Where Winds Meet Cries in The Distance walkthrough (and yin yang dial puzzle guide)

Cries in the Distance is one of the trickier sidequests in Where Winds Meet's Moonveil Mountains region. Especially, there's a yin-yang dial puzzle that has many players stumped.

Not only is the quest's entry-point somewhat tucked away in a hidden nook inside a rock face, it involves climbing the towering hill over the Porcelain Kiln at the center of Moonveil Mountains (the sub-region is called Peace Bell Tower). If you've been following the main story, you've likely reached this place before - the Porcelain Kiln is the place where you first meet Killerblade during the Heaven Has No Pier (Chapter-1) quest.

In any case, you'll first have to climb the rock face here, and tactfully find pit stops to rest in between, because it's a long climb. You'll already have known the general location of Cries in The Distance if you've revealed the western Qinghe map, but the starting point is not that obvious.

---

How to start the Cries in the Distance quest in Where Winds Meet

Once you manage to find your way to the pagoda, the first step to getting the Cries in the Distance quest started is to locate the source of the voice. It's not actually in the pagoda itself (which has a separate side-activity pertaining the Bell of Demoncalm).

Walk out of the pagoda and head straight ahead to find the branch here (Image via NetEase)

Instead, start from the entrance to the pagoda and face outside. Walk past its stone steps, and you'll see a thick tree branch sticking out of the cliff. You can fall below this safely to a hidden nook containing a hatch inside.

Enter the hatch, and you'll reach the secret inner sanctum under the Peace Bell Tower. The quest giver NPC will be trapped in a corner here. To set him free, find a set of vines you can light up with a fire arrow. Afterwards, stand on the pressure plate inside to release him (also grab the loot from the chest nearby).

Step on the pressure plate to find the quest giver (Image via NetEase)

Next, we have the part that you're likely here for: the yin-yang dial.

---

Where Winds Meet Cries in the Distance yin yang dial puzzle solution

After some chit-chat, Feng Jisheng will unveil the centrepiece puzzle of the Cries in the Distance quest: four rotatable statues with a giant Tao pillar at the center.

This yin yang dial puzzle is where many Where Winds Meet players are left scratching their heads. The man spits out a lot of trippy Daoist wisdom to give you a hint, but (a) I couldn't find any symbols on the statues themselves so it's more metaphorical and (b) the puzzle itself is not that difficult.

The circles in the inner ring lock the statue orientation on that axis (Image via NetEase)

There's basically two mechanics you need to know about this puzzle.

• There's two small circles on the inner ring around the giant central pillar. Whichever two outer statues these circles are aligned to are locked, meaning rotating other statues won't affect them.
• Two of the opposite statues have to be facing each other (meaning the tiny dragon faces mounted on them have to be pointing at each other), and the other two statues have to be facing away from each other.

When you've correctly set up the orientation of one axis of statues, a grey misty trail will light up on the floor along that axis. So, here's what you do to solve this puzzle:

• Set up two opposite statues to face each other. When you have successfully done so, rotate the central pillar to align the circles on the inner ring along that axis, so the rotation of these two statues are locked in.
• Afterwards, simply rotate the other two statues till they are facing away from each other.

That's it. Now you've beaten the yin yang dial puzzle in Where Winds Meet (and likely the part you were really reading this guide for).

Afterwards, drop to the chamber below, and activate the wind sense (detective mode) to scout out the four points/objects of interest you have to investigate. After checking them all out, you can talk to Feng Jisheng again to then lift the hidden door and proceed to the next chamber.

---

How to kill the Thick-Skinned Albino Bear in Where Winds Meet

It's the same throw-the-bear mechanic (Image via NetEase)

The next step, as you may have guessed already, is a boss fight to wrap up the Cries in the Distance quest. Instead of fighting fair, the only mechanic here is pretty straightforward. Kite the bear till it's near one of the three large boulders in the arena, and then use your freshly upgraded Tai Chi Mystic Art to hurl it at the boulder.

Do the process thrice, and you triumph. You also get three chests from the freshly caved-in holes from throwing it thrice. Talk to Feng Jisheng again to tell him the danger's dealt with, and the curtains close on the Cries in the Distance quest in Where Winds Meet.

Note that there's more to the Peace Bell Tower area, including the Horizon Seeker achievement for climbing to the tippity-top of the pagoda.

---

Check out our other guides on the game:

• How to complete Volume II - Shadows in Bloom
• Where Winds Meet building guide: How to unlock and build structures
• Where Winds Meet fishing guide
• Where Winds Meet Great Hero's Trial Wandering Tale
• Where Winds Meet: How to join the Midnight Blades sect