Exploration Points are the backbone of progression in Where Winds Meet’s vast open world. Whether you’re trying to unlock new abilities, reveal foggy map sections, or simply maximize your Qinghe region progress, understanding how to efficiently farm these points makes all the difference.
The game throws dozens of activities at you from the moment you start exploring, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. After spending considerable time in the Qinghe region, I’ve found that not all exploration activities are created equal—some yield massive point rewards while others barely move the needle. Here’s everything you need to know about farming Exploration Points efficiently.
Why Exploration Points Matter
Before diving into the farming methods, it’s worth understanding what you’re actually working toward. Your regional exploration level gates access to several important features:
- New abilities and movement options (including flight mechanics)
- Map revelation for fog-covered areas
- Resource nodes and gathering spots
- Higher-tier quest chains
- Sect progression opportunities
The higher your exploration level, the more content becomes available. It’s not just about completion—it’s about opening up the game’s full potential.
Top Methods for Farming Exploration Points
1. Prioritize Exploration Quests and Encounters (25-100 Points Each)
Exploration Quests and Encounters are your bread and butter for point farming. These activities pop up naturally as you explore, marked clearly on your map and minimap.
What makes them valuable:
- Quick completion times – Most Encounters wrap up in 2-3 minutes
- Substantial rewards – Standard activities give 25 points, longer quests award up to 100
- Additional benefits – Many unlock gameplay features or new abilities
The real standout here is that certain Exploration quests unlock game-changing mechanics. One notable quest chain teaches you how to fly in Where Winds Meet, though you’ll need a decent Qinghe Exploration level before you can complete it fully.
Pro tip: Don’t skip Encounters just because they seem minor. The time-to-reward ratio is actually better than most other activities, and they add up quickly when you’re clearing an area systematically.
2. Hunt Down Every Boundary Stone (50 Points Each)
Boundary Stones serve double duty as fast travel waypoints and checkpoint markers. More importantly, each one grants 50 Exploration Points—double what most encounters provide.
Key considerations:
- Limited quantity per region (making each one valuable)
- Often located at scenic viewpoints or strategic positions
- Hidden in fog-covered map sections until you reveal the area
- Essential for efficient travel across large maps
Finding strategy: Northern Qinghe and other fog-covered zones hide their Boundary Stones until you physically enter and reveal that section. Make it a habit to climb high points and scan for the distinctive stone markers whenever you enter a new area.
The convenience factor can’t be overstated—unlocking these early saves massive travel time later, especially when you’re working through level cap breakthroughs or running between sect locations.
3. Collect Oddities and Open Treasure Chests
Oddities are the colorful collectibles scattered throughout the world—insects, critters, glowing plants, and unusual objects that practically shimmer with “pick me up” energy.
Why you should grab every Oddity you see:
- Grants Exploration Points immediately
- Required for Melodies of Peace passive tree progression
- Account-wide benefits that improve all characters
- Usually clustered near points of interest
Visual cues to watch for:
- Swarms of butterflies circling an area
- Glowing flowers or luminescent plants
- Colorful light effects near rocks or trees
- Small creatures with distinctive particle effects
Treasure Chests follow a similar principle. The game helpfully marks nearby chests with an icon when you’re close, so you won’t miss many if you’re paying attention. Points of interest typically have 2-4 chests in the vicinity, making them worth clearing completely before moving on.
Farming route tip: Pick a region section and clear it methodically rather than bouncing randomly across the map. This ensures you don’t miss clusters of Oddities and chests that often appear near each other.
4. Complete Meow Meow Challenges (30 Points, 1 Minute)
Those glowing red swords stuck in the ground? Those are Meow Meow Challenges, and they’re some of the best point-per-minute activities in the game.
The breakdown:
- 30 Exploration Points per challenge
- 60 seconds or less to complete
- Simple combat/movement objectives
- No special requirements or prerequisites
The challenges themselves are straightforward—usually involving defeating a few enemies or performing specific movements. I’ve yet to encounter one that took longer than a minute once you understand the objective.
