Elder Gongsun is one of the more challenging opponents that you will come across early on in Where Winds Meet during the “More Than Meets the Eye” Encounter, which takes place near the General’s Shrine. He is easy to locate, but actually defeating him is the bigger challenge. In this guide, we will go over exactly where to find him, how his sparring mechanics work, and show you the best way to make it through his punishing martial arts.
How to Find Elder Gongsun
You will meet Elder Gongsun very early in the main story, soon after arriving at the General’s Shrine, during a small sparring match. While you roam around the arena, a crying child will prompt the More Than Meets the Eye Encounter, which will push you to challenge the fighters; surprisingly, almost all of them are strong kids. Gongsun will be the last fighter and the strongest one. The quest will show him visible on your map, which means you can just walk up to him and request to fight him. Brace yourself for the fight with Gonsun though as he is much stronger than the others.
Winning the Fight Against Elder Gongsun
How Sparring Works
Sparring matches in Where Winds Meet strip away your normal weapons and skills. Everyone fights with the same wooden sword and preset martial techniques. The goal is to empty your opponent’s Qi bar—the blue meter under your health—five separate times. Qi runs out fast when you’re hit, and yours takes ages to regenerate.
Your martial arts abilities are your best tools here, since they chunk down Qi much faster than basic strikes.
Gongsun’s Fighting Style
Gongsun uses quick, snapping melee attacks—short punches, kicks, and rapid hits that he can unleash instantly. Every one of his basic hits can be deflected, and successful deflects shave Qi off him as well. Unfortunately, he’s excellent at deflecting your attacks too, so be ready for his follow-up strike right after he parries yours.
If you dodge right at the final moment, time briefly slows. This is one of the few windows where you can hit him without immediately being countered. Most of his moves are readable, but he also has a spinning multi-hit sequence that’s hard to block all the way through. If it keeps catching you, roll out of range and circle back to strike from behind.
You’ll also see him leap onto the arena poles. He’ll hop across them before crashing down with one of two finishers:
- A red frog-like slam you can deflect for heavy Qi damage
- A golden diving kick that must be dodged
He also has one very troublesome ability: he can restore his entire Qi bar. When he steps back and starts rhythmically waving his arms, he’s regenerating. Light attacks won’t break him out of it—you’ll need to hit him with martial arts or heavy blows to interrupt the recovery.
The safest approach is to stay active. Your Qi won’t return quickly enough to rely on defense, but his can. Keep pressure on him whenever you’re given an opening.
