The Gate of Heaven was not a 'gate' per se. It was a cube. The cube was like crystal, refracting all lights to create a myriad display of dazzling colors. Yan Zaizen felt his breath stuck in his chest as he saw this cube.
The odd thing was the cube's position. It was balancing on one of its tips and was spiraling slowly. The slow spiral was incredibly beautiful with the combination of the shifting colors. "A gate…" Pondering on this, Yan Zaizen turned to Mei who had her eyes reflecting the shimmer of the cube.
"This divine object is the Gate of Heaven." Mei was quite excited, nearly fanatical.
Yan Zaizen looked around and learned that the cube wasn't guarded openly. It was placed on a lone jade platform without any guard. The cube itself wasn't large, no more than twenty meters high despite balancing on its tip, but it gave one a sensation of being infinitely vast within.
There were a few people looking at the cube like a tourist attraction, but no one was making ways towards the cube. Yan Zaizen's brows furrowed, "is there a wait time before one can enter?" Yan Zaizen asked because spatial platforms were often activated on a set schedule. He felt that since this cube sent one into the Heavenly Origin Grounds, many people should've wished to enter.
However, he was shocked to hear what Mei had to say next. "No. The Gate is always open, and one simply needs to enter."
"If that's so, why isn't anyone entering?" Yan Zaizen asked, inspecting the crowd once more. It was like this object of the highest degree was nothing more than a tourist attraction. It felt so odd that he couldn't wrap his head around it.
Mei warily smiled, slightly embarrassed and also disdainful of Yan Zaizen, "The Gate of Heaven has been here since time Immemorial, open every second of every day. All those who wish to enter, have entered. Not to mention, the Gate of Heaven leads to the Fortune Cemetery. It is a place that is synonymously known for its fortune within and absurd death rate."
Yan Zaizen ruminated on her words. It made some sense. Ezekiel had informed him that the Fortune Cemetery contained high amounts of perils and death. It's unlikely that those born in the Paradise Sword Realm would feel the need to leave this blessed cultivation environment for danger and likely death.
"Is the Fortune Cemetery truly horrible?"
"..." Mei slowly turned around, looked at Yan Zaizen directly in the eyes. No more did her eyes contain fanaticism or, but a dense and heavy seriousness that caused Yan Zaizen to reflect such emotions.
"Yes."
"I see." Yan Zaizen glanced at the cube once more, "why?"
"There are many reasons, but only two sets itself apart. The Heavenly Origin Grounds is strange and odd, mysterious and ancient. One of these reasons is the fortune within leading to greed. If I had to say in the entire heavens which place had the most treasures, then the Fortune Cemetery is undisputedly the top location. It contains countless and nearly infinite heavenly materials, a massive amount of heavenly crystal mines, and inheritances left by Heavenly Monarchs!"
"This isn't even the rarest of things. There are rumors of items left by Celestials!" When Mei reached this point, his eyes became exceptionally bright.
"Celestial?" Yan Zaizen couldn't help but ask.
"Celestials! They are those legendary figures! You know!" Mei said, but Yan Zaizen pursed his lips. Mei obviously didn't know a single thing about celestials, so he didn't bother. Instead, he asked, "what's the second reason?"
"Ah, yes!" Mei realized she nearly lost her track of thoughts, "the odd thing is that the Fortune Cemetery doesn't allow any path outside of the Heavenly Path, Fiendgod Path, Soul Source Path, Origin Path, and Dao Path." She explained.
"Only allows those five paths?" Yan Zaizen furrowed his brows. Then, he recalled Ezekiel's words of the Fortune Cemetery being 'difficult' for him. Was this the reason? However, he was a Herculean! It rivaled the Heavenly Path, likely even exceeds it, how could it be restricted? Not to mention, that related to the refinement of the physical body. Could that be taken away?
"Mhm." Mei looked at Yan Zaizen once more and realized his Fiendgod Cultivation was only at the rank two, and even had the lowest foundation. She didn't believe Yan Zaizen was here to enter but merely to tour the area, so she didn't even conceive the thought of this inconvenience.
"There is also something else," Mei suddenly recalled something, "it contains a vast quantity of races and cultivators. It's nearly impossible to describe how many, as they originate from all thirty-three heavens! It is a blood grounds filled with complex statuses and cultivators. A lawless area with even locals, those who were born there."
