The massive iron cage suspended above the arena was as large as a house. Though it had long since become rusted with age, the divine runes carved into its iron bars were still clearly visible.
Because of these divine runes, an invisible energy perpetually surrounded the cage.
The moment Shi Feng landed on it, he immediately discovered that he was completely unable to use any magic skills. His body became incredibly heavy, as if lead had been poured into every part of him, making movement extremely difficult.
"What a powerful restriction." Standing atop the iron cage, Shi Feng felt a terrifying pressure constantly bearing down on his mind, gradually causing his consciousness to blur. If a Tier 1 player had been placed here, they would likely have already passed out cold.
When Shi Feng tried to touch the tightly locked iron gate, a sudden powerful force blasted him away, instantly turning him into a meteor that crashed into the ground, cracking the earth in every direction.
"What happened?"
"Don't we have the key?"
Watching Shi Feng fall from above, Feng Qianyu and Undying Warheart were both slightly taken aback.
From their perspective, Shi Feng had simply touched the locked iron gate, attempting to open it. But the instant he made contact, he had been sent flying as if struck by a cannonball—something none of them had ever encountered before.
Shi Feng picked himself up from the ground, shaking his dizzy head, and gazed at the massive iron cage, sinking into deep thought.
Just that single hit had cost him sixty thousand hit points. If any cloth-armor class or thin-skinned plate-armor class player had taken that blow, they would likely have been dead beyond dead.
"Guild Leader, can the key not open this cage?" Shuise Qiangwei asked curiously, watching Shi Feng's health drop into the red zone.
"No, something else must still be missing." Shi Feng shook his head, feeling that some additional item was needed to truly open the cage—the key alone wouldn't be enough. "I think it should be in the hands of the next boss."
In his previous life, no one had ever mentioned the iron cage, so he had no leads. However, considering the rewards for first clearing the Eclipse Throne on Hell Difficulty, it was perfectly normal for a subsequent boss to hold the item needed to open the cage.
Shi Feng then recovered slightly and led the group onward.
The Eclipse Throne's castle was enormous, and the Troll Hero had only been a gatekeeper boss. Along the way, Shi Feng directed the entire party to continuously eliminate patrolling monsters. After spending nearly two hours, they finally arrived at a small garden. The numerous monsters slain along the way had yielded five pieces of Level 55 Gold-grade equipment and one piece of Level 55 Dark Gold equipment for Shi Feng. Since none of it was fire-resistance gear, he immediately held an internal auction, and the six pieces of equipment were divided up cleanly—leaving the people from the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion and the Immortal War Soul guild green with envy.
Level 55 Gold-grade equipment—even they didn't have a single piece of that caliber yet, let alone Level 55 Dark Gold equipment.
"Guild Leader, there's a boss up ahead!" Huo Wu suddenly announced in the party chat while scouting the path ahead in stealth.
Upon hearing Huo Wu's warning, everyone tensed up and began advancing carefully through the small garden. After walking for less than a minute, a place resembling a hidden paradise soon revealed itself before the group.
However, in this small courtyard surrounded by lush green trees and vibrant flowers, a massive wolf with a body measuring five or six meters long lay napping under a great tree. Its entire body was dark crimson, and it radiated an oppressive aura that sent chills through one's heart.
Erosion Demon Wolf King. Magical Beast. Legendary. Level 57. HP: 400,000,000.
"This boss's pressure is incredible!"
"The corrosive aura on this boss is so dense—we haven't even gotten close yet, and I can already feel my stamina draining much faster."
Everyone stared at the Erosion Demon Wolf King from not far away, their expressions solemn.
If it were a boss like the Troll Hero, there would be nothing much to worry about. The most troublesome kind was a boss like the Erosion Demon Wolf King—essentially forming its own domain, dealing continuous damage or inflicting negative effects on nearby players. This would put enormous pressure on the team's healers, and once the healers could no longer keep up, a total wipe was only a matter of time.