Efficiency note: If you’re trying to maximize your hourly point gain, Meow Meow Challenges might actually beat out longer quests despite the lower total reward. Six of these (6 minutes) equals 180 points, while a 10-minute exploration quest might only award 50-100.
5. Tackle NPC Minigames in Towns (10+ Points Each)
Populated areas and settlements feature NPCs offering various minigame challenges:
Common activities include:
- Wrestling matches
- Fishing competitions
- Archery contests
- Other skill-based challenges
Each completed minigame typically awards 10 Exploration Points—not huge individually, but they stack up when you’re already in town handling other business. Think of these as bonus points while you’re between major exploration activities or working on debate challenges.
Time management: Don’t go out of your way to farm these exclusively, but always check for available challenges when you’re in a settlement for other reasons.
Efficient Exploration Point Farming Strategy
Based on the activities above, here’s the optimal approach for maximizing your Exploration Points per hour:
The Priority System
Tier 1 (Always Do):
- Boundary Stones (50 points, permanent travel benefit)
- Exploration Quests (25-100 points, often unlock features)
- Meow Meow Challenges (30 points, extremely quick)
Tier 2 (Do While Exploring):
- Encounters (25 points, quick completion)
- Oddities and Chests (variable points, account progression)
Tier 3 (Filler Activities):
- Town Minigames (10 points, when convenient)
- Side quest exploration bonuses (variable)
Sample Farming Route
- Reveal a new map section by entering fog-covered areas
- Locate and unlock the Boundary Stone (50 points secured)
- Scan for Meow Meow Challenges (red sword markers) and clear them
- Complete any Exploration Quests that appeared in the area
- Systematically clear Encounters, Oddities, and Chests while moving through
- Stop by settlements for quick minigames if passing through
This method ensures you’re hitting the highest-value targets first while naturally collecting lower-tier rewards along the way.
Additional Tips for Exploration Success
Don’t neglect main story progression. Many main quests and side quest chains award significant Exploration Points alongside their primary rewards. The game’s progression systems are interconnected—sometimes advancing the story unlocks entire new exploration zones.
Invest in movement abilities early. Being able to fly or move faster dramatically improves farming efficiency. The upfront time investment pays dividends when you’re covering large distances between points of interest.
Check your exploration menu regularly. The game tracks your regional progress and shows completion percentages for different activity types. This helps identify which areas you’ve thoroughly explored versus which still have undiscovered content.
Join a sect for exploration benefits. Different sects offer various passive bonuses and abilities that can make exploration easier, from enhanced mobility to better resource detection.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Ignoring fog-covered areas too long. Northern Qinghe and similar zones hide valuable Boundary Stones and content. Don’t put off exploring them just because they’re not immediately accessible.
Skipping Encounters for “bigger” content. The time-to-reward ratio on Encounters is excellent. Five quick Encounters (10-15 minutes total) equal 125 points—often better than searching for one major activity.
Not using fast travel efficiently. Once you’ve unlocked Boundary Stones, use them. Backtracking on foot wastes time better spent on actual exploration activities.
Forgetting about dungeon exploration content. Instanced areas and dungeons have their own exploration rewards separate from regional progress. They’re easy to overlook but contribute to overall advancement.
Wrapping Up
Exploration Points in Where Winds Meet gate so much content that efficient farming becomes essential rather than optional. The good news? The game rewards curiosity and thoroughness naturally. By prioritizing Boundary Stones and Exploration Quests, opportunistically grabbing Meow Meow Challenges and Oddities, and maintaining a systematic approach to clearing regions, you’ll maximize your progress without feeling like you’re grinding.
The world of Where Winds Meet is genuinely enjoyable to explore when you’re not stressing about optimization. Use these methods as guidelines rather than rigid rules, and remember that even “inefficient” exploration contributes to your overall progress. Whether you’re hunting for better weapons, learning advanced combat techniques, or simply understanding the game’s systems better, that exploration level will keep climbing.
Now get out there and reveal those foggy map sections—your Qinghe Exploration level isn’t going to max itself.
External Resources:
- Official Where Winds Meet Website
- Where Winds Meet on Steam
- PlayStation Store Page
- Where Winds Meet Wikipedia Entry
