In reality, the Heavenly Gates were also how the four races in the Heaven strengthened their rule over the Land. Elites from various races would be gathered and given the best cultivation conditions. The most outstanding among them might be able to form their Gold Core and become assistants that the four races could use when they ascended to Heaven. Even those who were left behind were elites in the Land, no matter whether it was in terms of their strength or the power supporting them. Once they entered the Heavenly Gates, they were the pupils of the Heavenly Gates and owed the Heavenly Gates a figure. Thus, they were naturally respected and supported the four races in Heaven.
Of course, this was simply the original intention of the four races when they first built the Heavenly Gates. In reality, after countless years and changes, although the essence of the Heavenly Gates was still the same as what the four races had wished for, there were some changes.
At first, only the talented could enter the Heavenly Gates. As long as one had the ability, one would be able to enter. But now, elites from level-6 to level-8 civilizations made up the main bulk of pupils. Occasionally, there would be experts from level-5 civilizations who would be selected to join. How about level-4 civilizations? No one had ever heard of them joining.
What kind of place was the Heavenly Gates? Not only was this a place where experts were nurtured for the sake of the Heaven, but it was an important place where powers were differentiated. Those who were able to come here, regardless of whether they ascended to Heaven or remained in the Land, would form factions and would definitely be the future rulers of the entire Land. However, what was a fellow from a lowly level-4 civilization supposed to rule? A kitchen? Frankly speaking, in the eyes of the large powers, level-4 civilizations were simply beings that provided cheap labor and could be exploited.
...
A massive amount of energy was activated, and he only spent the blink of an eye in the transmission pathway. Frankly speaking, activating such a massive energy transmission platform for such a short distance was too luxurious and a waste.
Both Catanlyke District and Heavenly Pond District were in the Land and were not far away from each other in reality. However, those who headed towards the Heavenly Pond District usually chose to use the transmission array. This was mainly because the Heavenly Pond was the center of the Land, with too many road restrictions and troublesome layers of checks. Furthermore, the people who came here were all rich and powerful, and were definitely not commoners. They would not allow the low-leveled civilians any chance to sneak into the Heavenly Pond District.
All Wang Zhong saw before him were advanced civilizations and races, such as the familiar goblin race, the winged race, the Machinery race, the Titan race, and so on. Needless to say, although they had unique appearances, there did not seem to be any strange shapes that were too difficult to accept. Everyone seemed to have a pure aura. The guys were handsome, and the girls were pretty, creating a visually attractive scene. This was a definite sign of the development of a civilization. The higher the level of a civilization, the longer they had developed for. Thus, their intelligence, spirit, and other aspects were advanced, forming a unique aura. They also pursued a conventional standard of beauty, which formed a part of their evolution.
Whoosh…
Just as Wang Zhong stepped out of the transmission area, a flight vehicle stopped in front of him. The flight vehicle was round and was about two meters long, but only about one meter high. It was like a ride for midgets. However, he did not expect a two-meter tall machine to walk out when the vehicle door opened.
"Hello, Mr. Wang Zhong. I am in charge of bringing you to the Heavenly Gates. Please follow me."
Evidently, someone would lead him to the Heavenly Gates the first time he arrived in order to prevent new pupils from losing their way. Wang Zhong took this flight vehicle, which was rather strange. This vehicle was only one meter tall on the outside and was like a toy, but the inside was extremely spacious. Not only were there two wide leather sofas, the ceiling was around three meters high as well, as if someone had expanded the space inside by three times.
Back at Catanlyke District, Lao Wang had heard Mugthol talk about this kind of Machinery race flight vehicle, which contained paradise on the inside. This was a true and living machine. When he sat inside, he could even sense the consciousness and feelings of this machine. It was rather friendly and made him feel comfortable and relaxed.
