PDP Guide Part 9: Youkai Mountain Ascent

Part 8 of the guide can be found here.
A guide to an optional area (Muenzuka) can be found here.

 So, from the lovely healing building in Kappa Valley, speak to the Kappa on the dock to return to the cave. Head out of the cave by going up the ladder and out the door.

Once outside the cave, turn to your right and cross the river there with your Inflatable Boat. Go past the next cave, and then go up. Keep going up some steps and across the bridge. Keep going and up another set of steps.

This path leads up Youkai Mountain. If you head up, you will fight a Brown-Haired Fairy who uses two level 30 Shizuhas. Past her is some grass where you can capture Shizuha, Minoriko, Aya, Hatate, and Momiji.

Head back down past the Fairy and to the left and then up the stairs. Keep heading straight and then turn to the left. Head down the stairs and go into the little patch of grass and pick up the Yin Yang Orb containing a Topaz Hairpin. Head to the left and behind the platform and up a little area of grass to pick up a Yin Yang Orb that contains Skill Card 56.

Now head back up the stairs, and this time go to the right and then down that set of stairs. There's a Tengu here that will fight you with two level 30 Momijis. Head up the stairs past the Tengu and the path is rather linear. There is a Purple-Haired Fairy who will fight you with a level 32 Cirno.

Now is a good time to return to Kappa Valley and heal. It is also a good time to save.

Reason being?
You need to head across that bridge.
And you will be stopped on that bridge by Reimu, who will fight you with a level 38 Aya, level 40 Suika, and a level 42 Reimu. After defeating her, she will give you an Ecstacy Set and then allow you to continue across the bridge. You will probably need to heal after fighting her, so you can backtrack to Kappa Valley once again, if you like.

Right after getting to the other side of bridge you will have to fight Momiji. Momiji will use a level 30 Hina, level 30 Nitori, and a level 30 Momiji.

Head up past Momiji and you'll see a cave. Outside of it is a Kappa who will sell you Thread and Talismans. Stock up on Talismans here if you haven't already, because you'll likely want them in the cave. Fighting that many wild Puppets can be tiring.

Inside of this cave, you can capture Hina, Yamame, and Momiji.

Once in the cave,  head up and fight the Brown-Haired Fairy with a level 32 Minoriko. Head up the stairs and fight the Tengu with a level 32 Hatate. Head down the steps and straight down to pick up a Yin Yang Orb containing a Red Ring. Head back up to the steps (don't go down them) and turn to the left.

Now, keep going there and fight the girl with a white hat who uses a level 30 Yatsuhashi and a level 30 Benben. Head up and to the right and pick up the Yin Yang Orb containing a Prismatic Candy. Head back to the girl and then head down and to the left. Fight the girl with a hat who uses a level 30 Ichirin and a level 30 Murasa. Head up from there and pick up the Yin Yang Orb that contains Skill Card 79. Head back to the girl with the hat and then go straight right. Follow the path up to a ladder. Take the ladder down.

Head down and to the right and up some stairs. Pick up the Yin Yang Orb containing Contract Thread. Head down the stairs to the left and fight the girl with a hood. She uses a level 32 Nitori. Keep heading down the path and fight the Tengu with two level 2 Hinas and a level 29 Nitori. Keep heading down the path to another ladder.

The ladder here leads down to an area where you can fight a girl with black hair who uses a level 32 Hina. Continuing on, you will see a set of stairs and a pink-haired girl. Head up the steps and pick up the Yin Yang Orb containing a Chirei Bun. Now head down and fight a Tengu with a level 32 Aya. You will see a door down here, and you can head on out there if you like. There is a Yin Yang Orb containing a Cursebreak Charm out here, along with a house. Inside of the house is Hina Kagiyama. Do not speak with her unless you would like to release a Puppet in your party. Once released, you cannot retrieve that Puppet, so please do not take it lightly. The Akyuu here is quite convenient, though. If you really need to heal, put your Puppets into your box and then remove them and they will be fully healed.

After you are done here, head back into the cave and back to the ladder.

Go up the ladder, and then go down and follow the path. Go up the stairs and then go to the right. Follow the path and then go down the next ladder. The path here is rather linear. There is a Tengu here who will fight you with a level 30 Momiji and a level 30 Meiling. When you see some steps, head down a bit and pick up the Yin Yang Orb containing a Chirei Bun. Head up the steps and down the path. At the end is a Yin Yang Orb containing a Thorn Charm. Now, head back to the ladder and go on up.

From there, head down and up the nearby steps. Head to the left then take the far left stairs. Head to the left past the Animal-Ears Girl and up the ladder.

Now head down and fight the Tengu who uses a level 30 Iku and a level 30 Aya. Straight down past her is the exit.

Once you're out of the cave, head to the left through the grass and pick up the Yin Yang Orb containing Food Rations. The grass here contains similar Puppets to those from the last area, but with different encounter rates and such.

Head up the steps and then left through the grass. Shizuha and Minoriko are waiting here. Shizuha, on the left, will fight you with a level 30 Minoriko and a level 32 Shizuha. Minoriko, on the right, will fight you with a level 30 Shizuha and a level 32 Minoriko.

You don't have to head up the stairs next to them just yet. If you head straight right you will see a building. Inside is a Tengu who will heal you when you speak with her. Directly below the building a bit is a Kappa who will fight you with a level 30 Nitori and a level 30 Rika.

This is a good chance to level if you so wish. The majority of your team should be 40+. Your main should be around 55+.

When you're ready, you can head up the steps near the Aki Sisters. Up the path you'll find a Tengu who will fight you with a level 32 Aya. There will be a Kapa near some steps further on who will fight you with a level 29 Nitori, level 29 Wakasagihime, and a level 29 Nitori.

Up even more steps is a Tengu who will use a level 32 Hatate. Even further along is a girl with pink hair who will fight you with a level 29 Iku, level 29 Chen, and a level 29 Hatate. Past there is some grass. In the grass is a Yin Yang Orb containing Moriya Sinshu. To the right and along the path is a girl with a hat who will fight you with a level 32 Kisume.

Cross the nearby bridge and you'll get into the next area. There is a path leading up which leads to the Moriya Shrine. Now, this next area warrants another part to the guide, so let's meet again there, shall we?

Part 10 can be found here.