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Wuthering Waves · Resonators

Qingxiao

A reclusive sword cultivator who holds the nominal title of Xuan Paragon of Xuanfang Hold, and a peerless master of both qin and sword. Aloof and distant, she seems untouched by emotion. The world knows her as the Sword Transcendent. For years beyond counting, she has stood guard over these lands, and the cold light of her blade remains as keen as the day she first drew it.

“Lumi”

SSRAeroSwordMain Damage DealerTune Strain Response
Materials & farming guide
Qingxiao role card art

Base stats

Computed growth from the game data: slide to any level. Values are the resonator’s own, before any equipment.

90
StatBaseAt level 90
HP82410,300
ATK37463
DEF911,112
Crit. Rate5%5%
Crit. DMG150%150%
Tune Break Boost00

Skills

Every combat skill, with the scaling values the game computes for each level.

Normal Attack

Strings to Steel

Basic Attack - Stringblade

Press repeatedly or hold Normal Attack to perform up to 4 consecutive attacks, dealing Aero DMG.

Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 1 and Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 4 are in Sheathed Stance.

Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 2 and Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 3 are in Drawn Stance.

Heavy Attack - Stringblade

When Qin Heart and Sword Cadence are full, Heavy Attack - Stringblade becomes available.

Hold Normal Attack to consume STA and cast this skill, dealing Aero DMG.

Casting this skill consumes all Qin Heart and Sword Cadence and sends Qingxiao into the Ephemeral Transcendence state.

Mid-air Attack - Stringblade

Press Normal Attack consecutively or hold it down to perform up to 3 consecutive attacks, dealing Aero DMG.

This skill is in Drawn Stance.

After landing from Mid-air Attack - Stringblade Stage 3, press or hold Normal Attack within a certain time to cast Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 3.

While in mid-air, Resonance Skill is replaced by Mid-air Attack - Stringblade Stage 3.

Plunging Attack

While in the Sword Flight state, Jump is replaced by Plunging Attack.

Consume STA to perform a Plunging Attack, dealing Aero DMG.

While out of the Ephemeral Transcendence state, press Normal Attack within a certain time after casting this skill to cast Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 3.

Dodge Counter - Stringblade

Press Normal Attack within a certain time after a successful Dodge to attack the target, dealing Aero DMG.

This skill is in Drawn Stance.

Press or hold Normal Attack within a certain time after casting this skill to cast Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 4.

Sword Glide

While in mid-air, Dodge is replaced by Sword Glide.

Level10
Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 1 DMG30.13%*2
Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 2 DMG37.09%*2
Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 3 DMG24.36%*4
Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 4 DMG86.73%+5.43%*4
Heavy Attack - Stringblade DMG14.62%*3+21.92%*6+263.03%
Mid-air Attack - Stringblade Stage 1 DMG7.24%*5+54.28%
Mid-air Attack - Stringblade Stage 2 DMG44.89%+22.45%*2
Mid-air Attack - Stringblade Stage 3 DMG11.14%*5+83.51%
Plunging Attack DMG86.29%
Dodge Counter - Stringblade DMG45.23%*4
Heavy Attack - Stringblade STA Cost30
Plunging Attack STA Cost30
Sword Glide STA Cost20

Resonance Skill

Severing Note

Severing Note: Judgement

Deal Aero DMG. During this skill, gain 45 points of Qin Heart.

While not in the Ephemeral Transcendence state, press or hold Normal Attack within a certain time after casting this skill to cast Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 4.

Severing Note: Ascendant

While casting Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 2, Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 3, or Dodge Counter - Stringblade, Resonance Skill is replaced by Severing Note: Ascendant.

Deal Aero DMG.

This skill is in Drawn Stance.

Level10
Severing Note: Judgement DMG20.88%*2+97.42%
Severing Note: Ascendant DMG28.40%+33.13%*2
Severing Note: Judgement Cooldown20

Resonance Liberation

Billows Beneath Heaven

Deal Aero DMG.

Can be cast in mid-air close to the ground.

Level10
Skill DMG33.41%*10+1336.01%
Cooldown25
Resonance Cost125
Concerto Regen20

Inherent Skill

Sea of Thought, World of Dust

Upon entering combat, gain 1 stacks of Gathered Mind.

