The single most game-changing upgrade you can unlock in Where Winds Meet is the ability to fly. Not just glide, but truly soar across the open world. This is tied to a specific item: the Afterglow Pendant. To get it, you must achieve two key milestones: reach Area Exploration Level 4 in the starting region and raise your World Level to 4. This isn't a quick process, but focusing on it early will fundamentally transform your ability to explore, complete quests, and navigate the vast landscape.

This guide breaks down the exact, most efficient path to unlocking the Grand Light Skill and Wall Stride, turning you from a grounded warrior into a master of the skies.

Why is Flying So Important?

Unlocking the Afterglow Pendant grants you two crucial advanced movement skills that redefine traversal. These aren't minor buffs; they are essential tools that make every other activity in the game faster and more enjoyable.

  • Grand Light Skill: This is the true flight ability. By holding the skill button, you can propel yourself through the air, covering enormous distances without needing a mount. It allows you to bypass entire enemy camps, scale massive cliffs in seconds, and reach previously inaccessible areas where secrets and treasures await.
  • Wall Stride: While you can already climb, Wall Stride is a super-powered version. It allows you to sprint vertically up almost any surface, including sheer mountain faces and towering pagodas that would otherwise be unclimbable. It's the perfect complement to the Grand Light Skill for precise vertical movement.

Once you have these skills, the entire rhythm of the game changes. Hunting for Oddities, traveling to distant quest markers, and farming materials becomes trivial. It's the difference between a 10-minute run across a valley and a 30-second flight.

The Two Pillars of Flight: Exploration and World Level

Your journey to the skies rests on completing two separate but equally important progression tracks. You cannot unlock flying without advancing both.

Reaching Area Exploration Level 4

Every zone in Where Winds Meet has its own Exploration Level, which you increase by completing activities within that region. The Afterglow Pendant is the reward for hitting Level 4 in the initial zones, like Qingce (also referred to as King). You can check your progress at any time by opening your Journal and selecting the zone map; your level is displayed prominently.

Farming Exploration XP (EXP) efficiently is key. Not all activities are created equal. Focus your efforts on the highest-yield tasks first:

  • Teleport Stones (50 EXP): These are your number one priority. Activating a single teleport stone gives you as much EXP as finding 10-15 Oddities. As soon as you enter a new area, make a beeline for every stone on the map.
  • Wayfarers: These book-and-fire icons reveal large sections of the map, including the locations of Teleport Stones. Always activate the Wayfarer first to plan your route.
  • Lost Chapters (100+ EXP): These are involved side quests, often marked with a blue notebook icon. While they take longer than activating a stone, a single Lost Chapter can provide a massive chunk of EXP, often over 100. If you see one, it's worth pursuing.
  • Low-Priority Fillers (3-5 EXP): Activities like collecting Oddities (the butterfly icons) and opening standard chests only grant a tiny amount of EXP. Don't go out of your way to hunt them down specifically for leveling your exploration. Treat them as incidental bonuses you pick up while traveling between high-value targets.
Where Winds Meet in-game screenshot

Where Winds Meet in-game screenshot

Raising Your World Level to 4

This is the requirement that often trips players up. You can reach Area Exploration Level 4, but you won't get the Afterglow Pendant or be able to use its skills until your World Level is also at 4. The World Level dictates the overall difficulty of the game, increasing enemy strength and the quality of rewards.

You increase your World Level by completing "Breakthrough" challenges, which become available at certain character level caps (e.g., level 15, 30). The game will notify you when you're eligible for a Breakthrough. These are typically combat trials that test your skill and gear.

Be aware that there can be a real-time gate on this progression. The transcripts note that even after meeting the level requirement for World Level 4, you may have to wait one real-world day before the final Breakthrough challenge unlocks. Plan accordingly and don't neglect your character level progression while you're farming Exploration EXP.

Where Winds Meet in-game screenshot

Where Winds Meet in-game screenshot

Your Step-by-Step Flight Plan

Ready to get started? Follow this optimized path to unlock flying as quickly as possible.

  1. Prioritize the Main Story Quest (Initially): Follow the main questline until you've unlocked the first major zone and its Wayfarer. This will give you a solid starting point and a few easy levels.

  2. Systematically Clear Wayfarers and Stones: Open your map. Go to the first Wayfarer to reveal the area. Then, methodically travel to every single Teleport Stone icon it reveals. This is the fastest way to build your initial Exploration EXP.

  3. Weave in High-Value Quests: As you travel between stones, look for "Lost Chapter" side quests. Completing one or two of these will significantly accelerate your progress towards Level 4.

  4. Complete Your Breakthroughs: As you level up your character from these activities, you'll hit level caps (like level 15). Immediately complete the Breakthrough combat challenge to raise your World Level. Do not put this off.

  5. Monitor Your Progress: Regularly check your Journal to see your Area Exploration Level and your character screen to check your World Level. This ensures you know exactly what you need to focus on next.

  6. Claim the Afterglow Pendant: Once you hit Area Exploration Level 4 (and have reached World Level 4), you will receive the Afterglow Pendant. Equip it and get ready to experience the world from a whole new perspective.

Life After Unlocking Flight

Once you have the Grand Light Skill and Wall Stride, the game opens up completely. Areas that seemed dauntingly far away are now a short flight away. Secrets hidden on top of mountains or across wide chasms are yours for the taking. This is the point where you can efficiently go back and clean up all those low-EXP Oddities and chests you skipped earlier.

Where Winds Meet in-game screenshot

Where Winds Meet in-game screenshot

Your new mobility makes you far more effective in combat, allowing for rapid repositioning and easy escapes. It makes completing daily tasks, participating in world events, and simply enjoying the scenery a more fluid and exhilarating experience. Unlocking flight isn't just an upgrade; it's the beginning of the true Where Winds Meet endgame.

The Takeaway

Getting the ability to fly is a grind, but it's a focused and achievable one. Ignore the low-yield distractions and zero in on the two critical paths: hitting Area Exploration Level 4 through high-EXP activities and diligently completing your World Level Breakthroughs. The freedom you gain is more than worth the initial effort and will pay dividends for the rest of your time in the game.