Where Winds Meet Skill Theft background art

Skill Theft walkthrough

Unlock Skill Theft and copy martial arts without a fight.

Skill Theft lets you learn abilities by watching masters and clearing a timing mini-game. It is required for several martial art weapons and often unlocks progression-blocking skills. Use the steps and screenshots below to grab the ability early, make each heist smoother, and pair it with the full martial arts weapons list when you are ready to pick targets.

Quick unlock route

Teleport to Front Mountain or Moonveil Peak (Boundary Stone).
Talk to Qi Yuehai and accept the quest Skill Theft: Unearned Lesson.
Complete the quest to gain the Skill Theft ability, then open the martial arts menu and use Obtain on a weapon to place your first theft marker.

Even if you are leveling another path, unlocking Skill Theft early prevents you from hitting progression walls when a quest or weapon suddenly demands it.

How a theft mission plays out

Find the marked sanctum: many have a Loong Key lock at the gate. Bring keys so you do not have to backtrack.
Stay unseen: these are stealth runs. Use disguises or Mystic Skills like Touch of Death, Veil of Stillness, and Wind Sense to slip past guards.
Observe the master: reach the viewing spot, start the mini-game, and hit gold rings on time to fill the comprehension bar before the timer expires.
Exit cleanly: after learning the skill, leave the compound to finish the quest and claim practice opportunities.

Compare sect paths if you prefer joining over stealing →

Skill Theft mini-game explained.

Watch the animation loops closely. Gold rings mean “press now,” grey rings are traps, and some steps flash multiple rings that you can hit for bonus comprehension. Three clean rounds usually fill the bar.

Comprehension ring during Skill Theft mini-game — Tap Comprehend on gold rings to fill the meter fast.

Grey ring penalty during Skill Theft — Avoid grey rings; they drain comprehension and time.

Multiple rings shown at once during Skill Theft — Some steps flash multiple rings—hit all of them for a big boost.

Bring this with you

Loong Keys for gated sanctum doors.
Stealth tools or disguises if patrols cluster near the target.
Spare inventory space for any chests you open while infiltrating.

Execute cleanly

Stay patient—moving too fast often alerts guards.
Only tap on gold rings; missing or hitting grey rings slows you.
If the timer looks tight, wait for the next safe cycle instead of spamming inputs.

Put it to work

Target weapons first: stolen skills unlock sanctums like Heavenquaker Spear or Vernal Umbrella.
Revisit older sanctums after upgrades; higher stats make stealth routes safer.
Swap in a support martial art for group runs so teammates benefit from your stolen kit.