Where Winds Meet: Complete Walkthrough & Guides Wiki

Where Winds Meet is a free to play open-world Wuxia action RPG developed by Everstone Studio and published by NetEase Games. Set during the turbulent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of tenth-century China, the game drops you into the shoes of a wandering young swordsman who starts life as a mysterious infant and grows up to figure out the secrets of their past while dealing with political unrest, rival factions, and a fractured dynasty.

The game launched globally on PC (Steam) and PS5 on November 14, 2025, followed by iOS and Android on December 12, 2025. All platforms support full cross-play and cross-progression. Currently, the latest content update is Version 1.6: Flows of Dreams, released on April 30, 2026, and adds Qinchuan — the final area of the Hexi expansion — plus new bosses, quests, Mystic Skills, and more.

This page is the central hub for everything in Where Winds Meet. Every major guide is catalogued here by category.

What Kind of Game is Where Winds Meet?

At its heart, Where Winds Meet is a single-player RPG focused on its story, though you can also play its co-op mode with friends. The game offers a deep main story campaign, a massive open world stuffed with side quests and hidden content, and a flexible combat system based on two-weapon martial arts combos. It also has an optional MMO style mode called the Jianghu world.

People often compare the game’s visuals to Ghost of Tsushima because of its ancient Chinese setting. Mechanically, it’s different. It’s a mix of an open-world action RPG and a social sandbox. You’re free to follow the quests, but you can also ignore them and become a merchant, doctor, boatman, or even a bodyguard for other players. The game respects your time and style.

Note: Solo and Jianghu online modes are completely separate and have their own progression. The main story campaign is only in solo mode while the online mode is for content like guilds, dungeons, PvP, and world bosses. It’s good to know the difference between them.

Game Modes Explained

Solo Mode

Solo is where you progress and complete the WWM main story. You play through the chapters at your own speed, take on side quests, scout regions, unlock Sects, and build your character. Up to three friends can join your solo world to help with quests, though a few missions demand the host go it alone. This is the core of character progression and is the best way to learn the game’s systems.

Jianghu (Online Mode)

When you switch to the Jianghu world, the main story goes away. Here, the game becomes more of an MMO. You join guilds, take on co-op dungeons (called Hero Realms), fight world bosses, participate in guild wars, and engage in optional PvP. Progress between solo and the Jianghu is tracked separately, so don’t expect your story checkpoints to carry over here.

Jianghu becomes the endgame hub once the story runs out. Guild wars, ranked PvP arenas, and weekly dungeon clears drive the loop.

Tip: Lock down your build in solo before you plunge into Jianghu’s competitive side.

Character Creation & Starting Aspirations

The prologue opens with a cinematic scene with you as an infant being carried by a character named Jiang. Through a series of flash-forwards, you’ll see yourself grow up before being sent to the character creator section.

During character creation, you’ll customize your appearance and then choose one of two Aspiration Talents before setting out:

• Drunken Precision: Use this in Pitch Pot to gain the Tipsy effect, which shortens your aim time. Pick it if you enjoy the mini-games and social activities in the game.
• Rhetoric Edge: Gives you +2 Inspiration in the Gift of Gab dialogue system at the start, handy for conversation‑heavy encounters early on.

Neither choice will make or break your build. Just pick the one that fits how you want to play at the start. After you choose, you’ll name your character, and the prologue will properly kick off.

Prologue Overview

The prologue tells the backstory and teaches you the controls. You’ll learn basic traversal, how to use the bow, engage in melee combat, and get a taste of the first Mystic Arts and Postures. By the time it wraps up, you should be comfortable moving around and fighting at a basic level. Once the prologue fades, the game drops you in the main opening chapter, Heaven Has No Pier, and your journey across Qinghe begins.

All Regions & World Map

You’ll unlock each area through story and exploration progression.

