Sword Horizon is a powerful Inner Way (or Internal Art) you can pair with Strategic Sword in Where Winds Meet. It not only increases stats, but also actively changes your sword skills flow with precise follow-up attacks and highly levels up Bleed damage. However, this Inner Way is also one of the expensive to unlock. Here’s how to get Sword Horizon, all effects, and what each of its breakthrough tiers offers.
Where Winds Meet Sword Horizon Inner Way
Sword Horizon is a Legendary Inner Way that can be used with the Strategic Sword martial art. Its core mechanic gives accurate input timing after specific sword actions. When you use Strategic Sword Martial Skill, Special Skill, or Charged Attack, you get a short window at the animation’s end. Press the skill button to trigger Crisscrossing Swords, a follow-up strike that merges with your attack combo.
The real payoff is when Bleed damage is involved. If the enemy carries five stacks of Bleed, Crisscrossing Swords consumes all and converts those stacks into a single instance of high Bleed damage. Instead of slow damage over time, Sword Horizon front-loads that into one powerful strike. Thanks to that, this Inner Way is amazing for Bellstrike–Umbra paths and any Strategic Sword build that leans into Bleed.
How to Get Sword Horizon in Where Winds Meet
You can unlock Sword Horizon Inner Way by collecting Sword Horizon Tomes, which can be purchased from a vendor in Kaifeng’s underground Ghostlight Market.
Go to the Ghost Market
First, you need to reach the Ghostlight Market, beneath Kaifeng City. There are a couple of ways to get to the market:
- Progress through the main story until you enter the Kaifeng region.
- Start the Bounty Trouble side quest in Riverside Station in Qinghe, which leads to the March of the Dead Lost Chapter quest, and you find yourself in the Ghost Market after being kidnapped during the Bounty Trouble.
Once you are in the market in whatever way, first activate the Ghost Market Boundary Stone to set a fast travel point here.
Note: The market is closed during Mao hour due to March of the Dead events and the area will be filled with Nether Mist or spirits. So open the clock menu and change time to any other hour to let the market go back to its normal state.
Find Ni Laoshan
Once in the Ghostlight Market, follow the main street until you reach a large staircase lit by hanging lanterns. Move the stairs up and enter the left end antique bookstore. You will find the shopkeeper, Ni Laoshan, on the ceiling upside down. If he doesn’t spawn, speak to the clerk behind the counter, who can also sell you the required books.
Buy the Sword Horizon Tomes
Ni Laoshan doesn’t sell Sword Horizon. Instead, he has Unknown Old Books in stock for 12,500 Coins each. Buy all 30 available pages from its shop at a total of 375,000 Coins. Go to inventory and select Unknown Old Books to open them, which have a random chance to turn into a Sword Horizon Tome, and you need 10 tomes to unlock the Inner Way.
If you don’t have enough money, you can exchange seasonal currency for Strings of Coins in the Season Shop, which converts into Coins. When you have received the required Sword Horizon Tomes, Sword Horizon will automatically unlock for you.
Sword Horizon Breakthrough Enhancements
Sword Horizon becomes very strong as you invest Notes into it. Every breakthrough tier adds more synergy with Bleed, Sword Intent, and Crosswind Blade.
Breakthrough Tiers & Bonuses
| Tier | Bonuses |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Casting Crosswind Blade restores 8 Endurance |
| Tier 2 | Increases Max Physical Attack based on Solo Mode Level |
| Tier 3 | High Bleed damage builds Crosswind Blade Spirit; when full, the next Crosswind Blade is guaranteed to be an Affinity hit |
| Tier 4 | When Unrestricted Sword Intent is not empty, high Bleed damage is increased by 15% |
| Tier 5 | Increases Physical Penetration by 5.6 |
| Tier 6 | When Unrestricted Sword Intent is not empty, high Bleed damage retains 2 Bleed stacks; when Sword Intent is full and triggers a Comprehension hit, 20 points of Unrestricted Sword Intent are retained |
How to Upgrade Sword Horizon
To upgrade Sword Horizon, you must reach Solo Mode Level 4 (Roaming Level 4). After that, each breakthrough tier requires Sword Horizon: Notes.
You can collect Notes from:
- Inner Way Note chests from seasonal events
- Fireworks Festival multiplayer events in Kaifeng
- Purchase Note chests from Zhao Feiyan
- Buy from Season Shop with Jade Fish currency
Each tier upgrade costs 10 Sword Horizon: Notes, so upgrading Sword Horizon is a long-term investment instead of an early-game activity.
Sword Horizon actively pays off mechanical skill. With the right timing, your Strategic Sword combos hit harder, and bursts will be more intense. If this sword is your main weapon, Sword Horizon is a must-have Inner Way to pair with it. It’s one of the few that changes the way your fights play out, and once fully upgraded, it turns into one of the strongest damage tools you’ll find in Where Winds Meet.