After damage dealt directly by Resonators in the team defeats a target inflicted with the Mindlock effect:

If Qingxiao does not have the Gathered Mind effect, gain Gathered Mind with stacks equal to the target's Mindlock stacks.

If Qingxiao already has Gathered Mind and the target's Mindlock stacks are no fewer than Qingxiao's Gathered Mind stacks, Qingxiao's Gathered Mind stacks will be matched to the target's Mindlock stacks.

Gathered Mind

After Resonators in the team deal damage to a target, inflict Mindlock equal to Qingxiao's Gathered Mind stacks. This effect can only trigger 1 times on the same target.

When Resonators in the team cast Tune Break, if the target has Tune Strain - Shifting, additionally inflict 1 stacks of Tune Strain - Interfered on the target. This effect can only trigger 1 times on the same target.

When Qingxiao is knocked out, she can no longer gain Gathered Mind, and any existing Gathered Mind effect becomes inactive.

Gathered Mind stacks up to 15 times and lasts for 30s.

Inherent Skill

To Know, To Banish

Qingxiao's following skills deal 2% more DMG per stack of Mindlock on the target, with an additional 5% per stack for the first 7 stacks.

- Heavy Attack - Stringblade, Basic Attack - Ephemeral Transcendence, Dodge Counter - Ephemeral Transcendence, Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence, Resonance Liberation - Billows Beneath Heaven.

Each time after a Resonator in the team inflicts Tune Strain - Interfered on an Overlord Class or Calamity Class target, additionally inflict 1 stacks of Mindlock on the target.

Intro Skill

Tonality Shift

Deal Aero DMG. Casting the skill restores 30 points of Sword Cadence and grants Resonant Chime.

Resonant Chime

Casting Resonance Skill - Severing Note: Judgement grants 30 points of Qin Heart and removes Resonant Chime.

Level10
Skill DMG39.79%+46.42%*2
Concerto Regen10

Forte Circuit

Formless Heart Sword

Ephemeral Transcendence

While Qingxiao is in the Ephemeral Transcendence state, Basic Attack - Ephemeral Transcendence and Dodge Counter - Ephemeral Transcendence become available.

Basic Attack - Ephemeral Transcendence

Press repeatedly or hold Normal Attack to perform up to 4 consecutive attacks, dealing Aero DMG.

Before Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence becomes available, this skill's DMG Multiplier is increased by 100%.

Can be cast in mid-air.

Dodge Counter - Ephemeral Transcendence

Press or hold Normal Attack within a certain time after a successful Dodge to attack the target, dealing Aero DMG.

Before Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence becomes available, this skill's DMG Multiplier is increased by 100%.

Can be cast in mid-air.

Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence

When Heart Sword Intent is full, Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence becomes available. Hold Normal Attack to cast the skill, dealing Aero DMG.

Casting this skill consumes all Heart Sword Intent and ends the Ephemeral Transcendence state.

Mindlock

Mindlock stacks up to 15 times.

Each time a Resonator in the team inflicts Tune Strain - Interfered on a target, inflict 1 stacks of Mindlock on the target.

For each stack of Mindlock on the target, DMG taken from Qingxiao's following skills is Amplified by 2%, with an additional 5% per stack for the first 7 stacks.

- Heavy Attack - Stringblade, Basic Attack - Ephemeral Transcendence, Dodge Counter - Ephemeral Transcendence, Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence, Resonance Liberation - Billows Beneath Heaven.

Heaven's Clarity

Upon entering combat or casting Resonance Liberation Billows Beneath Heaven, gain Heaven's Clarity.

When Sheathed Stance/Drawn Stance skills deal damage, the rates at which Qin Heart/Sword Cadence are obtained increase by 100%.

When casting Heavy Attack - Stringblade, inflict 3 stacks of Mindlock on nearby targets, and enhance the next Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence: its DMG Multiplier is increased by 100% and it builds additional Off-Tune Level on the target. Switching to another Resonator ends the Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence enhancement.

Casting Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence removes Heaven's Clarity.

Swordlight Ward

Casting Intro Skill - Tonality Shift or Heavy Attack - Stringblade grants 1 stacks of Swordlight Ward.

