Quick Answer: Hit Mt. Aozang's Crystal Cave, Mt. Aocang's clusters, and Stormterror's Lair with Zhongli or any claymore user. You'll walk away with 130-160 Crystal Chunks and 80+ White Iron in just 10 minutes. Trust me—I've timed this route more times than I care to admit.
The Complete 10-Minute Route (Because Time is Primogems)
Getting Your Setup Right
Look, I've seen players waste 20 minutes collecting what should take 10. Here's what actually matters:
Your Must-Have Setup:
Claymore user or Zhongli (seriously, don't even attempt this without one)
Two Anemo characters for that sweet 15% stamina reduction and 10% movement speed boost
Make sure you've unlocked waypoints at Mt. Aozang, Mt. Aocang, and Stormterror's Lair
Crystal Chunks respawn every 72 hours, White Iron every 48 hours—mark your calendar
The Dream Team:
Zhongli: His hold E skill? Chef's kiss. Breaks 3-5 ore nodes at once in dense clusters
Ningguang: Her passive shows ore on your mini-map (game-changer for new routes)
Any Claymore User: 2-3 hits vs the painful 6-8 hits from other weapons
Ideal Comp: Zhongli + Ningguang + two Anemo characters
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The Step-by-Step Route (Timed to Perfection)
Phase 1: Mt. Aozang Crystal Cave (3 minutes)
Teleport to Mt. Aozang waypoint and glide west toward the lake. You'll spot a cave entrance on the northern edge—this is your goldmine. Inside, you'll find 15-20 Crystal Chunks clustered together like they're having a party. Bonus: grab the Cor Lapis while you're there.
Phase 2: Mt. Aocang White Iron Hunt (4 minutes) From the Mt. Aocang peak waypoint, spiral down the southern face. There are 21-22 White Iron nodes here, and the dense clusters at mid-elevation are where you'll make your money. Don't get distracted by the scattered single nodes—efficiency is key.
Phase 3: Stormterror's Lair Sweep (3 minutes) Use the Stormterror waypoint and target the 10 major Crystal locations. I always hit the concentrated northern and eastern sections first. Skip those lonely isolated nodes—they're time thieves.
Regional Breakdown: Where the Good Stuff Hides
Mondstadt's Hidden Gems
Stormterror's Lair remains the Crystal Chunk king with 10 locations scattered across the ruined city. Start at the central waypoint and work outward in circles—trust the pattern.
Brightcrown Canyon delivers 12-14 White Iron nodes along those dramatic canyon walls. Follow the northern wall, then loop back via the southern edge. Simple but effective.
The Hidden Cave in Dragonspine—and I mean hidden—sits behind the Valley of Remembrance domain. Climb the cliff, head east until you find a ground opening. Both ore types waiting inside.
Musk Reef is your 30-second miracle. Access it via the Cape Oath portal for 8 White Iron nodes near the Spiral Abyss entrance. Quick in, quick out.
Liyue's Motherlode
Mt. Aozang Crystal Cave has the highest node density per square meter in the entire game. No joke. Systematic interior collection without backtracking is the way to go.
Mingyun Village offers three interconnected caves packed with White Iron, plus bonus Cor Lapis and Noctilucous Jade. It's like a geological treasure hunt.
Qingyun Peak requires some gliding skills between elevated Crystal Chunk locations, but the multiple waypoint access makes it worth the aerial acrobatics.
Inazuma's Scattered Riches
Tsurumi Island holds 33 White Iron nodes total. My route: southernmost waypoint (6 nodes) → west of Wakukau Shoal (9 nodes) → clean up the remaining clusters.
Yashiori Island + Tatarasuna combo nets you 41 White Iron nodes. Key concentrations include 7 near Momiji-Dyed Court and 4 east of the Tatarasuna Statue.
Enkanomiya spreads 21 White Iron across Dainichi Mikoshi (8), Evernight Temple (8), and Serpent's Heart (6). The underground aesthetic is a nice change of pace, honestly.
Respawn Timers: The Science Behind the Grind
Understanding the System
Crystal Chunks operate on a 72-hour server-side timer per node when depleted. White Iron follows a 48-hour cycle, creating those beautiful staggered farming opportunities we all love.
