Where Winds Meet Qinghe Mental Methods Guide (2025) – Early Game Route & Must-Have Passives

If you are exploring Qinghe for the first time, the game throws a lot at you: story quests, side content, strongholds, world bosses – and on top of that, a big list of Mental Methods that all sound important.

This guide is here to do one simple thing:

Show you which Mental Methods in Qinghe actually matter, how to get them, and an easy route you can follow based on the way you like to play.

You do not need to understand every system at once. Think of this page as your early-game passive shopping list.

1. Why Qinghe Mental Methods Matter So Much

Qinghe is the game’s first big sandbox region on the international servers. It contains 30+ Mental Methods that cover:

Damage boosts for melee and ranged builds
Survival and sustain for players who die too quickly
Support tools for co-op and “team parent” players

Because these passives are tied to strongholds, world bosses, side quests and activities, you can unlock a surprising amount of power before you ever touch late-game systems.

If you already read our:

…this page is the “next layer”: we zoom into Qinghe only, and connect its Mental Methods with actual playstyles like sword, spear, umbrella, dual blades, and healer fan.

2. How Mental Methods Are Unlocked in Qinghe

Almost every Mental Method in Qinghe is tied to a concrete activity. Once you understand the pattern, the map stops feeling random and starts to look like a checklist.

2.1 Strongholds and Defense Missions

Several high-value Mental Methods come from finishing strongholds or town defense missions for the first time. For example:

Clearing a defense mission at a riverside stronghold can give you an Mental Method that boosts burst damage for offensive builds.
Another stronghold in the region rewards a “universal damage hymn” that any DPS build can use as a core piece.

Rule of thumb:

If the game marks something as a Stronghold or Defense in Qinghe, assume there is a good chance an Mental Method is hiding behind the first clear.

Do not over-farm them early; just make sure you grab the first-clear rewards as you progress the main story.

2.2 World Bosses and Elite Encounters

Some Mental Methods are locked behind field bosses in the open world, such as a shadow puppeteer in the herb fields or other named elites.

These usually reward:

Wide-area damage passives for weapons like the heavy blade
Tools that help with crowd control and multi-target fights

If you play anything resembling a frontline AoE build (heavy blade, umbrella shrapnel, dual blades that spin through packs), these bosses are worth hunting early.

2.3 Hidden Side Quests and Events

Qinghe also has “hidden” Mental Methods tied to named side quests, often starting in villages:

A strange encounter in a village that begins with a “nine streams” conversation and leads to a short fight can unlock a toughness / defense Mental Method.
A cooking-related side quest that asks you to prepare a specific dish can lead into a chain where you meet a mushroom-obsessed NPC in the woods, rewarding a damage-over-time Mental Method.
Following the trail of an archer-related story unlocks an Mental Method that strongly favors bow users and precision playstyles.

These are worth doing if you enjoy exploration, but you do not need to chase every spooky or sad story immediately. You can always come back later when you are emotionally ready.

2.4 Activities and Minigames

Qinghe includes a music activity sometimes translated as something like “Five Tones for Peace”. Participating and earning the event currency lets you unlock Mental Methods through a talent-like tree, such as:

An Mental Method that synergizes with heavy blade play, making its skills link together more powerfully
Another that improves hit consistency and damage stability across your skills

Think of it as a side progression track: if you like rhythm or minigames, it is a cozy way to unlock extra power while taking a break from combat.

2.5 Vendors and Currency Sinks

Finally, at least one extremely important Mental Method in Qinghe can be purchased from a wandering merchant in the region using the main currency.

It is a universal damage and team buff that:

Works on all playstyles
Gets significantly stronger when upgraded, especially around tier 6

If you are ever unsure where to spend early currency, this Mental Method is a safe “long-term investment”.

3. Must-Have Mental Methods in Qinghe (Beginner Priority List)

This section keeps things simple. You do not need the full list of 30+. You just need to know what to focus on first.

3.1 Universal Core Picks

These Mental Methods are worth grabbing and upgrading no matter what you play:

Mental Method (English name)	What it does in practice	Who should take it
Yishui Song	Flat damage and team damage boost that scales very well when upgraded; becomes a “mini raid buff” at high tiers.	Literally every build: melee, ranged, support.
Wuming Heart	Core passive for the neutral “nameless sword style”; improves basic sword play and turns solid fundamentals into real damage.	Sword-focused players, especially those following our Beginner Sword build.
Weimeng Song	General offensive hymn that boosts burst phases and boss damage.	Any DPS build that wants more punch during big windows.
Born Tiger, Live Dragon	Straightforward survival passive: more health, better sustain, more forgiveness when you mess up.	New players, tanks, people learning boss patterns.
Guiyan Classic	Early-game crit and offensive stats in a single slot, very flexible.	Great for all damage builds as a “first real crit page”.