Swordlight Ward stacks up to 1 times. When taking DMG from an enemy's attack, 1 {Cus:Sap,S=stack P=stacks SapTag=A} of Swordlight Ward can be consumed to grant immunity to interruption and reduce DMG taken by 60% for 1s. This effect can be triggered once per second.

Sword Flight

While in the Sword Flight state, Qingxiao moves with a special animation.

Moving in Sword Flight continuously consumes Flight Qi.

- Casting the following skills sends Qingxiao into the Sword Flight state:

Sword Glide, Heavy Attack - Stringblade, Mid-air Attack - Stringblade Stage 1, Mid-air Attack - Stringblade Stage 2, Severing Note: Ascendant, Basic Attack - Ephemeral Transcendence, Dodge Counter - Ephemeral Transcendence, Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence, and Intro Skill - Tonality Shift.

- Exit the Sword Flight state by:

1. Casting Mid-air Attack - Stringblade Stage 3 or Plunging Attack.

2. Triggering certain environmental interactions or Utilities.

3. Returning to the ground.

4. Switching to another Resonator.

5. Depleting all Flight Qi.

Sword Step

While in the Sword Flight state, hold Jump to leap up and dash forward a short distance.

Sword Step can only be cast once during Sword Flight.

Qin Heart

Can hold up to 100 points.

Dealing damage with Sheathed Stance skills grants Qin Heart.

Qin Heart cannot be gained while in the Ephemeral Transcendence state.

Sword Cadence

Can hold up to 100 points.

Dealing damage with Drawn Stance skills grants Sword Cadence.

Sword Cadence cannot be gained while in the Ephemeral Transcendence state.

Heart Sword Intent

Can hold up to 100 points.

Dealing damage with Basic Attack - Ephemeral Transcendence or Dodge Counter - Ephemeral Transcendence grants Heart Sword Intent.

Level10
Basic Attack - Ephemeral Transcendence Stage 1 DMG44.89%+22.45%*2
Basic Attack - Ephemeral Transcendence Stage 2 DMG23.11%*5
Basic Attack - Ephemeral Transcendence Stage 3 DMG20.88%*3+31.32%*2
Basic Attack - Ephemeral Transcendence Stage 4 DMG18.10%*4+108.56%
Dodge Counter - Ephemeral Transcendence DMG26.45%*4+158.66%
Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence DMG27.84%*9+445.34%
Sword Step Cooldown30
Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence Concerto Regen25

Inherent Skill

Skillful Cooking

Has a chance to produce special dishes when cooking.

Outro Skill

Lingering Song

Deal Aero DMG equal to 800% of Qingxiao's ATK.

Tune Break

Draw and Sunder

Qingxiao inflicts Tune Strain - Shifting on the target after dealing damage with skills. Each skill can only trigger this once for the same target.

Qingxiao can respond to Tune Strain - Interfered.

Responding to Tune Strain - Interfered: For each stack of Tune Strain - Interfered on the target, every point of Qingxiao's Tune Break Boost increases the total DMG Qingxiao deals to that target by 0.12%. While Qingxiao is in the team, the max stack limit of Tune Strain - Interfered on a target is increased by 1.

Additionally, when the target's Off-Tune Level is full, Qingxiao can cast Tune Break on it. While on the ground and not in the Ephemeral Transcendence state, press Normal Attack within a certain time after casting Tune Break to cast Basic Attack - Stringblade Stage 3.

Skill tree

Passive nodes, unlocked with materials.

Crit. DMG+

Crit. DMG increased by 2.40%.

ATK+

ATK increased by 1.80%.

ATK+

ATK increased by 1.80%.

Crit. DMG+

Crit. DMG increased by 2.40%.

Crit. DMG+

Crit. DMG increased by 5.60%.

ATK+

ATK increased by 4.20%.

ATK+

ATK increased by 4.20%.

Crit. DMG+

Crit. DMG increased by 5.60%.

Resonance chain

The six sequence nodes, unlocked with duplicates of the resonator.

  1. Like Clouds That Meet and Drift Apart

    Crit. Rate is increased by 16%.

    The max stack limit of Swordlight Ward is increased to 2. Casting Heavy Attack - Stringblade additionally grants 1 stacks of Swordlight Ward.

