The quick answer
For a new PvE character, first fix unused equipment slots and obvious build mismatches, then develop your active Martial Arts and gear slots. Equip useful Inner Ways and work toward meaningful tiers. Delay expensive optimisation of gear you expect to replace soon.
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Before spending: remove free mistakes
Open the build you intend to play. Check that both Martial Arts are the ones you expect, your equipment is actually equipped, and your passive slots contain effects you can trigger. Claim completed advancement rewards and inspect unopened reward boxes. A forgotten upgrade in your bag can be more useful than another farming run.
Next, decide what success means. Getting through the next story fight, qualifying for a group activity and improving a damage rotation are different goals. The right upgrade is the one that addresses your current goal without consuming the budget for a more important requirement.
A practical early upgrade order
| Priority | Action | Why it comes first |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Develop the Martial Arts you use in combat | An underdeveloped active move set affects your regular attacks and skills. |
| 2 | Improve the relevant gear slots | Slot enhancement survives replacing the item in that slot. |
| 3 | Use and improve compatible Inner Ways | A working passive supports the build more reliably than an impressive but inactive effect. |
| 4 | Develop frequently used Mystic Skills | Choose skills that solve a recurring combat problem. |
| 5 | Refine gear stats and specialised alternatives | This is easier to judge once your main setup is stable. |
Compare the next meaningful milestone
Do not compare upgrades only by the number of times you can press a button. Read what the next breakthrough changes. A new effect or a useful improvement to your regular sequence can matter more than distributing the same resources across several unused options.
If your main art is at its current cap, inspect the requirement for the next tier. You may need character advancement rather than another material purchase. Meanwhile, a neglected secondary art or gear slot can be a reasonable place to improve, provided it belongs to the same intended build.
Suppose your main art is at its available cap, the secondary art you use every fight is several levels behind, and a gear reroll offers only a chance at a better line. Our next step would be the secondary art’s known upgrade, provided its cost fits the budget. If the secondary is already current too, inspect slot enhancement before paying for random refinement. This is a decision example, not a fixed damage ranking.
Change the order when the problem changes
- Dying during every enemy combo: practise the defensive response and review health or defensive gear before buying only damage.
- Missing a puzzle interaction: pursue the required exploration unlock; combat upgrading will not open the mechanism.
- Trying a different Path: use available tutorials and read both arts before investing heavily.
- Preparing for a group role: prioritise the tools the role needs, including support effects where relevant.
Set a spending limit before fine-tuning
Choose a small, named milestone and stop when you reach it. For example, bring the equipped pair to the available tier and replace one clearly weak item, then try the fight again. This gives you evidence about whether more spending is necessary.
Keep selectable material boxes unopened until you know the exact missing material. Check whether a purchase is limited, whether the item will remain useful after your next advancement, and whether the same resource funds another near-term upgrade. Buying the maximum amount because it is available is not a progression plan.
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Common questions
Should every Martial Art stay at the same level?
Not as a beginner spending rule. Keep the pair you play in good shape first. Develop other styles when you have a reason to use them or a specific system rewards that investment.
Should I spend rare materials before retrying a boss?
First identify whether the last failure was damage, survival or execution. If you repeatedly miss the same defensive response, practise it before spending. If you survive but cannot finish, compare relevant deterministic upgrades, apply one, and repeat the same attempt before committing more.