Each node randomly yields 1-3 ore pieces. Plan for minimum yields when calculating your enhancement needs—better to overestimate than run short during a weapon upgrade session.
Server Reset Times (4:00 AM local):
America: EST/PST (depending on daylight saving)
Europe: CET/CEST
Asia: CST (China Standard Time)
Rich Ore Reserves spawn daily at reset. Visit Wagner or Master Zhang to mark these temporary goldmines on your map.
My Weekly Schedule (Feel Free to Steal It)
Monday: Full Crystal + White Iron route (hit all regions)
Wednesday: White Iron refresh (that 48-hour cycle)
Thursday: Crystal refresh (72-hour cycle complete)
Saturday: Another White Iron refresh
Sunday: Everything resets—rinse and repeat
Smithing Strategy: Making It Count
The Math That Matters
3 Crystal Chunks = 1 Mystic Enhancement Ore (10,000 Weapon EXP). A full 150-chunk session produces 50 Mystic Ores worth 500,000 Weapon EXP. Not bad for 10 minutes of work.
Daily Forging Limit: 300,000 Weapon EXP cap equals 30 Mystic Enhancement Ores (90 Crystal Chunks) or 150 Fine Enhancement Ores (300 White Iron Chunks).
Alternative Recipes Worth Knowing:
3 Amethyst Lumps = 1 Mystic Enhancement Ore
3 Magical Crystal Chunks + 10 Original Resin = 6 Mystic Enhancement Ores
Blacksmith Logistics
Wagner (Mondstadt), Master Zhang (Liyue Harbor), and Hajime (Inazuma City) all offer identical services. Choose based on where you end your farming route—no need to travel across continents.
The daily limit resets with server time, not 24 hours from your last crafting session. Craft immediately after reset for maximum scheduling flexibility.
Alternative Strategies for Different Playstyles
Quick 5-Minute Routes
Liyue Express: Mt. Aozang cave (15-20 Crystal) + Mt. Aocang southern face (12-15 White Iron). Perfect for busy days.
Mondstadt Speed Run: Musk Reef (8 White Iron) + Brightcrown Canyon (8-10 White Iron) + Stormterror central (6-8 Crystal). When you need resources now.
Expedition vs Active Mining Reality Check
20-hour expeditions yield roughly 6 Crystal Chunks on average. A 10-minute active route provides 130-160 Crystal Chunks. That's 20x efficiency per minute invested.
My Hybrid Strategy: Set daily expeditions for passive background income + active farming every 72 hours for serious stockpiling.
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Co-op Mining Tips
Multiple players get full yields from shared ore nodes—no splitting required. Designate one optimal miner (Zhongli or claymore user) while others handle collection and mobility.
Split coverage in large areas and communicate respawn timers. Coordination beats chaos every time.
FAQ: The Questions Everyone Asks
How long do Crystal Chunks actually take to respawn? 72 hours (3 full days) per individual node after mining. White Iron respawns every 48 hours, so you can farm it more frequently.
What's the most efficient Crystal Chunk route? Mt. Aozang Cave + Mt. Aocang + Stormterror's Lair in 10 minutes for 130-160 chunks. Focus on locations with 8+ nodes in close proximity—scattered nodes kill your efficiency.
Best characters for mining? Zhongli's hold E breaks multiple nodes simultaneously (absolute game-changer). Ningguang shows ore locations on your mini-map. Any claymore user breaks ores in 2-3 hits vs the painful 6-8 hits from other weapons.
How many Crystal Chunks for weapon enhancement? 270 Crystal Chunks for a typical 4-star weapon from level 1-90 (900,000 EXP total). With the daily 300,000 EXP forging limit processing 90 chunks, you're looking at a 3-day enhancement project.
Where's the most White Iron in one area? Tsurumi Island takes the crown with 33 nodes total.
Mt. Aocang offers 21-22 nodes concentrated on a single mountain for lightning-fast farming.
What's the difference between Crystal and Magical Crystal Chunks? Crystal Chunks: 72-hour respawn, craft with chunks only. Magical Crystal Chunks: daily spawn via Rich Ore Reserves, but they require 10 Original Resin + 3 chunks for 6 Mystic Ores. Different resources, different strategies.