    Upon entering combat, gain 25 stack of Exorcising Seal.

    After Basic Attack - Stringblade, Mid-air Attack - Stringblade, or Basic Attack - Ephemeral Transcendence deals damage, if Qingxiao has Exorcising Seal, remove all Exorcising Seal stacks and trigger Juque Perdition, dealing Aero DMG equal to 400% of Qingxiao's ATK, considered Basic Attack DMG. This effect can be triggered up to once per second. For each stack of Exorcising Seal removed, the target takes 4% more DMG from Juque Perdition for 2s.

    Exorcising Seal stacks up to 25 times.

  2. Like Petals That Fall Without a Sound

    The DMG Multiplier of Heavy Attack - Stringblade is increased by 40%.

    After entering combat, the max stack limit of Mindlock on nearby enemies is increased to 25.

    The max stack limit of Gathered Mind from Inherent Skill - Sea of Thought, World of Dust is increased to 25.

    Heaven's Clarity is enhanced:

    Casting Heavy Attack - Stringblade now inflicts 6 stack of Mindlock on nearby targets.

  3. Dreams Fade, Sword Abides

    The Crit. DMG of Resonance Liberation - Billows Beneath Heaven is increased by 100%.

    During Heavy Attack - Stringblade, gain World in Chorus stacks equal to the highest Mindlock stack count present among nearby enemies.

    World in Chorus: Each stack increases the DMG Multiplier of Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence by 3%. World in Chorus is removed after casting Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence.

    The Gathered Mind effect of Inherent Skill - Sea of Thought, World of Dust now inflicts 2 stacks of Tune Strain - Interfered.

  4. Wherever the Road Leads, Side by Side

    After a Resonator in the team inflicts Tune Strain - Shifting, their ATK is increased by 20% for 8s.

  5. Cold Steel That Longs to Warm the Snow

    The DMG Multiplier of Resonance Skill - Severing Note: Judgement is increased by 100%.

    While moving in Sword Flight, Flight Qi cost is reduced by 30%.

  6. Cleanse This Tarnished Age, Till All Runs Clear

    Targets take 40% more DMG from Qingxiao's Heavy Attack - Stringblade, Heavy Attack - Heaven's Reckoning: Ephemeral Transcendence, Resonance Liberation - Billows Beneath Heaven, and Juque Perdition.

    During Heavy Attack - Stringblade, gain Exorcising Seal stacks equal to the highest Mindlock stack count present among nearby enemies.

    For each stack of Mindlock on the target, the DMG of Juque Perdition taken by the target is Amplified by 2%. The first 7 stack additionally grant 5% DMG Amplification.

    When Inherent Skill - To Know, To Banish is unlocked, the DMG of Juque Perdition on targets with Mindlock is increased by 2% for each stack of Mindlock. The first 7 stacks additionally grant 5% DMG increase.

    The effect of Qingxiao's response to Tune Strain - Interfered is increased by 20%.

Profile

Who they are, and the reports the game files about them.

Birthday
Unknown
Gender
Female
Country
Huanglong
Influence
Ministry of War
Talent
Heart Sword
Voice actors
Kirsty RiderNabatame HitomiPark Ri NaJiang He

Qingxiao

A reclusive sword cultivator who holds the nominal title of Xuan Paragon of Xuanfang Hold, and a peerless master of both qin and sword. Aloof and distant, she seems untouched by emotion.<br>The world knows her as the Sword Transcendent. For years beyond counting, she has stood guard over these lands, and the cold light of her blade remains as keen as the day she first drew it.

Resonance evaluation report

"From the Ministry of Sentinel Affairs, submitted for the review of the Mengzhou Magistrate: On the Establishment of an Additional Xuan Paragon Post in the Land of Xuanfang"

...

At the Ministry of War's request, Huaxu Academy has verified that her history of Resonance exceeds one hundred years, and that its origins are all but untraceable. The pair of horns upon her head, shaped like drifting cloud, is a physical trait manifested by that Resonance, and may be related to the all-knowing Auspicious Beast recorded in the Grand Library.