Qinghe

The starting region. Rolling hills, forested wilderness, quiet riverside villages, and the Heaven’s Pier area where your character grew up. This is where you learn everything. Qinghe has Wayfarers (NPCs you interact with to unlock sections of the regional map), Boundary Stones (fast travel points), Oddities to collect, and a wide range of early-game content.

The Bell of Demoncalm is a Qinghe-specific item that weakens all world bosses in the region. To get it, collect all 8 Oddities in Qinghe, hand them to Qi Sheng, and use the resulting Bronze Bell Fragment to repair the Bell at the Peace Bell tower.

Kaifeng

The second major region and one of the most ambitious environments in any action RPG. Kaifeng is a functioning ancient city with a day/night cycle, thousands of NPCs going about their lives, and extreme environmental variety — luxury shopping streets, slums, ghost markets, palace grounds, within over one million square meters of city to explore. The Roaring Sands sub-area (added in Patch 1.2) is located in the northwest of Kaifeng.

Hexi

The third and most recently completed region, consisting of three sub-areas:

• Jade Gate Pass: Arid desert environments with shifting sands and sandstorms. A new world boss called the Wandering Ark can be encountered here, a ghostly ship that attacks with moonlit powers and spectral boats.
• Liangzhou: Snow and ice-covered mountain terrain. Features the Time Travel mechanic, where you can switch between different time periods to reveal how the map and marker positions change.
• Qinchuan: The latest addition (Version 1.6). A seasonally shifting grassland zone with rolling hills, a submerged city to explore, new fishing challenges, and a new world boss encounter involving a pair of enemies. The new Idle Wind Mystic Skill was introduced specifically to traverse Qinchuan’s wide-open plains more effectively.

Chapters & Main Story Walkthrough

Where Winds Meet structures its single-player campaign into chapters. This page lists every one of them with detailed walkthroughs to complete WWM chapters.

Side Quests

The side quest list in this game is massive. There are hundreds of quests across all regions, split into different types. Below is the breakdown by type, followed by highlighted quests worth doing first.

Jianghu Legacy Quests

Campaign Quests

Worldly Affairs Quests

Exploration Quests

Encounter Quests

Wandering Tales Quests

Builds

A full build = two Martial Arts (Primary + Secondary weapon styles) + four Inner Ways (passive talent nodes) + a Mystic Skills loadout. Below is every build available in the game.

DPS Builds

Tank Builds

Healer Builds

→ See Full Build Tier List | → Best DPS Builds | → Best Tank Builds | → Best Healer Builds

Bosses

Campaign Bosses

World Bosses

Quest-Related Bosses

Challenge Bosses

Mini-Bosses

→ See All Bosses | → World Boss Locations Guide | → Campaign Boss Rewards Guide

NPCs

There are hundreds of named NPCs across all regions, many tied to quests, sects, professions, and companion systems.

Qinghe NPCs

Kaifeng NPCs

Sentient Beings

Sentient Beings are the interactive activities and collectible encounters sprinkled throughout the world. Each one is a unique mini-experience with its own rules and rewards.

Mystic Skills

Mystic Skills are active special abilities you equip and use separately from your weapon Martial Arts. You can slot up to eight at a time across two rows — one for combat, one for exploration. Skills are upgraded using Ebon Iron through Tiers (1–4) and Ranks (0–9).

Combat Mystic Skills

Exploration / Utility Mystic Skills

→ Full Mystic Skills List | → Best Mystic Skills to Unlock Early | → How to Unlock Mystic Skill Slots | → How to Use Lightness Skills

Martial Arts

You slot two Martial Arts at once—primary and secondary, and can swap them whenever you need during a fight. The art you choose defines the moves you can pull off, not just the physical weapon you hold in hand.

Inner Ways

Inner Ways are passive skill tomes you equip to improve your Martial Arts. Each tome belongs to a specific Arsenal Path, so they work best when you pair them with Martial Arts from that same path. General Inner Ways have no path restriction and fit into any build. Inner Ways upgrade through tomes and Inner Way Advance Items, and the system unlocks once you hit Solo Mode Level 4.