She paused for a bit and continued, "however, it does contain an odd race...they have many names but are like beasts! They are everywhere and are considered nearly infinite and odd." Mei felt like she had explained a lot, but her knowledge was inevitably lacking. After all, she was merely in her early teens and haven't thought too much about the Fortune Cemetery.
"I see…" Yan Zaizen casually nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. If the Herculean Path was restricted, would his cultivation be severely limited? Should he cultivate his heavenly path before entering?
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"How long would it take to gather enough resources?" Yan Zaizen seriously contemplated this matter, even factoring in chaotic space. He only had one hundred years, not a minute more or less. With his Herculean cultivation base, he could go about stealing and robbing, but this was the Paradise Sword Realm, and he couldn't take any action here.
He inspected his Meteor Ring's contents and felt massively depressed. Losing everything in a moment felt horrible, especially after he had invested so much into it. He had no heavenly materials left, and that's the crucial aspect. He did have heavenly crystals, more than enough to re-cultivate, even cultivate beyond the sixth-floor, but it was only one crucial aspect of a shrine.
The heavenly materials were the most important for him due to the uniqueness of his heavenly shrine.
"Is there a place to buy heavenly materials?" Yan Zaizen asked, he wouldn't do anything stupid like go in unprepared. If his Herculean cultivation was sealed in the Cemetery, he would be taking a considerable risk.
"Yes. Many, actually." Mei mused for a bit and replied. The Paradise Sword Realm was not only the top realm in the 17th Heaven, but it was also the location of the Gate of Heaven. In the Fortune Cemetery, heavenly materials were abundant beyond belief. How could they be lacking?
"You wish to purchase materials?" Mei asked curiously. Yan Zaizen was at the same cultivation as her, but he had a heavenly foundation, so all he needed was comprehension and sufficient resources to ascend to the Heavenly Path.
"Mhm. It would be best to go to the best market in heavenly materials dealing, specifically one that sells any and all types." Yan Zaizen stated. He had a boundless wealth in terms of heavenly crystals, so he had no hesitation in spending.
Mei furrowed her brows, "How do you plan to purchase?"
Confused, Yan Zaizen answered, "Heavenly crystals."
"..." Mei went silent.
"What?" Yan Zaizen didn't understand her reaction.
"You do know this is THE Paradise Sword Realm. Not only that, this is the 17th Heaven. No, it would be better to say this is a Heavenly Area." Mei spoke with an odd voice. Her eyes couldn't restrain the disdain.
Yan Zaizen was reaching the limit of his patience with her disdainful looks. "Explain." However, he remained calm.
"...Heavenly Law Liquid or Crystals are essentially limitless here. It's like water or rocks, only suitable for one thing. However, every force has elite heavenly cultivators who can easily create these with a little bit of their time. Heavenly materials aren't limitless, however. It takes time to form, and even with a high comprehension and cultivation base, creating them require a suitable environment and circumstances. Not to mention, natural forming materials are better than specific heavenly materials aligned with a conceptual law of a cultivator." Mei explained.
"However...as I said...liquid or crystals, its like water, and stones. They can and are produced with a thought and in the Paradise Sword Realm...you must've noticed the dense heavenly aura, no?"
"..." Yan Zaizen was calmly outwardly, processing her words and finding some logic in it, but his heart was not calm. In fact, it was pounding so hard that he was nearly about to explode in rage. He felt like a man who was given a check for a billion dollars and learned it was fake.
"So...what is used as currency?" Yan Zaizen remained calm, patiently asking.
"Well...heavenly materials." She awkwardly said. "Trading heavenly materials for heavenly materials. In truth...heavenly materials are used for everything. Often, experts spend time making their own and then trading it for whatever they need or for themselves."
"..."
"..."
"Screw this!" Yan Zaizen suddenly shouted, his mind reaching the limit. "To hell with Hell! To hell with all this shit!" Yan Zaizen felt too depressed; it reflected in rage as he cursed Hell as a whole. Mei was taken aback by his sudden outburst. She even thought she saw Yan Zaizen's eyes grow a little wet.
"I'm...poor?"