Qingxiao's mastery lies in the "Heart Sword." By forging her very thoughts into Sword Intent, she can instantly manifest ten thousand flying blades that answer to her will, purging all evil wherever they fall. Though her swordcraft was learned blade in hand, it has long since carried her beyond the confines of wrought steel. A plucked string, a drifting petal, a falling leaf—to her, any of these may become a sword.

The Quietude Art, along with the other techniques she has demonstrated, is believed to be part of the esoteric craft Cultivators use to modulate frequency via their Forte, though much about them remains unverified.

...

Magistrate's Reply:

I have long heard that her swordcraft is divine and her power formidable. This should be a blessing for the Land of Xuanfang. And as the document comes submitted through the Ministry of Sentinel Affairs, I presume it carries Her instruction.

Intendant's Reply:

It does. There is no need for concern, Magistrate.

Overclock diagnostic report

"A recent Overclocking assessment report, issued by Huaxu Academy of the Land of Xuanfang"

Subject is a Natural Resonator. Rabelle's Curve holds constant in the Time Domain, presenting a steady curve with no anomalous patterns observed.

Resonant Criticality: Extremely high. Peak values converge asymptotically toward the threshold. Stability is assessed as high. Cross-referenced against Academy records, the subject's Resonant Criticality and mean curve value show a synchronized upward trend over time. No prior history of Overclocking on file. No psychological counseling required.

Physician's Note:

The curve hugs the threshold, the peaks climb toward the ceiling, and yet they never cross it. Remarkable. An ordinary Resonator would tip into Overclocking at the slightest swell of feeling. They say Cultivators temper the mind to steady their Forte... could Qingxiao the Perfected be doing this on purpose?

Stories

A Paragon's Work

The Xuan Paragon appearing at the Ministry of War was, admittedly, a rare sight.

When Qingxiao stepped down from her flying sword, everyone in the Ministry stopped what they were doing and turned to watch her.

A Rafter Kite had carried word to her from Commander Qiuhong, sending her to a certain Censure Court to deal with several dozen Tacet Discords that had escaped. She had come to report the outcome.

"It's handled," said Qingxiao.

The Commander nodded her thanks, but his brow stayed furrowed. The Censure Court rotations had been going wrong for years now. Either something slipped out while the guard was changing, or a mechanism failed and did something it wasn't supposed to. The current Xuan Triad were brave and fought as one, but one of the three had taken a bad wound and stepped down, and the gap in the formation was being filled, for the moment, by a young Xuanfang Warden. She was new, and there was only so much she could do. They would need a proper third, and soon.

None of this, however, was Qingxiao's concern. She was about to step back onto her sword when a hesitant voice called her back.

"Lady Transcendent! No, wait, Paragon Qingxiao. I'd like... to learn the sword from you. If you'd have me?"

Qingxiao turned to find a girl with a brisk ponytail standing, holding a spear as though not quite sure she was allowed to.

"I've been fighting alongside Qingzhi and Duzhong for a while now. I think they're still more used to working with a sword, and I use a spear, so..."

"I am not good at teaching," said Qingxiao. "And you have no need to learn the sword." Her voice was as distant as ever.

"I see. Of course..." The light drained out of Liangyu's eyes. "Thank you. I'll think of something."

"But I could try teaching you the spear."

"...Huh?"

The woman before her seemed hardly to touch the ground, light as a startled swan. The silver spear went with her, quick and easy, laying pale moon-coloured lines across the air. In her grip, it did not look like a weapon at all. It looked more like a calligrapher's brush. One movement flowed into the next and let go at exactly the right instant.

Liangyu's mouth hung open. "Paragon Qingxiao... you know the spear too?"

"I watched someone use one, a long time ago. Every martial art in the world shares its roots with the others. Make the spearpoint arrive the instant the thought does, and your spear will stand beside another's blade as well as any sword." Qingxiao held the spear out to her. "Now you."

Liangyu steeled herself and worked through the forms Qingxiao had shown her. It came out shapeless, flaws everywhere.

"Again," said Qingxiao.

They were at it when the light went gold, and still Liangyu hadn't gotten it. Qingxiao offered no gentle progression. The spearwork she demonstrated was simply too far beyond her, every motion bearing ideas she couldn't yet see. But the girl would not give up. She kept reaching for the way the force shifted under her hands. And then, in a moment she wasn't thinking about it at all, the point of her spear tore the air open on a rush of wind, with a power she had never managed before.

