Kaifeng represents a major milestone in Where Winds Meet—it’s your first taste of expansion beyond the starting region, and it comes with a significant shift in scenery. Where Qinghe was all mountains, rivers, and forests, Kaifeng opens up into sprawling grasslands dominated by the massive walled city that shares the region’s name.
But here’s the thing: you can’t just walk there. The game literally teleports you back if you try crossing the border prematurely. I learned this the hard way after spending 10 minutes trying to find a “secret path” around the invisible wall. Spoiler alert—there isn’t one.
If you’re eager to explore Kaifeng’s new content, weapon styles, and challenges, you’ll need to meet specific requirements first. Here’s everything you need to know about unlocking this crucial region.
Requirements to Unlock Kaifeng
Story Progression: Complete “For Whom Does He Return”
The primary barrier to Kaifeng access is story-based. You must complete the “For Whom Does He Return” quest segment, which falls directly under Chapter One – Heaven Has No Pier in your main storyline.
This isn’t a short quest chain. Expect to invest significant time, as this segment is:
- Combat-intensive with waves of Aureate soldiers
- Boss-gated with a challenging final encounter
- Multi-phase with several objectives before reaching the conclusion
The quest culminates in a boss fight that serves as your final exam for Chapter One. Only after defeating this boss can you proceed to the next chapter and gain legitimate access to Kaifeng.
Level Requirement: Reach Level 32
When Where Winds Meet launched globally, the developers added an additional gate: you must be level 32 or higher to enter Kaifeng, even if you’ve completed the Chapter One storyline.
This requirement was implemented several days after launch when Kaifeng officially opened to players. It ensures you’re adequately prepared for the increased difficulty that comes with the second region.
Quick leveling tips if you’re close:
- Complete remaining Qinghe exploration activities
- Finish side quests you’ve been postponing
- Run available dungeons for experience
- Break through any pending level caps
How to Beat Qianye (The Kaifeng Gatekeeper Boss)
Qianye stands between you and Kaifeng, and she’s no pushover. This scythe-wielding boss is essentially an upgraded version of the Still Shore boss, but with significantly more aggressive patterns and a brutal second phase.
Pre-Fight Preparation (Critical)
Don’t attempt this fight undergeared or underprepared. The difficulty spike is real, especially on Legend difficulty. Here’s your pre-fight checklist:
Character Progression:
- Unlock Melodies of Peace passives from Qi Sheng for permanent stat boosts
- Fully upgrade your gear—every point of defense matters
- Complete level cap breakthroughs to maximize your stats
- Max out your Medicine Chest for more healing charges
Equipment and Items:
- Craft maximum healing items before entering
- Equip a Panacea Fan for passive regeneration during the fight
- Ensure your weapon choice suits your playstyle
Skill Setup:
- Bind Meridian Touch to an easily accessible button (your panic heal button)
- Equip Cloud Steps or similar gap-closers to chase Qianye during her retreats
- Consider defensive skills that provide temporary invulnerability
Phase 1: The Warmup
Qianye’s first phase is manageable if you’ve been keeping up with your character progression. She uses standard scythe combos with relatively telegraphed wind-up animations.
Key behaviors:
- Wide sweeping attacks that cover frontal arc
- Occasional gap-closers to prevent passive play
- Limited ranged options
Strategy focus:
- Learn her attack patterns and timing
- Practice parrying her main combo strings
- Conserve healing items for phase two
Phase 2: The Real Fight
Once you drop Qianye below a certain health threshold, phase two begins—and this is where most players hit a wall. Her aggression increases dramatically, attack speed accelerates, and damage output jumps significantly.
What changes:
- Faster attack chains with shorter recovery windows
- New combo extensions you haven’t seen before
- Increased mobility making positioning harder
- Higher damage output per hit
Combat Tips and Strategy
Master the Parry System
This cannot be overstated: you must learn to parry Qianye’s attacks. Attempting to dodge-tank or heal through everything simply won’t work, especially on higher difficulties. Successful parries create counterattack windows and prevent chip damage accumulation.
If you haven’t practiced parrying much, this fight will force you to learn. Watch for the telltale flash that indicates a parryable attack incoming.
Manage Your Stamina
Aggressive play feels good until you’re stuck with empty stamina and Qianye’s scythe heading toward your face. Always maintain enough stamina for:
- Emergency dodges
- Parry attempts
- Gap-closers when she retreats
Use Gap-Closers Strategically
Qianye creates distance periodically, and letting her control spacing puts you at a disadvantage. Cloud Steps and similar abilities let you maintain pressure and prevent her from setting up for heavy attacks.
Healing Discipline
Don’t panic heal at 70% health. Save your Medicine Chest charges for genuine emergencies, especially in phase two. The Panacea Fan provides passive regeneration—use it as your primary healing source when you have breathing room.
Positioning Awareness
Getting cornered against environmental obstacles limits your dodge options. Try to keep the fight in open space where you can maneuver freely. If you get backed into a corner, use a gap-closer to reset position rather than trying to dodge through her combos.