The tall machine sat opposite Wang Zhong. His head shone slightly, as if it was carrying out simple communication in his consciousness. Evidently, this kind of living instrument did not need to be driven. Once it received instructions and a destination, the doors of the vehicle closed, and the scenery outside the windows flew past at an alarming speed. On the other hand, the inside was unusually tranquil. They did not even feel as if they were in the process of rapid travel. Opposite him, the machine did not speak much and simply accompanied Wang Zhong. His gaze was peaceful, and he was like a statue that did not have any change in expression. This usual state of the Machinery race often caused people to think that they were cold and expressionless, but for some reason, Wang Zhong did not feel that they were cold.
The entire Heavenly Pond District occupied a large area. Although the central area had been completely occupied by the Heavenly Gates, many races occupied the land in the outskirts. This area was much more prosperous than the Catanlyke District. Flight vehicles that were rarely seen in the Catanlyke District could be seen everywhere in the Heavenly Pond District. Furthermore, those who were able to use flight vehicles evidently did not care about using up a bit of their energy and resources. Of course, most of them were the nouveau riche and experts. The gravity and spiritual pressure in the Heavenly Pond District were higher compared to other districts. Thus, the weak had to use tools to protect themselves or reduce their daily physical energy consumption. Meanwhile, true experts viewed all these with disdain.
Tools that were invented to bring about convenience were considered heresy to experts. They were useless items that would hinder the process of getting closer to nature. In the Land, technological products were indispensable items that were required for survival. However, as these tools were used by the large civilizations, they were also rejected by those at the top. This was quite a conflict.
Various virtual projection advertisements filled the streets. Some were filled with undisguised desires, while others were bloody and violent. Of course, there were some cheerful and optimistic advertisements. There were also some recruiting advertisements for large Factions. The mix of various styles immediately allowed others to sense the free atmosphere here.
The massive Heavenly River in the distance could be seen clearly. He could see a milky white, funnel-shaped waterfall falling from the sky, through the glass windows and transparent dome of the flight vehicle. The top of the waterfall was extremely wide and had a width of several dozen kilometers. The Heavenly River surged mightily, but when it reached the ground, the waterfall only had a diameter of several dozen meters. The Heavenly River accumulated on the ground and formed a lake, which was called the Heavenly Pond. Extremely thick spiritual influence rose from the Heavenly Pond.
The water from the Heavenly Pond was unlike the water from the Heavenly River, which possessed a great threat. This was the most valuable "pure water" in the Land. Not only did it contain rich spiritual influence, it was also a necessary item in refining advanced medicines and even weapons. Furthermore, in the distance, Wang Zhong could already see the layers of guards around the Heavenly Pond. Various guards who emitted powerful defensive abilities could be seen everywhere and formed layers of defense. One could well imagine this. After all, one of the most valuable resources in the Land could be obtained easily from the lake. If they did not enforce strict defenses and strictly controlled this area, the entire pond would have been emptied by now.
The flight vehicle stopped in front of a massive arched door. The machine respectfully sent Wang Zhong off before immediately leaving.
The arched door did not seem ordinary. It was 30 to 40 meters tall and 100 meters wide. The arched door seemed to have been made out of some kind of ancient wood, and there were marks left behind from the flow of time. It emitted a faint but refreshing scent of wood. Dense mist surged in the surroundings, as if spiritual influence was circulating about. The door was rather simple.
Just as Wang Zhong was staring at the door, he suddenly felt as if the door was moving. Closely after, countless branches and leaves spread out from the arched door and Star Alliance characters.
"Violent Demon Era, 58th Batch"
The calendar in the Land was very interesting. Every 1,000 years was considered an era, and the eras rotated among the four races in the Heaven. This seemed to represent how the four races ruled by rotating control of the divine territory amongst themselves. Every 10 years, the Heavenly Gates array would welcome a new batch. Since this was the 58th batch, this meant that this was the 580th year of the Violent Demon era.
The sky was filled with Heavenly Gates pupils flying out from the arched door, while only a few of them were walking on the ground. Wang Zhong, who walked through the door with his legs, was rather conspicuous.
"A Foundational Stage? A celestialoid?"
"I heard that a celestialoid from a level-4 civilization received an invitation to join the Heavenly Gates array. Heh heh, is that the one?"