You do not have to memorize exact numbers. The key idea is:

Yishui Song and Wuming Heart are your “never-wrong” core, while Weimeng Song, Born Tiger, and Guiyan Classic smooth out damage and survivability.

3.2 Melee Damage Mental Methods (Sword, Heavy Blade, Dual Blades)

If you mainly play close-range weapons, prioritize Mental Methods that:

Boost charged attacks and heavy swings
Amplify damage against bosses and elites
Interact with staggered or airborne targets

Examples from Qinghe include:

A “fierce charge slash” Mental Method that greatly increases the damage of heavy swings and performs especially well with heavy blade and precise sword styles.
A “mount-slaying” themed Mental Method tied to a defense mission, tuned towards heavy blade and precision melee builds, rewarding aggressive play and clean timing.
A “mountain and river resonance” Mental Method from a world boss in the herb fields, which amplifies wide-area damage for heavy blade-style builds.

You do not need all of them at once. Pick:

1–2 strong damage hymns (Yishui Song + Weimeng Song)
1 heavy-hit or boss-focused passive
1 survival passive (Born Tiger, Live Dragon)

That already gives you a clean, reliable core.

3.3 Ranged and Precision Mental Methods (Bows, Technical Builds)

For players who prefer bows or “precision window” playstyles, look for Mental Methods that:

Increase damage against staggered or airborne targets
Reward headshots, weak points, or follow-up hits
Support “hit and run” patterns

Qinghe offers:

An archer-aligned Mental Method from a side quest that makes precise shots hit much harder and gives a clear identity to bow users.
Another Mental Method that boosts damage against airborne or staggered enemies, turning your crowd control or launchers into big payoff moments.

Combined with Yishui Song, this lets you create a “sniper” or “precision caster” style that feels very different from heavy blade or spammy melee.

3.4 Healers and Support Mental Methods (Fan Builds)

If you love playing the healer / support role (for example, the dedicated fan build in our combat guide), Qinghe has several Mental Methods that focus on:

Healing done / received
Team shields, cleansing, and debuffs
Self-protection for the backline

Key concepts:

A “royal prescription” type Mental Method that boosts healing and interacts well with medical or alchemy-flavored skills.
A “missing blossoms” Mental Method that adds strong sustain over time and helps you keep your team alive through repeated hits.
Additional passives that reduce control duration and make it harder for you to be locked down while healing.

When playing support, it is usually correct to:

Prioritize healing and team buffs first, and only then think about damage.

Trying to stack pure damage hymns on a healer build often feels good on paper and bad in real fights.

4. Simple Early Routes: What to Do in Qinghe Based on Your Playstyle

You do not need to 100% Qinghe to have a strong character. Below are three practical routes that use the Mental Methods above as anchors.

4.1 Route A – New Melee DPS (Sword / Heavy Blade)

Goal: You want to play an aggressive melee build that does not fall over from every mistake.

Recommended order:

Progress the main story until Qinghe opens up and you have access to a couple of strongholds.
Clear your first few strongholds and defense missions to unlock:
- A general damage hymn such as Weimeng Song
- A boss or heavy-attack-focused Mental Method
Farm enough currency to buy Yishui Song from the relevant merchant.
Pick up at least one survival Mental Method such as Born Tiger, Live Dragon.
If you are focusing on the nameless sword style, make sure you have Wuming Heart equipped and start funneling upgrades into it.

Template:

Core Mental Methods:
- Yishui Song
- Wuming Heart
- Weimeng Song or another strong damage hymn
- Born Tiger, Live Dragon
How it plays:
- You have stable baseline damage from Yishui Song and Wuming Heart.
- Weimeng Song (or similar) gives you real burst when you line up good attacks.
- Born Tiger, Live Dragon stops every mistake from being a one-shot.

This is the “safe but strong” baseline for almost any melee player.

4.2 Route B – Tanky Frontliner (Spear / Heavy Blade)

Goal: You want to be the person up front, controlling fights and soaking damage.

