Taiping Mausoleum looks like a mysterious location on the map, but it is actually a menu-based combat mode that sits at the center of character progression in Where Winds Meet. It hands out Echo Jade, Coin, and, more importantly, gates some Solo Mode breakthroughs behind its higher floors.
What Taiping Mausoleum is in Where Winds Meet
Taiping Mausoleum is a dedicated combat mode made up of 10 Chapters. Each chapter is a timed trial against increasingly difficult enemies. Clearing them awards Echo Jades and Coin when you meet three Challenge goals for the stage.
Every chapter has two key components:
- Mastery Boost – a global modifier that shapes your build direction, such as large Affinity Damage bonuses, extra Critical Damage, or cheaper Dodge Skills.
- Mausoleum Boost – a mode-specific buff that rewards certain behaviors (dual-weapon skills, parries, precise dodges, executions) with extra damage, lifesteal, or stacking attack buffs.
On top of that, each chapter has a Foundation Trial score (1–3 stars) and, once you do well enough, a Divine Challenge target. These usually demand either:
- Finishing the fight with a certain amount of time left, or
- Finishing with your HP above a given threshold.
Later Solo Mode breakthroughs are locked behind specific Taiping Mausoleum progress, so it functions as both an endgame challenge and a progression gate.
How to unlock Taiping Mausoleum
Step 1: Level your character to at least the low 20s. The Mausoleum unlocks after you reach Character Level 22 and gain access to the Wandering Paths systems menu.
Step 2: Open the main menu and select Wandering Paths on the left side of the screen. This is not a location on the world map; it is an activity hub.
Step 3: Within Wandering Paths, select the tab labeled Taiping Mausoleum. This panel shows the 10 Chapters, your current progress, and the list of boosts and objectives for each floor.
If the game displays the message Feature not yet unlocked when you try to enter, either:
- Your character level is still too low (it unlocks around level 22, and higher floors expect much more), or
- You have not advanced the main story far enough. Running campaign quests will naturally raise your level and unlock more systems.
Where Taiping Mausoleum fits into Solo Mode breakthroughs
Solo Mode levels (sometimes referred to as breakthroughs) advance through a mix of character level and Taiping Mausoleum progress. A common pattern looks like this:
- Reach a required character level (for example, Level 40 for Solo Mode Level 5, Level 55 for higher tiers).
- Clear specific Taiping Mausoleum Foundation Trials (such as Chapter 2, Floor 2 for a mid-tier breakthrough, or Chapter 6 for the gate into higher caps).
When the conditions are met, a banner like Breakthrough available appears after a successful run.
Step 1: Finish the required Foundation Trial chapter and floor. You do not need perfect stars; clearing the wave within the given limit is enough for unlocking the breakthrough.
Step 2: Exit the trial menu when you see the breakthrough notification. Do not start another trial, or the prompt will be easy to miss.
Step 3: On the breakthrough screen, confirm the upgrade. The game then takes you to the Dreamscape-style progression tree where you can slot better gear and unlock more abilities tied to your new Solo Mode tier.
For higher caps, there are also time gates. Players often see text like Unlocks in 1 day or a countdown in hours. These are tied to server reset schedules rather than your performance. When that happens, all you can do is wait until the listed time, then come back to Wandering Paths → Taiping Mausoleum and claim the breakthrough once the countdown ends.
How to enter Taiping Mausoleum from the menu
Step 1: Open the in-game menu and choose Wandering Paths from the left-hand list.
Step 2: In the activity grid on the right, pick the icon showing large swords thrust into the ground. This is the Taiping Mausoleum shortcut some players refer to when they mention “the activity tab with huge swords.”
Step 3: Select a Chapter and then a specific floor. Early breakthroughs often require you to clear Foundation Trial Floor 1 and Floor 2 in a given Chapter in order.
