Genshin Impact is focused on exploration, and the players can find countless activities to do on the game’s large map.
There are several regions to explore, and the second one the players will unlock of Dragonspine. This is a cold land of mountains, where the players can take a variety of quests. This region can be tricky to explore due to its cold effect, which requires warming up to a source of fire to reduce it. In the Mountains is one of those quests.
This blue quest rewards 500 points of Adventure EXP, 60 Primogems once completed, and various other items. At one point, it will require thawing three shards out. The issue is that the NPC will give you some clues, but you won’t be able to use the map to get directly to the points.
Here is how to Thaw the shards out in the In the Mountains quest in Genshin Impact.
How to complete the In the Mountains quest in Genshin Impact: Thaw the shards out
Thawing the shards out can be a lengthy and challenging process. Be sure to be equipped with a variety of foods and check the nearby sources of fire before heading to those challenges.
You can easily recognize the shards because they are inside large trunks of trees. At first, they’ll be frozen and protected, but you’ll be able to break that ice barrier using Scarlet Squartz. You’ll have to do this for three shards, each harder than the previous one.
It’s also recommended to activate the Statue of the Seven of Dragonspine, or you’ll have trouble locating the shards. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to have a remedy against the cold before completing this quest, so be careful. After completing it, you will get access to the “Ah, Fresh Meat” quest that will teach you the Goulash recipe, which reduces the cold effect for your party for 900 seconds.
Thaw the first shard out
The first shard is located near the Teleport Waypoint of the Snow-Covered Path. You can see it from the teleporter: it’s at the center of an open area. Find the three Scarlet Quartz minerals around it, break them and bring them to the tree.
- The first Scarlet Quartz is between you and the tree.
- The second one is behind the tree.
- The last one nearby the sleeping monster.
Take the third one last and run to the center of the tree if you want to avoid fighting the ice monster.
Thaw the second shard out
The second one is more challenging because it requires completing a time-limited trial. Teleport to the West of the Skyfrost Nail and Starglow Cavern (the path to reach the teleporter by foot is the Northern one).
Then, head East and reach a big Cavern. Head to the bottom of it and activate the Trial. But first, it’s highly recommended to activate the fire spirits. The monsters you’ll face are made of ice, so you’ll quickly freeze to death if you can’t find fire sources easily around the frozen pond.
Once finished, you can start finding four Scarlet Quartz. You’ll find two around the Trial, another one on the right of the tree, and the last one in the same area, hidden behind a pile of rocks you can destroy.
Thaw the third shard out
The third one will also be a challenge. This time, you won’t see a giant tree in the area; you’ll only see a frozen pond, several monsters that seem asleep, and a fire spirit. Activate the ice pillars, and the monsters will wake up.
Defeat them, and the frozen pond will melt, unveiling the last shard. Don’t forget the target’s weak spots: on the head and the core on their backs. Beware of the cold, once again, since a flowing wind will fill up your cold bar more quickly, and you’ll have to warm up more often. The fire pillars activate one by one, so you’ll have to rotate through the area during the fight to survive the cold.
You’ll find three Scarlet Quartz stones scattered around the area. Look around, and you will find them all, as they are not hard to spot.
The last one will be more challenging to find, however, since it’s locked behind a wall. You must guide two fire spirits in the cave to open a gate where the last chunk of Quartz hides. Bring them to the shard, and you’ll complete this challenging step of the questline.