→ Full Inner Ways List | → Best Inner Ways Tier List

Sects

Sects are long-term factions you align with. Joining one gives you access to that Sect’s shop, cosmetics, exclusive titles, discounted learning costs for their signature Martial Art, and a progression credit system.

You can choose to stay sectless as it’s a totally valid way to play. You won’t have to worry about rules or penalties, but keep in mind that learning martial arts will cost you more since you miss out on the helpful sect discounts and resources.

→ Full Sect List & How to Join | → Best Sect to Join | → How to Leave Sect

Cosmetics

All cosmetic content in Where Winds Meet is purely aesthetic with no gameplay impact. Most are obtained through the gacha system, in-game events, Sect shops, and seasonal battle passes.

→ Full Cosmetics List | → All Outfit List | → All Mounts Guide | → Gacha System Explained | → How to Change Hair Color

Items

Notable items to know about early: Pillow Powder (restores 60 energy — save it for endgame dungeons), Ebon Iron (Mystic Skill upgrade material), and Loong Key (or Dragon Keys) (required for skill theft missions).

→ Full Item List | → How to Get Commerce Coins | → How to Get Rattan Paper | → Currencies Explained

Weapons

The physical weapon you equip provides your raw stats — Attack Power, Critical Rate, etc. The Martial Art you slot into it determines how you actually fight. You can carry all weapons you find, but only have two Martial Arts active at a time.

Weapon Types

Offensive Gear Sets

→ Weapon Tier List | → Best Starting Weapon | → How to Upgrade Weapons | → List of All Gear Sets

Armor

Armor covers four slots: Helm, Body Armor, Bracers, and Greaves. Defensive gear sets provide specific bonuses when multiple pieces are equipped together.

Armor Types

Defensive Gear Sets

→ Full Armor List | → List of All Gear Sets | → Gear Rarity Explained | → Gear Tuning Guide | → Gear Durability Explained

Accessories

Accessories provide secondary stat bonuses and can be tuned for specific build synergies.

→ Full Accessories List

Profession

Professions are optional career paths you can pursue alongside everything else. Each has its own quest chains, progression, rewards, and titles. You can swap professions or pursue them casually.

→ Full Professions List | → Healer Profession Guide | → Scholar Profession Guide | → Occupation Quests Guide

Divinecraft Dungeons

Divinecraft Dungeons are instanced combat challenges with specific mechanics and rewards. Each dungeon has unique conditions and rewards gear, materials, and progression currency.

→ Divinecraft Dungeons Overview | → All Divinecraft Dungeon Locations | → Hero Realms Co-op Dungeon Guide

Outposts

Outposts are stronghold locations you can assault, capture, or farm for materials. Below level 40, just prevent your Mental Energy from capping. Above level 40, target boss-type Outposts specifically for set gear and high-tier materials.

Qinghe Outposts

Kaifeng Outposts

→ Full Outpost List | → Best Activities to Spend Energy

Talents

Talents are your character-wide passive bonuses, separate from Inner Ways. They modify your behavior in general combat, arenas, and boss encounters.

→ Full Talent List

Compendium

The Compendium is your in-game encyclopedia. Hover over any item to see where it drops. Click on currencies to understand their use. You can pin anything you’re actively farming for quick on-screen reference during play — it’s one of the most underused systems by new players.

→ Compendium Explained

Enemies

Where Winds Meet has a wide range of enemy types across all regions — from human bandits and rival martial artists to supernatural entities and faction soldiers. Each enemy type has specific weaknesses, behaviors, and drops.

→ Full Enemy List

Oddities (Melodies of Peace)

Oddities are collectible objects scattered across each region. Submitting them to Qi Sheng increases your Vitality stat, which is the resource that powers your Mystic Skills. Low Vitality = fewer castable skills in combat, so collecting Oddities is directly tied to how capable your build is.