Taiping Mausoleum chapter overview and recommended focus
The Mausoleum gradually teaches different combat emphases. The recommended Martial Mastery ratings and Paths indicate how much raw power you should bring and which talent branches to favor.
| Chapter | Recommended Mastery | Key Paths | Core Mastery / Mausoleum Focus | Primary Objective Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5738 | Bellstrike - Splendor, Bellstrike - Umbra | +50% Affinity Damage; stacking Affinity Rate after Dual-Weapon Skills | Finish with enough time remaining |
| 2 | 6116 | Bellstrike - Splendor, Stonesplit - Might | Buffed Charged Skills, -50% Endurance cost; Charged DMG + lifesteal | Finish with HP above thresholds |
| 3 | 6356 | Bamboocut - Wind | +25% Crit Damage, cheaper Dodges; Crit Rate boost after dodging | Finish with enough time remaining |
| 4 | 7079 | Bellstrike - Splendor, Silkbind - Jade, Bamboocut - Wind | Longer deflect window; big damage buff after a successful deflect | Finish with enough time remaining |
| 5 | 7756 | Bellstrike - Umbra, Stonesplit - Might | +20% Art and Special Skill damage; heavy cooldown cuts on Art skills | Finish with enough time remaining |
| 6 | 9356 | Bellstrike - Splendor, Silkbind - Jade, Bamboocut - Wind | Longer invincibility on Dodge; heals on Precise Dodge; attack buff after Precise Dodge | Finish with HP above thresholds |
| 7 | 9761 | Stonesplit - Might, Silkbind - Deluge | Parries cost no Endurance, faster counters; parry counters reduce enemy defense and heal you | Finish with HP above thresholds |
| 8 | 11633 | Bellstrike - Splendor, Bellstrike - Umbra | Extra Affinity and Crit Damage; stacking Affinity and Crit Rate per kill | Finish with enough time remaining |
| 9 | 13762 | Bellstrike - Umbra, Stonesplit - Might | Improved Vitality gains; Mystic Skills gain lifesteal and damage | Finish with enough time remaining |
| 10 | 15547 | Bellstrike - Splendor, Silkbind - Jade, Bamboocut - Wind | Massive damage reduction after Executions; stacking attack buff after deflects or Precise Dodges | Finish with enough time remaining |
These numbers are not hard locks, but tackling chapters significantly below the suggested Martial Mastery quickly becomes inefficient. If your time remaining or HP thresholds are failing by large margins, the quickest fix is usually to raise your gear and inner ways until you are closer to the recommendation.
Recommended builds and tactics per early chapter
Chapter 1: Affinity and DoT focus
Chapter 1 leans heavily on Affinity Damage. A strong option here is to pair Strategic Sword with Heavenquaker Spear, leaning into their damage-over-time and burst capabilities.
Priorities for Inspirations and stat rolls:
- Flat Affinity Damage boosts.
- Bonuses to Light and Heavy Attack damage.
- Higher Critical Rate to capitalize on the high base multipliers from Mastery.
The Mystic Skill Meridian Touch is key here. Enemies in Mausoleum regenerate Qi unless you actively strip it away; repeatedly applying Meridian Touch exhausts their Qi bar, opening them to execution-style finishers and preventing long stalemates.
Chapter 2: Charged skills and staying healthy
Chapter 2 shifts the focus to Charged Skills and HP thresholds. The game rewards you for ending the fight with a decent chunk of health remaining, and the Mausoleum Boost adds lifesteal to Charged Skills.
A flexible setup here is Nameless Spear plus Nameless Sword, which delivers high single-target burst and good mobility to stay out of danger.
Stat and Inspiration priorities:
- Direct Charged Skill damage increases.
- Max HP boosts to give yourself more room for mistakes.
For the first waves, Divinecraft - Fire is particularly effective. Burning enemies tend to panic, leaving them open long enough for you to unload Charged Skills without trading hits, which makes the HP thresholds far more forgiving.
Chapter 3: Crit stacking and fast weapons
Chapter 3 rewards evasive play and critical hits. Dodge Skills become cheaper, and your Critical Rate spikes for a few seconds after dodging, so fast weapons are ideal.
Infernal Twinblades and Rope Dart form a natural fit: high attack speed to continuously trigger crits while staying light on your feet.
For this chapter, lean into:
- Crit Rate increases so every window after a dodge counts.
- Crit Damage to maximize the value of each landing hit.
