In the blood-soaked arena, Shi Feng once again stood before the rust-covered iron cage.
The mysterious power that had previously permeated the area had now completely dissipated, allowing Shi Feng to walk right up to the iron gate without difficulty. He pulled out the key dropped by the Troll Hero and unlocked the gate.
As the iron gate creaked open, the magic crystal treasure chest was fully revealed before Shi Feng's eyes, drawing eager gazes from everyone waiting in the arena. Each of them was intensely curious about what lay inside.
After all, this magic crystal treasure chest was the true reward for completing the mission.
Combined with the fact that it was an Epic-rank team quest, the items inside were surely not lacking. By estimation, there would be at least Epic-rank items.
"I hope the Replica of the Glorious Will drops!" Shi Feng walked up to the magic crystal treasure chest and carefully began to open it, silently praying in his heart.
Though he had heard the Sword Saint of Radiance say the Glorious Will came from a quest, he hadn't specified which one. There was a good chance it wasn't from this team dungeon—it could have been another—so Shi Feng couldn't be one hundred percent certain he'd obtain the Glorious Will.
As the progress bar ticked second by second, Shi Feng gradually grew more tense.
After the full twenty seconds had elapsed, the magic crystal treasure chest slowly opened. Golden radiance illuminated the entire arena, and the magic energy within grew noticeably denser.
"What's going on! Opening this chest actually increases the density of the magical energy here?"
"This chest is insane—could it be a Legendary-rank chest?"
"No way. That would be a Legendary-rank chest. There's no way you'd get one just from an Epic-rank team quest. You'd need a Legendary-rank quest at the very least."
"Fair point, but there's bound to be at least one Epic-rank item inside."
"Exactly! I can't believe the next super-large-scale team dungeon yielded such incredible gains—several times what a regular large-scale dungeon would produce. Zero Wing Guild is going to skyrocket. With these weapons and equipment, their team strength will improve dramatically, and future super-large-scale dungeons will be much easier."
...
As everyone watched the magic crystal treasure chest's glow gradually fade, members of the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion and Undying War Spirit couldn't help whispering among themselves.
They could already foresee that Zero Wing Guild would grow ever more powerful in the near future. Even if, due to their limited numbers, they couldn't immediately tackle other super-large-scale dungeons, the weapons and equipment obtained from the Eclipse Throne would mean that no large-scale dungeon in the Kingdom or the Empire would be out of reach.
"Holy Light, when we get back, immediately notify the other senior executives of the guild. Tell them I want to call an emergency meeting," Undying Zhanxin said quietly to the Priest, Sheng Guanglunzhuan, beside him.
"Vice President, you don't mean... inviting them, do you?" Sheng Guanglunzhuan exclaimed in surprise. "Isn't that too risky? Setting aside the other vice presidents, even the President himself probably wouldn't agree."
"Zero Wing may be outsiders, but you've seen the strength they've demonstrated. It's completely on par with the main raid teams of top-tier guilds. I believe with that level of strength, the President will be quite pleased," Undying Zhanxin said with a smile. "We have Lingsha to thank for this. If she hadn't asked us to come help, we never would have learned about Zero Wing."
"Indeed, we really have Miss Lingsha to thank this time," Sheng Guanglunzhuan nodded slightly. "I imagine Miss Lingsha already knew how formidable Zero Wing was, which is why she asked us to lend our full support."
Previously, he hadn't understood why Mu Lingsha wanted them to help Zero Wing Guild. But now it was clear—her judgment was truly excellent. No wonder the Board of Directors had appointed her as an Honorary Elder.
The decision had stirred considerable discontent among the senior executives and founding members at the time. After all, they felt Mu Lingsha was too young, unfamiliar with the Divine Realm, and had yet to make a name for herself in the virtual gaming world. Granting her such significant authority was hard to swallow.
But now, it seemed they had been wrong.
Meanwhile, Qing Huang glanced over at Undying Zhanxin, who was conversing with Sheng Guanglunzhuan.
"Pavilion Master, it looks like Undying Zhanxin's side is very interested in Zero Wing," Qing Huang said softly.
"Only natural. The strength Zero Wing has shown far exceeds expectations—it doesn't look at all like what a guild merely on par with a first-rate guild should possess," Feng Qianyu said with a light laugh. "Jiu Longhuang has been trying to target Zero Wing for a while now. I wonder what expression he'll make when he learns that Undying War Spirit wants to build a closer relationship with them."
The competition for the position of Grand Pavilion Master of the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion was growing ever more intense, and she had gradually gained the upper hand. Zero Wing Guild had always been regarded within the Pavilion as her protégé—a beautiful misunderstanding, but one she had never bothered to correct. She rather enjoyed letting it persist.
At the very least, the stronger Zero Wing became, the higher her chances of becoming Grand Pavilion Master.
Still, watching Zero Wing's rate of development, she couldn't help but be somewhat amazed. From a small guild within a single Kingdom, they had grown to the point where even a top-tier guild like Undying War Spirit was treating them with genuine interest and careful consideration. That was truly terrifying.
Inside the great iron cage, once the magic crystal treasure chest had fully opened, Shi Feng was completely stunned by the sight before him.
He had to admit—this was a golden magic crystal treasure chest, and the items inside were far superior to those in an Epic-rank chest. Though the quantity couldn't match the magic crystal treasure chest from the Town of Lost, in terms of quality, it was every bit as impressive.
There were only five items inside the chest.
The first was a consumable Epic-rank item called Frost Hell—a field-realm tool capable of altering the weather, though it could only be used five times.
The second was a Hero Summoning Decree, which could summon a group of powerful NPCs from among whom one could be chosen as a personal bodyguard. The weakest among these NPCs would be at least Mythril Rank, and with good luck, one might even be Gold-grade—worth more than ten thousand gold coins.
The third was a blueprint for an Advanced Blacksmith Workshop. As one of the advanced buildings, it offered functions that ordinary blacksmith workshops simply could not match, such as inviting NPC Master Blacksmiths to preside and accepting custom orders for weapons and equipment. Though the cost was steep, obtaining a weapon or equipment tailored to one's exact preferences was something many players would kill for.
The fourth was a fourth-tier, mana-rechargeable magic scroll called Fire God's Aria. By using magic crystals to replenish its mana, the scroll could be used multiple times—typically between four and six uses. Its value exceeded that of a single Epic-rank equipment piece.
The last item was a magnificent greatsword radiating golden light—the very item Shi Feng had most hoped to see, and the most valuable among everything in the chest.
The Replica of the Glorious Will!