In Qinghe specifically, collecting all 8 Oddities and submitting them to Qi Sheng unlocks the Bronze Bell Fragment, which you use to repair the Bell of Demoncalm at the Peace Bell Tower. That bell weakens all Qinghe world bosses.

→ How to Repair Bell of Demoncalm | → How to Increase Vitality

Boundary Stones

Boundary Stones are the fast travel points of Where Winds Meet. Activate them as you explore to build a web of fast travel connections across each region. The more you have unlocked, the less time you spend running between objectives.

Boundary Stones are also listed as a Sentient Being type and appear on the interactive map. In Liangzhou specifically, some Boundary Stones are affected by the Time Travel mechanic — their positions can shift depending on the time period you’re in.

→ All Boundary Stone Locations

Wayfarers

Wayfarers are special NPCs found throughout each region whose purpose is to reveal sections of the world map. Talking to a Wayfarer unlocks fog of war in that area and shows all quest markers, activities, and points of interest nearby. Make it a habit to talk to every Wayfarer you see — it’s the fastest way to clear map fog and find hidden content early.

Events

Where Winds Meet runs regular timed events alongside each seasonal update. Events reward exclusive cosmetics, currencies, Echo Jade, and Scenario Poses.

Permanent / Ongoing Events

Seasonal Events

→ Full Event List and Schedule | → List of All Redeem Codes | → Battle Pass Guide | → Season Challenges Guide

Recommended & General Guides

Meta Guides

Beginner Guides

Exploration Guides

Combat Guides

Character Creation Guides

Gameplay Systems

Common Questions

About the Game

Guild System

Guilds are separate from Sects and exist in the Jianghu online part of the game. You have three types of guilds to choose from, each with a different focus.

• Bladesworn Gang: It draws competitive players with a focus on PvP, and it aligns naturally with Midnight Blades Sect members, who have already chosen combat as their identity.
• Changle Pavilion: Leisure and social play. Members can check trade prices from other guild members, which matters in a game where information is currency. The pressure is low. The expectations are minimal. It’s a guild for people who want the community without the commitment.
• Farshore Hall: Co-op focused. It rewards exploration and cooperative activities, the players who prefer working together toward shared goals rather than competing for individual glory. It pairs well with the Well of Heaven Sect, whose own emphasis on collective advancement mirrors the guild’s philosophy.

Guild levels are raised by accumulating Guild EXP through activities, which in turn raises the cap on guild industries. The Hall of Heroes inside a guild increases Treasure Token acquisition rates for all members, so upgrading it is typically the priority for any active guild.

Some weekly guild activities should be your focus. Start any multi-day sect or guild tasks early in the week since they require time to complete. Make sure you run the Hero’s Realm dungeon before the weekly reset, and try to do it after your guild has finished its upgrades. Once you’re over level 40, you can farm Strongholds for set gear.

Tips for New Players

• Pick a weapon pair early and commit. If you spread your Inner Ways investment across too many weapons, you’ll end up with a lot of weak attacks. A single, fully upgraded pair is always better than five half-finished ones.
• Get the Panacea Fan early. When Qi Sheng gives you a weapon choice in the Verdant Wilds, ask for the Panacea Fan. You can get it much earlier than intended this way, and it makes the first half of the game a lot more under control.
• Talk to every Wayfarer you see. Map reveals are gated behind these NPCs. Clearing fog early makes routing and quest-finding much easier.
• Unlock Boundary Stones as you explore. The game is huge, and fast travel will save you a huge amount of time.
• Use the Compendium. Hover over items to see where they drop. Click currencies to understand their purpose and pin anything you farm for quick reference.
• Save Pillow Powder. This consumable restores 60 energy instantly. It’s tempting to use, but hang onto it because it’s more useful in endgame dungeons.
• Don’t buy level-specific gear chests until you’re at max level. There’ll be gear tuning systems later that need other pieces, and spending resources on gear you’ll replace in hours is wasteful.
• Install on SSD. Playing off an HDD causes animation desyncs in cutscenes and general loading issues, a technical recommendation officially from the developers.