How to Unlock Hallowed Plain in Genshin Impact 7.2 (Fog Removal)

To unlock Hallowed Plain in Genshin Impact, you have to clear the freezing fog that covers it. You do that by finishing two Shadow Realm world quests, Into the Tower’s Shadow and Into the Valley’s Shadow, and lighting both Kresnik’s Torches. Those quests branch off the world quest The Days of Old Were Days of Snow, which only appears after earlier Snezhnaya quest chains are done.

The rest of this guide covers the full order, where each quest starts, and the spots where guide sites disagree. It reflects the game as of November 2026, a few days after Version 7.2 launched. Quest names and requirements can still be patched or clarified, so check your in-game quest log if something doesn’t match.

What Hallowed Plain is

Hallowed Plain is a subarea of Wingspan Peak in Snezhnaya. According to the Genshin Impact Wiki, it was added in Version 7.2. That update, “Hour of Ruin,” went live on November 4, 2026, and some outlets list the North American start as the evening of November 3, Pacific time. It is part of the new eastern Snezhnaya region that opened with the patch.

What stops you exploring it is not a locked gate but the weather. A freezing fog covers the plain and keeps draining HP while you are inside. Genshin Builds describes it as an environmental hazard, not something tied to an enemy, so you can’t fight your way through it. Sources describe the damage slightly differently. One says it drains the active character directly, another says the cold works through a temperature mechanic. Either way, the fix is the same.

The unlock path at a glance

Step 1: Meet the prerequisites

This is where guide sites disagree most, so it’s worth knowing both versions.

• Game8 says The Days of Old Were Days of Snow unlocks after you complete the entire quest chain of The Crystal City in the Gorge’s Depths. It also lists it as the first quest in the First, Let the Earth Open Its Maw chain.
• Game Rant lists four prerequisites: The Citadel of the Ancient Fae, Let Not All Rivers Run Dry, Awake and Sing, Ye Sleepers in the Dust, and Penumbral Escape.

These lists may not conflict. They could just be counting the same chain in different ways. If the quest isn’t showing up, open your quest log, look for any of those names still in progress, and finish them first.

Step 2: Start The Days of Old Were Days of Snow

Once the prerequisites are done, The Days of Old Were Days of Snow should show up as a world quest. This quest takes you into the Shadow Realm storyline linked to Hallowed Plain.

During it you’ll get steps to trigger the Ad-Hoc Kresnik’s Torch. Guides tie these steps to the two Shadow Realm quests below. According to Game Rant, you have to complete those side quests to keep progressing in The Days of Old Were Days of Snow. So clearing the fog isn’t optional if you want to finish the chain.

Step 3: Complete Into the Tower’s Shadow (western torch)

1. Teleport to the western Teleport Waypoint in Hallowed Plain.
2. Head northeast toward a broken tree trunk to pick up the quest thread.
3. Follow the quest into the Shadow Realm section.
4. Find and destroy the Blightkristall Core.
5. That completes the quest and activates the western Kresnik’s Torch.

Expect the fog to keep draining HP while you do this, because it isn’t gone yet. Bring a healer, or keep healing food on hand, so the drain doesn’t add up during fights.

Step 4: Complete Into the Valley’s Shadow (second torch)

Into the Valley’s Shadow begins in the eastern section of Hallowed Plain. It works like the tower quest: go into the Shadow Realm, deal with the corrupted core, and activate the second Kresnik’s Torch. I haven’t found a reliable step-by-step source for this quest’s exact route yet, so follow the quest markers in-game.

According to Game Rant’s fog guide, the freezing storm goes away once both corrupted cores are destroyed. Genshin Builds also notes that the fog won’t fully disappear until both torches are active.

A note on conflicting info

At least one guide only names Into the Tower’s Shadow as the fog-clearing quest. The more detailed guides consistently say both quests and both torches are needed, and that’s the version this guide follows. If you’ve finished the tower quest and the fog is still there, the valley quest is what’s left.

Step 5: Explore and finish the chain

With both torches lit, Hallowed Plain can be explored without the constant HP drain. Head back to The Days of Old Were Days of Snow to continue the questline. The Shadow Realm quests also have bosses and rare chests along the way, which makes them worth doing even apart from the fog.

There’s more to find once the area is open. For example, Insider Gaming and other 7.2 guides cover the Local Legend Ancient Ironquill, which video guides place in a hidden cave in Hallowed Plain.

Tips if you’re stuck

• Quest missing? It’s almost always a prerequisite. Go back through the Snezhnaya world quests listed in Step 1.
• Fog still there after one quest? Finish the second Shadow Realm quest. Both torches are needed.
• Playing co-op? One guide says the cleared fog carries over to everyone as long as the host has activated the torches. Visitors in a host’s world that’s still fogged will see the fog too.
• Low on HP in the fog? Keep exploring to a minimum until the torches are lit, and teleport out to heal if you need to.

Version 7.2 is still very new, so community guides are being updated quickly. If something you see in-game doesn’t match what’s described here, trust the quest log, and check the official patch notes on HoYoLAB for any later changes.