If You’re Still Struggling
Consider these adjustments:
- Lower the difficulty temporarily—there’s no shame in dropping from Legend to an easier setting for story progression
- Farm better gear from Qinghe dungeons and exploration content
- Unlock additional passive bonuses through exploration and collection activities
- Practice parrying on easier enemies until the timing becomes muscle memory
- Watch your stat spread—ensure you haven’t neglected defense for pure offense
The fight has no special cheese strategy or secret trick—it’s a legitimate skill check that tests whether you’ve mastered the combat system. But with proper preparation and patience, Qianye is absolutely beatable.
Getting to Kaifeng After Defeating Qianye
Once you’ve taken down Qianye and completed the “For Whom Does He Return” quest, you’re almost there. The game directs you to the dockmaster near Harvestfall Village as part of the next story chapter.
Finding the dockmaster:
- Open your map and locate Harvestfall Village
- Fast travel to the nearest Boundary Stone if available
- Head to the dock area (marked on your quest tracker)
- Speak with the dockmaster to initiate the boat ride
The dockmaster transports you to Kaifeng automatically, triggering a cutscene that introduces the new region. From this point forward, you can travel between Qinghe and Kaifeng freely using the dockmaster services in both regions.
What Awaits in Kaifeng
Kaifeng isn’t just “more of the same”—it represents a meaningful content expansion with new systems and opportunities.
New Martial Arts Weapon Styles
Kaifeng provides access to additional weapon types that weren’t available in Qinghe. If you’ve been wanting to experiment with different combat styles, this is where those options open up.
The Walled City and Grassland Environment
The visual shift from Qinghe’s mountainous terrain to Kaifeng’s open grasslands and urban center changes how you approach exploration. The massive walled city itself offers vertical exploration opportunities and dense NPC populations for quest content.
Higher-Tier Content
Everything in Kaifeng assumes you’ve mastered Qinghe. Expect:
- Tougher enemies with more complex attack patterns
- More challenging quests and encounters
- Better loot and equipment upgrades
- New sect-related content and opportunities
Expanded Exploration Activities
Kaifeng has its own exploration progression separate from Qinghe, meaning new:
- Boundary Stones to unlock
- Oddities to collect
- Treasure chests to find
- Regional-specific challenges
Think of it as a soft reset on exploration content, giving you fresh goals while maintaining your character progression.
Common Questions and Issues
“The game keeps teleporting me back when I try to cross”
This is intentional. You cannot bypass the story requirement. Complete “For Whom Does He Return” and reach level 32 before the boundary opens.
“I beat the quest but still can’t access Kaifeng”
Double-check your level—you must be 32 or higher. If you meet both requirements and still can’t proceed, talk to the dockmaster near Harvestfall Village to trigger the chapter transition.
“Is there any way to get there earlier?”
No legitimate method exists. The boundary is hard-coded into the game until you meet both requirements. Focus on efficient exploration and learning the combat system to speed up your progression.
“Should I complete everything in Qinghe first?”
Not necessary. You can return to Qinghe anytime after unlocking Kaifeng. However, having a high exploration level and good gear certainly helps with Kaifeng’s increased difficulty. It’s a personal choice based on whether you prefer thorough completion or forward progression.
Tips for Smooth Progression
Don’t rush if you’re underleveled. Hitting the level 32 requirement naturally through exploration and side content ensures you’re genuinely ready for Kaifeng’s challenges. Players who barely scrape by at level 32 often struggle with early Kaifeng content.
Complete important Qinghe unlocks first. Make sure you’ve unlocked flight capabilities and other mobility options before transitioning. These abilities make Kaifeng exploration significantly smoother.
Stock up on resources. Craft healing items, gather materials, and ensure your Medicine Chest is upgraded. Kaifeng’s early content can be punishing if you’re resource-starved.
Save before the Qianye fight. If you’re attempting the boss on higher difficulties, having a save point right before the encounter lets you experiment with different strategies without repeating the entire quest segment.
Prepare for a difficulty jump. Kaifeng enemies hit harder and have more health than their Qinghe counterparts. If you’ve been coasting through Qinghe content, expect to adjust your approach for the new region.
Wrapping Up
Getting to Kaifeng requires patience and preparation, but it’s worth the effort. The region represents a meaningful expansion of Where Winds Meet’s world, and the Qianye boss fight serves as an appropriate skill check before letting you progress.
Focus on meeting the twin requirements—completing “For Whom Does He Return” and reaching level 32—while upgrading your character and mastering combat fundamentals. Once you’ve cleared those hurdles and defeated Qianye, Kaifeng opens up with new weapons, quests, and exploration content to tackle.
The journey from Qinghe to Kaifeng marks your transition from beginner to intermediate player. Take your time, learn the systems, and you’ll find yourself ready not just to access the new region, but to thrive there.
External Resources:
- Official Where Winds Meet Website
- Where Winds Meet on Steam
- PlayStation Store Page
- Where Winds Meet Wikipedia Entry