"Hmph, what a disgrace." Someone looked at him with disdain and passed by him in the sky. Even glancing at Wang Zhong through the corner of his eye made him feel as if his eyes had been dirtied. "The Heavenly Gates array is becoming less strict. Pieces of trash who sneak in through the gaps or get in through the back door are all able to come here now."
"I heard that he defeated an official member of the Heavenly Gates array."
"So what? Those kinds of unofficial battles do not have any reliability. Even if they have some combat power, those from level-4 civilizations are barbarians whose hair hasn't even grown properly. If they are able to reach this stage, they are already at their peak. What potential do they have to tap on?"
"If these kinds of people are sent to the Heavenly Gates, even if they go to combat cultivation, it will still be a waste of resources. Go, go, go. I feel unlucky just standing here!"
There were three large sections in the Heavenly Gates: elixir refinery, weapon refinery, and combat cultivation.
Combat cultivation was placed last, and those who entered the Combat Cultivation Hall almost had no possibility of accumulating their Gold Core. However, the Heavenly Gates still had to cultivate them. After all, forming their Gold Core was not their only goal. To the rulers of the Land, a certain level of combat power was necessary and indispensable. The various large powers also needed "thugs", including those from the Heavenly Gates.
But even in the Combat Cultivation Hall, the weakest civilization to ever enter was a level-5 civilization. Furthermore, they were definitely the super-geniuses among the level-5 civilizations who had already formed their Void Core.
How about someone from a level-4 civilization who had not even achieved his Void Core? Even someone like him could enter the Heavenly Gates array. To be honest, even before Lao Wang had registered, he was already famous.
It was precisely because of his presence that his batch was called the most-lowly batch. The "heavenly favored" who were mysteriously labeled as such were definitely irritated.
However, Lao Wang was very pleased with himself. After all, there was a glimmer of hope for him here. The cultivation environment here was much better than in Heavenly Treasures Street. Regardless of who had helped him behind the scenes, this was definitely a good thing for him. As for the biting sarcasm he faced, all of them were flying high in the sky when they said all these. Who would be able to hear them? One's mood was not something that should be endured. Instead, one had to have an open mind and think of good things. With less darkness, one's mood would naturally be more relaxed, and it would be difficult to cause any conflict.
Once he walked through the arched door, it would mean that he had stepped into the Heavenly Gates. The area that the Heavenly Gates occupied was very vast. Other than the Heavenly Pond in the center, there were several dozen square kilometers of land around it. It was enough to hold a large city like the Holy City.
The areas inside were intricate and complicated. Even the outer areas that new pupils could go to comprised several layers: the living area, the competition area, the sermon area, the medicine area, and so on. With a simple map that the machine had given to him, he found the place where new pupils registered. After he registered his name into the records, a seal that looked like the arched door outside was stamped on his wrist. Thus, the process was complete.
"Hold on to your dog tag and find your hostel at the foot of Boy Mountain." The person dealing with the procedures for him was an unusually tall Titan. Even while he was sitting, he was a full seven to eight meters tall. The extremely wide table almost completely concealed Lao Wang, even covering his head. A small jade-green tag was thrown down from above. "Tomorrow is the welcome ceremony for the new pupils of the Violent Demon 58th Batch. It will be held on the Central Square of the Heavenly Gates. Do not be late!"
The Titan's voice was extremely awe-inspiring and vast, as if his voice was accompanied by lightning and great calamity. Lao Wang felt as if he would turn dead if this Titan spoke any louder. Thus, even though new pupils were shouting and making a din outside, only the Titan's voice could be heard in this house. In the face of this kind of presence, others did not even have the courage to speak, and Wang Zhong was no exception.
He could not imagine that an existence like this was only in charge of registering his admission. Was this a legendary Gold Core expert? Lao Wang was slightly excited.
All the experts who had been chosen to join the Heavenly Gates were divided into collective hostels. Of course, those who lived in these hostels were mostly disciples from low-leveled cultivations. After all, there were many people in the hostels, so it was messy. Those who had the status and background would rent an individual place for ease of cultivation. However, this was evidently not something that Lao Wang would think of doing.