Again, Divinecraft - Fire shines. Enemies that panic while burning struggle to retaliate, allowing you to capitalize on the crit window from your dodges and quickly meet the time-based objectives.
Chapter 4: Deflection and shield breaking
By Chapter 4, the Mausoleum tests your ability to deflect rather than just dodge. The Mastery Boost lengthens the deflection window dramatically, and each successful deflect increases your Qi damage. After a deflect, all outgoing damage rises for several seconds.
Infernal Twinblades plus Rope Dart remain a strong choice here simply because of their speed in punishing every deflect opportunity.
For your setup:
- Pick Inspirations that lift Light Attack Damage, Affinity Damage, or Critical Damage.
- Equip the Tai Chi Mystic Skill, especially for the first shielded enemy. Tai Chi strips shields quickly, letting you move immediately into the deflection-heavy portion of the fight without being staggered by blocked hits.
Chapter 5: Art skills and enemy shields
Chapter 5 tilts toward Art Active Skills and Special Skills. Both receive a noticeable damage bump, and their cooldowns are slashed—especially when you weave in Dual-Weapon Skills.
Strategic Sword with Heavenquaker Spear returns as a strong duo thanks to their area-of-effect coverage and mobility.
For this stage:
- Stack Art Damage, Affinity Damage, or Critical Damage in your Inspirations.
- Use Divinecraft - Water against shielded enemies. It deals extra damage to shields, rapidly drains Qi, and opens opponents up for executions, which shortens runs and helps you clear the time thresholds.
Chapter 6: Precise Dodge and Ye Wanshan
Chapter 6 combines survivability and offense. Dodge Skill invincibility frames are longer, Precise Dodges heal a percentage of your Max HP, and each Precise Dodge extends Breath-Hold while increasing your Attack for a short window.
Infernal Twinblades and Rope Dart continue to perform well because they take full advantage of Wrathful Form sustain and quick openings after dodges.
Key build notes:
- Focus on Affinity Damage and Critical Damage for killing power.
- Sprinkle in Max HP nodes so the HP-based Foundation and Divine thresholds (over 30% and over 50% HP) are easier to maintain.
The final fight here is against Ye Wanshan, who uses heavy, telegraphed charging attacks.
Step 1: Equip the Cloud Steps Lightness Skill before entering the chapter.
Step 2: When Ye Wanshan begins a charge, use Cloud Steps to interrupt and reposition. Canceling his charges both prevents large HP losses and creates a safe window to deliver burst damage.
Because Chapter 6 completion is required for unlocking Solo Mode Level 7 (once the global level cap and time gate allow it), this is one of the most important Mausoleum milestones.
Later chapters and time-gated access
Chapters 7–10 add more layered mechanics rather than simple stat checks.
- Chapter 7 makes parries central, with no Endurance cost and strong counterattack benefits, but it is locked behind Solo Mode Level 7. That breakthrough, in turn, only becomes possible after clearing Chapter 6, reaching Character Level 55, and waiting for the scheduled unlock date.
- Chapter 8 doubles down on Affinity and crit scaling, rewarding kill chains with stacking buffs.
- Chapter 9 lets Mystic Skills lifesteal and hit harder, and every kill above certain HP thresholds restores extra Vitality.
- Chapter 10 emphasizes executions, giving you huge damage reduction after using an Execution Skill and stacking attack buffs after any successful deflect or Precise Dodge.
Because some of these chapters are tied to server-side schedules and cap unlocks, it is normal to see messages indicating they will open in several days or at a specific UTC time. Progress as far as you can, use the Mausoleum to refine your builds, then return when the next tier opens.
Once Taiping Mausoleum is understood as a menu-based combat ladder rather than a hidden map location, it becomes a reliable routine: reach the necessary character level, enter through Wandering Paths, clear the required chapter floors, and claim Solo Mode breakthroughs when the prompt appears. Each chapter pushes a different aspect of the combat system—Affinity, Charged Skills, crits, deflects, Arts, dodges, or mystic lifesteal—so working through the Mausoleum naturally trains the skills the game expects at higher difficulties.
