Expect chained strikes: The boss frequently chains up to three consecutive slams. Circle horizontally after the first impact rather than rushing in.
4. Punish the recovery: After the final slam finishes, the boss remains prone on the ground for several seconds, leaving its head and front segments open to burst damage.

Dodging Red Puppet's Gold Targeting Attacks

Red Puppet applies ranged pressure with an artillery strike marked by a gold targeting glyph. This attack pierces passive blocking, making positioning your only safe answer.

When the gold designated marker attaches to your character, break straight-line running paths and sprint diagonally toward the edge of the arena. Moving toward the perimeter pulls the impact zone away from the center, preserving space to maneuver against Iron Centipede. Time your final dodge roll right as the gold marker locks and flashes to clear the blast radius, then verify the ground is free of lingering hazards before stopping to attack.

Target Priority and Stagger Execution

Target and eliminate Iron Centipede first. Its disarm mechanic and sweeping multi-segment hitboxes make splitting attention dangerous. Keep Red Puppet in view to track its gold markers, but direct all burst damage and stance-breaking skills into Iron Centipede whenever it collapses after slam sequences. Once Iron Centipede is destroyed, Red Puppet's predictable projectile patterns can be isolated and finished without the risk of sudden weapon lockouts.