The ancient chambers beneath Qinghe hold one of Where Winds Meet's most intriguing puzzles, challenging players to decode the sacred Yanyun Oath through illuminated stone blocks. This cryptic wall puzzle guards the legendary Touch of Death mystic art, making it essential knowledge for any aspiring martial artist.
You'll need sharp observation skills and patience to crack this ancient riddle. The Northern Vow warriors designed this challenge to test worthiness, and only those who understand their sacred motto can claim the treasure within.
How Do You Start the Echoes of Old Battles Quest?
Before tackling the wall puzzle, you must initiate this Jianghu Legacy quest in Qinghe. Head to Battlecrest Slope and locate the eavesdropper near the fortress gates. This wanderer will share crucial intel about the Northern Vow's hidden treasure.
Where Winds Meet Echoes of Old Battles Quest: Wall Puzzle Solution
Tip
Check out our Where Winds Meet Beginners Guide to master essential systems before attempting this challenging quest.Enter the ruined fortress and prepare for combat. You'll face several guards before confronting Zhang Bao, the bandit leader interrogating a prisoner in the training arena. Defeat him to obtain the treasure map clue that reveals the contraption locations.
What's the Secret to Lighting the Contraptions?
The treasure map shows red circles around specific flame contraptions throughout the fortress. You need to activate three precise locations:
Light these exact contraptions to trigger the hidden mechanism. A circular structure will rise from the training ground's center, revealing the entrance to the underground chambers.
Lighting the correct contraptions reveals hidden passages
Important
Only these three specific contraptions will activate the mechanism. Random flame sources won't trigger the puzzle sequence.
How Do You Access the Underground Chambers?
Once the circular structure emerges, position yourself above it and perform Mighty Drop (Space while airborne on PC). This powerful technique breaks through the sealed entrance, granting access to the ancient catacombs below.
Descend into the underground passages until you discover a deceased warrior positioned in an unusual pose. Inspect the corpse to learn the Yanyun Oath gesture, a crucial element for solving the upcoming wall puzzle.
Continue deeper into the chambers until you reach a large statue. The real challenge begins here.
What's the Complete Wall Puzzle Solution?
The wall puzzle requires you to illuminate specific Chinese characters that spell out the Northern Vow's sacred motto. When you perform the Yanyun Oath gesture before the statue, stone blocks appear on both walls with various characters.
Ancient stone blocks displaying Chinese characters for puzzle solving
Left Wall Solution
You need to display: 山 河 寸 土
Push IN the block in the top-left corner to dim it. Leave all other blocks illuminated on the left wall.
Right Wall Solution
You need to display: 誓 死 不 易
Push IN the first and third interactable blocks to dim them. This leaves the correct characters visible.
Warning
Pulling blocks OUT illuminates them, while pushing blocks IN dims them. The goal is creating the correct character pattern through strategic dimming.
The puzzle mechanics work by elimination. You're not adding characters but removing incorrect ones to reveal the sacred motto beneath.
What Rewards Await in the Final Chamber?
Successfully solving the wall puzzle opens the passage to the water wheel chamber. Navigate through the waterfall to find a hidden mechanism behind the cascading water. Activate this chain to unlock the final stone gate.
Hidden mechanism behind waterfall controls final gate access
The treasure chamber contains the Touch of Death mystic art, along with substantial rewards:
Info
The Touch of Death enables devastating stealth attacks against unaware enemies, making it invaluable for tactical combat approaches.
Why Is This Quest Worth Completing?
Beyond the powerful mystic art reward, this quest showcases Where Winds Meet's rich storytelling through environmental puzzles. The Northern Vow's final stand against invading forces adds historical depth to your martial arts journey.
The Touch of Death technique proves especially valuable for players who prefer stealth approaches over direct confrontation. This mystic art synergizes well with various weapon combinations found in our Where Winds Meet Weapon Tier List.
For additional mystic arts to enhance your combat repertoire, explore our comprehensive Where Winds Meet Best Mystic Arts guide.
The Echoes of Old Battles quest represents more than a simple treasure hunt. It's a test of observation, patience, and respect for ancient wisdom that every true martial artist must face.