Finding the hostel was very easy. The outskirts of the Heavenly Gates were covered in various kinds of hills that surrounded the many Heavenly River branches. A majority of these hills were not tall. They surrounded the most important Heavenly River and the highest peak of the Heavenly Gates Mountain like stars gathering around a moon. These hills were like boys who were bowing with their hands clasped in front of them, which was why this place was called Boy Mountain.
Wang Zhong's hostel was at the foot of Area 78 at Boy Mountain. From the distance, he could see a small house that looked like a mushroom. It was said that it was a paradise inside the hostel, and the hostel was not as small as it seemed on the outside. The folding technology used in living spaces was very rarely seen in places like Catanlyke District but was rather common in Heavenly Gates. Of course, there was an essential difference between this and a fragment world. This was simply a change to the inside of a living space, a special living being. Just like the Machinery race flight vehicle earlier, the mushroom house in front of him was expanded by three or four times all the way to its peak. This kind of mushroom house was also exclusive to new pupils and represented their status as new pupils.
Various strange and bizarre things were normal here. Wang Zhong finally had a high-end feeling since he came to the divine territory, unlike the earlier Catanlyke District. Frankly speaking, Catanlyke District was like a vegetable market.
There were many mushroom houses at the foot of this mountain. Wang Zhong used the numbers on the door to look for his hostel. He saw that his door had been left unlocked and opened it. He then saw a massive and ugly monster machine lying on the bed near the door. Meanwhile, a large and messy pile of objects occupied the bed opposite the door. When the massive and ugly monster machine saw Wang Zhong come in, it flashed its sharp teeth. A terrifying stench wafted from its mouth. Then, it spoke fiercely.
"Little fellow! Go to that corner and stay there. At night, lay out your own makeshift bed. In this hostel, I have the say!"
Was it from the Monster Machinery race?
He smiled and looked at the machine.
"What are you looking at?" The machine monster was furious. "Are you asking for death? Didn't you hear what I said?! With your small figure, I can split you in half with one slap!"
"Heh heh." Wang Zhong simply walked over and clenched his fist.
This fellow looked rather frightening, but Lao Wang had never seen such a talkative machine. Although this was Lao Wang's first time here, he had seen the world. Not everyone could scare him.
Boom!
A punch was delivered without any hesitation and smashed the stomach of the monster machine.
Rumble… It was too easy. The fellow did not even have the thought of fighting back. Its large stomach sunk in from this punch, and it crashed to the ground along with its bed, kicking up some dust.
"Aiya!" The monster machine's shocked voice sounded from underneath the collapsed bed. "You actually dare to hit me?!"
Wang Zhong did not say anything else. He casually threw the backpack on his back aside and threw his fist down once again.
Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang!
The massive monster machine was relatively unskilled in fighting. Even before it could shout something aggressive, its entire face was distorted in no time. Closely after, there was a bang, and its massive body exploded like a phantom, turning into a winged and pig-shaped spirit.
At that moment, it was badly beaten up and had a bitter expression on its face. It fiercely flapped its two wings and wanted to escape. However, Wang Zhong easily stopped it by pulling on its wings.
"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! I was wrong!" The flying pig monster hugged its head and pitifully wailed, "You are the boss! You have the say in this hostel! You have the say!"
It had changed form. Was it from the illusion race?
Wang Zhong was not surprised but was rather curious. He had heard Old Cow mention some well-known races in the divine territory. The illusion race was a level-5 civilization, but since Old Cow had specially mentioned them, it was evident that they had some special strengths. They were especially adept in magic. It seemed to have a distant relationship with Big White, the Dimensional Wanderer King that Wang Zhong had once taken in.
However, this flying pig monster's magic was obviously much more advanced than Big White's magic. Wang Zhong had not been able to see through the monster-machine illusion. Even when he started to beat the machine up, the realistic texture had made it hard for him to differentiate illusion from reality.