Still dazed, Liangyu heard soft applause. It was Qingxiao.

"You have it."

"But I couldn't follow your demonstration at all..."

"If you had followed it exactly, you would not have your own understanding." Qingxiao's face was, unusually, almost gentle. "The thought is already there. What's missing is only time."

Liangyu gazed at her, and at last nodded, as though something had quietly dropped into place.

Some time later the Ministry of War welcomed a new Xuan Watcher, and at the ceremony the Xuan Paragon, who never came to such things, came.

From a distance Qingxiao watched Liangyu in her silver armor, bright and unbowed, and for a moment saw the shape of someone she had known two hundred years before.

Again you meddle in mortal affairs for no reason, and gather karma to no purpose.

The voice at her ear was almost exactly her own.

One day she will likely fall on some battlefield against the Tacet Discords. As Lingfang did. As... Ruoyun did.

How long do you mean to protect them this time? How long can you?

Qingxiao said nothing.

After the War

The rain was going upward. Qingxiao let out a breath, her sword in her hand, and looked up at the two moons hanging in the night.

The brighter of the two was a full moon bathed in violet glow, swallowing the better part of the sky. It was Ovathrax, watching the Gorges of Spirits with cold eyes. Watching her. However many Tacet Discords her flying swords cut down, more poured in to fill the gaps. She had to find the source of the Threnodian's power and end it, or the Tacet Discords would never stop.

Faster. She had to be faster. Yuan Fortress was still waiting for her.

Snow slid off a branch and onto her shoulder. Qingxiao, sitting in meditation, opened her eyes, and the memory let go of her.

Not long after the Fortress and Gorges War ended, the Land of Xuanfang saw three days of unseasonable heavy snow, until even the nameless peak she lived on lay under white.

A tall woman with black hair came across the snow and stood behind her, hands folded demurely before her.

"You're... Hsin," Qingxiao said quietly.

"Aw, how did you know, Lady Qingxiao? Was it the smell?"

Hsin seemed genuinely to wonder, and lifted an arm to sniff at herself, here and there. As she did, the black of her hair ran white, and a pair of fox ears that could no longer be hidden pushed up through it, and Her robes and Her face shifted to match. Qingxiao rose and regarded calmly the "divinity" standing before her.

"When the Threnodian came," she said, coldly, "where were you?"

A cold Sword Intent gathered at the edges of the air around them both, sharp and invisible.

"I was inside the Sanctum, Qingxiao. Everyone... did all they could." Hsin's fox ears drooped a little.

The two of them held each other's gaze, until more snow slid from the branches.

"...I spoke in haste," Qingxiao said, lowering her eyes.

"The truth is, I came to ask you something." Hsin took a step closer. "The Land of Xuanfang has everything to rebuild and no shortage of dangers still in it. I'd like to propose a new post to the Ministry of War, one meant for you. The Xuan Paragon. An official standing would smooth a great many roads, I should think."

"Xuan Paragon..."

"No dull duties. Just lend Xuanfang your hand when it truly matters. And if you take it and wish one day to be done, you can leave whenever you please. What do you think?"

Qingxiao said nothing, and Hsin smiled.

"You needn't answer now. Xuanfang Hold is built and standing, after all. You could move down, and think it over."

Qingxiao shook her head. "...No. This place is quiet. Remote. Free from worldly disturbance. It suits cultivation."

"That reason again." Hsin didn't seem to mind. "It's all right. Xuanfang Hold will welcome you whenever."

With that, Hsin turned and started off, as if to leave. A few steps on She stopped, and put Her head to one side.

"In a few more months... it'll be the Waking Moon Festival again. Everyone wants it. Come and celebrate with us, Qingxiao."

Qingxiao watched Hsin thin into the shadow of a fox and go. She walked to the cliff's edge and looked out over the Land of Xuanfang, still smoking from the war. Where Yuan Fortress once stood was nothing now but a deep and silent abyss. A long wind went past her ear, and it sounded like someone weeping.

Slaying the Inner Demon

For a Cultivator, the true work lies in tempering the mind, reaching always for the far edge of what a Forte can do. And along that path, one must often confront oneself.