Recommended order:

Follow Route A up to the point where you have Yishui Song and at least one survival Mental Method.
Target Qinghe activities that reward defensive Mental Methods, such as:
- A toughness-focused Mental Method from a village side quest
- A defense-oriented passive often translated as something like “Iron Body Decision”, tied to taking hits on the frontline
Add a control or stagger-synergy Mental Method that rewards knocking enemies airborne or breaking their posture.

Template:

Core Mental Methods:
- Yishui Song
- Born Tiger, Live Dragon
- A high-value defensive Mental Method (for physical defense)
- A stagger/airborne damage Mental Method
How it plays:
- You step in first, apply wide attacks and control.
- Damage hymns keep you relevant, but your true value is stability.
- Healers will love you because you are predictable and hard to kill.

For many Western players who like tank roles in MMOs, this route feels very natural.

4.3 Route C – Ranged Healer / Support Fan

Goal: You want to focus on healing, shielding, and supporting friends, while still contributing damage from range.

Recommended order:

Make sure you have Yishui Song – it is too good as a team buff to skip.
Clear the relevant content in Qinghe to obtain your core healing Mental Methods, such as:
- A healing amplifier aligned with medical themes
- A sustain-over-time “blossom” style Mental Method
Pick up at least one self-protection Mental Method that reduces control time or improves defense.
Only after your healing is comfortable, consider slotting one damage hymn.

Template:

Core Mental Methods:
- Yishui Song
- A main healing amplifier Mental Method
- A long-duration sustain or shield Mental Method
- One defensive Mental Method or a single damage hymn
How it plays:
- You stay at mid or long range, always watching health bars.
- Your Mental Methods quietly convert every heal and buff into more value.
- In co-op, people will feel the difference even if they never read your build.

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid with Qinghe Mental Methods

A lot of frustration comes not from “bad” Mental Methods, but from using the right ones in the wrong place. Based on the Qinghe Mental Methods and their flow-matching rules, here are the main traps:

5.1 Using Weapon-Specific Mental Methods on the Wrong Build

Some Mental Methods in Qinghe are clearly tuned for:

A specific sword style
A specific spear or gun-spear playstyle
A very particular heavy blade or umbrella build

If the description emphasizes a weapon or style you are not using, treating it like a generic passive is usually a waste of a slot.

When in doubt:
If the Mental Method mentions a certain style by name, treat it as “for that style only” unless you have a strong reason not to.

5.2 Stacking Damage Hymns on Healers

It is very tempting to turn your healer into a “DPS with heal buttons”. In practice:

You lose the defensive and healing power that make support builds so good.
Your numbers rarely catch up to dedicated DPS players anyway.

For healer-type builds, always ensure you have:

At least one strong healing Mental Method
At least one defensive or anti-control Mental Method
Only then consider adding one damage hymn, and never at the cost of your core role.

5.3 Over-investing in Transitional Mental Methods

Some early Mental Methods (like simple crit or small mixed stat pages) are amazing at low levels and then slowly fall off compared to the “true core” picks like Yishui Song and your weapon’s exclusive Mental Method.

A good rule:

It is fine to equip these early,
But do not pour all of your upgrade resources into them.

Focus your heavy upgrades on:

Yishui Song
Your weapon- or build-specific Mental Methods
A small handful of survival / utility passives you know you will keep using for a long time.

If Qinghe was your first taste of Mental Methods, you now have:

A short list of must-have passives
A clear view of where they come from
Simple routes for melee, tank, and support playstyles

From here, good next steps are:

Mental Methods Guide – System Overview
For a deeper explanation of how Mental Methods work across the whole game.
How Mental Methods Work in Where Winds Meet
If you want to understand the “engine under the hood” rather than just shopping lists.
Qinghe & Kaifeng Beginner Tips
To explore both regions without getting overwhelmed by horror quests or crime systems.
Beginner Builds and Combat Templates
To plug your new Mental Methods into ready-to-use build skeletons.

Final Thoughts

You do not need to become a theorycrafter to enjoy Where Winds Meet.

Start with a small, reliable Mental Methods core in Qinghe, let those passives quietly work for you, and only then branch out into more experimental setups. The “perfect build” can wait; your enjoyment and early clear wins should not.

If you ever feel lost, come back to this page, pick the route that matches how you like to play, and follow it step by step. The game will grow with you.