Mystic Arts in Where Winds Meet provide additional depth to exploration and combat as your skills will give you different ways of traversing the world, disabling enemies, and uncovering secret paths. Many Mystic Arts are hidden behind environmental puzzles or Skill Steal encounters and you can only equip a total of eight at one time. This article will highlight each of the major Mystic Art’s and where you can obtain them.
Unlocking and Using Mystic Arts
Each Mystic Art must be equipped manually before you can use it.
Open the menu, head to Develop → Abilities → Mystic Arts, and drop them into your available slots. Keyboard users trigger them with their assigned number keys; controllers activate them by holding the right stick.
Only eight can be active, but some of the abilities merely execute passively once learned. Movement-based arts may only trigger on certain surfaces or prompts before they can be used.
Most of these techniques are hidden around the open world—hidden passages, NPCs acting strangely, random discoveries, and story-related areas. Because there isn’t a single path that provides them to you, exploration is necessary.
Where to Find Mystic Arts
Below are the standout Mystic Arts you can acquire, how they behave, and where you’ll encounter them.
Meridian Touch
This ranged technique can lock an enemy in place and weaken their Qi. Non-hostile NPCs can also be affected, often leading to surprising interactions.
You’ll encounter it on the road back to Heaven’s Pier. At Stonewash Strand, you’ll see people turned to stone. Speak with Yan Quiren—the stone figure—then trigger “immobilize” on him to return him to normal and learn the art.
Tai Chi
A defensive action that relies on redirecting an opponent’s momentum. You pull your target toward you and send them flying, which can scatter objects or break fragile structures. Outside of fighting, it interacts with the environment by stirring up debris or disturbing water.
You pick it up nearly immediately during the early bear encounter, when the Skill Steal tutorial has introduced you to the concept of observing and then copying a technique.
Cloud Steps
This skill functions similarly to a leap that is tethered to a marked position where you can either leap towards it or vault over enemies while reducing their Qi. It’s also critical for climbing certain structures or areas.
To obtain it, search the General’s Shrine early in the story. Climb to the roof of the shrine, look over the west side, and drop down onto a cracked paving stone. This will lead to a secret area under the shrine. After burning vines and defeating enemies, you will eventually find a corpse, and on that corpse is the Cloud Steps manual.
Lion’s Roar
A dramatic technique inspired by Kung Fu Hustle: you drop a huge bell, lift it, and unleash a thunderous blast that damages and pushes enemies away. To obtain it, you must ring four copper bells across Qinghe. Their locations:
- Along the southwest path leaving the shrine toward Stonewash Strand
- West side of the General’s Shrine grounds
- South of the Wraith Village teleport point, in an area where the mist briefly clears
- Near Buddha Fort, atop the cliff reached after crossing from Verdant Wilds
Leaping Toad
A movement-heavy art that lets you flip back to create space, then dart forward again. Using it twice in a row applies venom.
A golden toad marks the location. Head to the western area of the General’s Shrine, near the same hidden path leading to Cloud Steps and one of the copper bells. Speak to the man imitating a toad stance, then use Skill Steal on the golden toad to learn the technique.
Ghost Bind
An advanced immobilization skill that affects up to six targets at once. It’s extremely powerful but comes with a longer cooldown.
You’ll need to visit Kaifeng. In the southeast sector known as the Forsaken Quarter, complete the “Unwanted Hospitality” quest. A mysterious figure teaches you the technique and has you test it on the men stationed outside.
Heavenly Snatch
A distance-grab ability that lets you pull objects or pickpocket from afar. In combat, it disarms enemies and slings their weapon back at them.
At Heaven’s Pier, speak to Qiu Yuehai to begin the “Foul Play” quest near a rigged drinking contest. He teaches you the technique so you can swipe a Nullifying Pill and expose the cheater.
Veil of Stillness
A stealth-focused art that cloaks your presence enough to slip into restricted zones, though it can’t withstand direct combat and doesn’t make you fully invisible.
Once you reach Level 8, travel to Peacebell Tower in Qinghe. Qiu Yuehai appears here again, near a martial artist you can spy on to steal the art.
Glow of Fireflies
A purely utility-based technique that lights dark caves with a swarm of fireflies. You’ll unlock it at the Gleaming Abyss entrance. Use Meridian Touch to freeze the two NPCs standing by the sealed stone door. Inside, collect five wandering fireflies to gain the ability.
Dragon’s Breath
A fiery attack where you take a swig of alcohol and exhale a sweeping jet of flame. In Kaifeng’s Fairground district, head to the Beast Reverie building. Inside, Luo Jiu mentions that someone stole from him. The thief, Liang Yuan, is at Small Shoes Camp south of the city. Use Heavenly Snatch to retrieve the stolen travelogue, return it to Luo Jiu, and he’ll reward you with the art.
Talon Strike
A fast aerial assault: you swoop down like a bird of prey, crack an opponent’s guard, then follow up with three sharp strikes.
Look for a lone island near the Palace of Annals in southern Qinghe. Hostile masked soldiers patrol the area, but you only need to reach the falcon circling above and interact with its nest to begin the Skill Steal sequence.