Long ago, when Qingxiao had only begun her cultivation in the mountain, her master set her an important task.

"Qing. My cultivation has met a wall, and I mean to cut down the demon in my heart and break through it. For that, I need you to hold the sword."

"Hold the sword?"

"If it goes wrong and the Inner Demon takes me, cut me down."

Jingwei the Perfected said it with a calm face and a level voice, as though it were no more than a remark about what to have for supper.

"I can't do that," Qingxiao said, shaking her head.

"New to cultivation as you are, your swordcraft is exceptional. You are equal to the task."

"No. How could I do such a thing to my own master. It's... unthinkable."

Jingwei smiled, which she rarely did. "The Way is without feeling. Cultivation is like a game of weiqi. Once you set a piece down, you do not take it back. Or would you sooner see me fall into Overclocking and lose my mind, if I fail?"

Qingxiao was silent a long while, and in the end she agreed.

Late the following night, guided by a wisp of frequency her master had given her, Qingxiao entered Jingwei's inner landscape.

It was a mountain that rose into the clouds, cloaked in snow. Now a heavy fog lay over the whole of it, and nothing could be seen a few paces off. Qingxiao sat at the summit with the sword laid across her knees, ill at ease, waiting for her master and the demon to settle it between them.

If her master lost, could she truly raise a blade against her? Qingxiao did not know.

An incense stick's time later, a shape came up out of the fog ahead of her. She was on her feet at once, sword in one hand, held level across her chest in an opening stance. The fog thinned, and the shape sharpened, until it stood fully revealed.

"Qing. It is done," Jingwei said mildly.

By then the fog at the summit had burned away entirely. The sun rose in the east, and the dawn ran red for miles.

"Master, that bowl of braised pork at my initiation feast... Was it any good?" Qingxiao asked.

"I never ordered braised pork," Jingwei answered.

It really was her master. The sword nearly slipped from her hand, and Qingxiao let out the breath she had been holding.

"On the path of cultivation, does every Cultivator meet an Inner Demon?"

Qingxiao asked the question as they left the inner landscape.

"It is born from the self, yours and mine alike. Live long enough and you will meet yours." Jingwei's face was as remote as ever. Cutting the demon away seemed to have changed nothing in her.

"And when one faces it, is the demise of one side the only ending?" Qingxiao asked, looking down.

"Yes. Drag your feet as long as you like, the day still comes when you have to finish it."

After a moment, Qingxiao lifted her head. "If the Inner Demon is part of the self, then I would like to see whether there is another road to take."

At that, Jingwei stopped walking and narrowed her eyes at the disciple beside her.

"A fine idea. But the day your demon has hold of you, I will not raise a hand to help."

It was the sort of thing her master would say. Jingwei was the perfect Cultivator, and never let a worldly tie or a debt of karma settle on her. Now that she had cut the last stray thoughts from her heart, she was colder than before. Qingxiao was not surprised.

"When that day comes, do as I did. Take yourself a good disciple."

"...What?"

Qingxiao looked at her master's face, and thought that somewhere in all that calm there was, just possibly, the trace of a smile.

A Heart That Stays True

In the half-sleep of deep meditation, Qingxiao slips now and then into the very oldest of her memories.

"Qing! That old swordsman you sent packing, he's back!"

When the village children came running with the news, Qing was sitting in the shade of a tree, leafing through a sword manual and sketching out the moves with a stick. The jade beads on the red cord at her wrist caught the dappled sunlight and shone.

The manual laid out a great deal of difficult sword moves. She had drilled against it more times than she could count and could still only approximate the shapes, let alone catch the spirit of them.

"Cough. Keep an eye on my sheep, would you? I'll go and have another word with him."

The chill she had caught the month before hadn't quite finished with her, and a few coughs got out before she could stop them.

A few days earlier, the old swordsman, an outsider, had drunk some medicine wine at the village's little inn, and then, well warmed up, tried to bully his debt into a tab. He put down every inn hand who came to stop him without ever drawing his sword. In the end it was Qing who, armed with nothing but a stick and the swordcraft she knew by heart, jabbed the webbing of his right hand and knocked the sword clean out of it.

The old swordsman was sitting dead in the middle of the inn's hall again, sword in his arms. Only this time there was a second sword lying on the table.

"Sit. I've waited a good while for you, girl. That was no ordinary swordcraft you used."

"And what's that to you?"

Qing sat herself down across from him without the slightest hesitation.

"Allow me to ask you one thing. Why do you learn the sword?"

"To keep myself strong... And to deal with troublemakers. People like you."

The old swordsman gave a dry laugh. "It won't do. Even if your sword could hold off a thousand men, or ten thousand maybe, it would never be enough. Not in a world like this. The troubles coming for you will always be larger than the blade you carry."

"At the least..." Qing said, "I can keep the people near me safe."

At that, the old swordsman shoved the sword on the table toward her.

"Good. Then don't forget your words today. Practice with this from now on. A stick will never be a real blade."

Qing picked the "sword" up, not quite trusting the old swordsman. It sat heavy in her hands, and she would need time to get the hang of it. And then she noticed something odd.

"This... is more of a dao."

It looked plain and understated, with a single bright stroke of gold at the guard, and yet there seemed to be no small weight of power in it.

"If it's {Male=his;Female=her} sword you wish to learn, this will get you started faster."

Then one day, Tacet Discords came surging in and destroyed the village Qing was born in, and she began her wandering. Her sword, in those days, was barely enough to keep herself alive against the Tacet Discords. For all her effort, she saved a dozen or so of her neighbors. No more. Leading them out, she saw from far off several great columns of Sword Energy tear up into the sky, and soon after, the assault subsided. For some reason, it reminded her of the old swordsman.

Warmth Beneath the Cold

One day, after that person had gone, Qingxiao returned to the little house at the summit. As she sat, the old mirror across the room gave back a different woman.

In the mirror, the blue-haired woman in the moon-white dress had a pair of violet eyes. She was looking straight into her own.

Is that enough for you?

"It is."

No, no. You've kept a great deal in there.

Qingxiao, why is it that you took {Male=him;Female=her} as your disciple and still never said it? That you once thought of being {Male=his;Female=her}... disciple?

"I have a master."

Hah. Master Jingwei never claimed she was the one who taught you the sword.

You told that person the manual was a stroke of fortune. But you never told of the nights you spent as a girl, tracing its pages, wondering who {Male=he;Female=she} might be.

You told {Male=him;Female=her} you once searched Huanglong for {Male=his;Female=her} traces. But you never told that when you came down the mountain, it wasn't only to answer that question your master put to the heavens. It was to find {Male=him;Female=her}.

"Mm. That is indeed something Qingxiao... once thought."

"Had the chance come, it would have been a road worth taking."

Then why? If you are keeping these stray thoughts, why not say them?

"It isn't that I dare not. I cannot."

"{Male=He;Female=She} chose to begin again. I won't trouble {Male=him;Female=her} with matters this old."

Very good.

Before long, {Male=he;Female=she} will set out again for the sake of this world. And you, the master, what will you do?

"...Cherish the present. My disciple was always going to travel far, and I have my own work in the Land of Xuanfang."

"The little time we spent walking together is enough to answer for all the years behind me."

I'm tired of your grand justifications. And your careful little postures.

"I will not lie to myself. And besides..."

Qingxiao laid her fingertips on the strings and played. Clear, graceful music filled the house.

The woman in the mirror let out a sigh, then smiled.

Mountains and seas can be crossed. Parting always ends in meeting.

Everything said and unsaid, she had long since entrusted to the once-tangled strings.

Outfits

Silken Cloud

Qingxiao's everyday attire in the Land of Xuanfang. Moonlight seems to spill across its surface, mist and cloud drift through its folds, and the faint glint of sword-light shimmers in the weave. When she rides her blade through the sky, the fabric ripples and streams behind her, sweeping over mountains and rivers as she chases the Way of the Sword far above the azure.

More resonators

Continuing through the roster in order (browsing, not team picks).

Rover: Spectro

Spectro · Sword

Rover: Spectro

Spectro · Sword

Verina

Spectro · Rectifier

Shorekeeper

Spectro · Rectifier

Phoebe

Spectro · Rectifier

Zani

Spectro · Gauntlets

Game data updated Oct 27, 2026