Chapter 58.1: Blue Sea Aesthetics
Cheng Qisheng looked at the Blue Sea citizens hovering above the snowy plains and couldn’t help rubbing her forehead.
The people of Blue Sea had worshipped the Great Creator God since the dawn of their civilization. Aside from the Creator, they had never believed in any other deity, so they had no concept of demons or evil gods.
They didn’t even have the concept of heresy.
Because every Blue Sea citizen, from the moment they were born, was wholeheartedly devoted to the Great Creator.
It didn’t matter whether they loved war or how many nations existed among them—their faith had always remained united.
So they never thought the Skywing Dragon’s slightly sinister-looking wings were ugly.
To them, that intimidating, almost malevolent appearance simply meant one thing:
It was imposing.
And imposing = stronger in battle = a good thing.
By Blue Sea standards of beauty, the reaction was simply:
“Those black, hard, razor-sharp bony wings are so cool!”
Just look at those sleek, deadly lines.
Look at the cold, wind-resistant membrane stretched between the bones.
Look at the faint blackish-purple patterns along the edges, tinged with crimson like fresh blood—
Not to mention what they represented: the conquest of the skies, while also increasing the wearer’s combat power.
Everything about them captivated the people of Blue Sea.
They absolutely adored those enormous wings.
When the AI first announced the Flight Wings, the entire Blue Sea civilization erupted with excitement. From ninety-year-old elders to four- and five-year-old children, everyone was talking about how desperately they wanted a pair.
Naturally, many merchants spotted a business opportunity.
They began crafting and selling all kinds of accessories designed to match the Flight Wings.
As for what kinds of fashion items went well with these ominous-looking giant wings…
Beautiful skull necklaces, rings, and brooches, hand-carved from the bones of snow beasts.
Jet-black hardened combat breastplates accented with crimson blood-red patterns.
Black hooded cloaks that oozed mystery, concealing half the wearer’s face.
One particularly ingenious artisan had a flash of inspiration.
They began making weathered combat uniforms and battle boots, painstakingly adding realistic battle scars and slashes by hand so the gear looked battered, brutal, and battle-hardened—without affecting its functionality.
The moment the products hit the market, Blue Sea citizens bought them out in a frenzy.
To Blue Sea aesthetics, every single item was perfect.
Even those who hadn’t managed to obtain a pair of Flight Wings were happy to spend their points on one or two matching fashion accessories, imagining the day they would claim a pair of wings for themselves in the next battle against the Skywing Dragons.
One distinctive trait of the Blue Sea people was that, under normal circumstances, they all had their own tastes and opinions.
But the moment combat was involved, everyone’s sense of style instantly became the same.
It had to be cool.
It had to look awesome.
It had to radiate overwhelming intimidation.
As a result, whenever a particular style of combat gear became popular, nearly everyone followed the trend.
Which meant that these thousand-plus Blue Sea citizens wearing Flight Wings were dressed almost identically, differing only in the smallest details.
To be fair, it wasn’t unattractive.
Even now, as Cheng Qisheng looked at the thousand or so Blue Sea warriors hovering in midair—dressed in pitch-black combat suits, adorned with finely crafted skull ornaments, their upper faces partially hidden beneath black hoods while black masks covered the lower halves of their faces…
She had to admit the sight possessed a certain cold, ruthless beauty.
After all, the people of Blue Sea loved fighting, and when they weren’t fighting, they loved exercising. Regardless of age or gender, they were all in excellent shape.
You could pick any Blue Sea citizen at random, and whatever they wore would look sleek and well-fitted, making them appear capable, sharp, and intimidating.
But honestly…
As good as they looked…
They really didn’t look like the good guys.
Whether this were a TV drama or a movie, with an entrance like that, dressed like that, no one would believe they weren’t the villains.
Just look at that silver-haired woman who had come out and grabbed Tian Buke.
The fear in her eyes was practically overflowing.
Who would ever believe that these “arch-villains” hovering in the sky were, without exception, all deeply in debt, carrying layer upon layer of loans?
To begin with, Flight Wings were extremely expensive to manufacture.
Then there were all the matching “fashion accessories,” which weren’t cheap either.
Take those jet-black tactical masks, for example. They were military-grade equipment sold to the public, and a single one cost 388 points.
Yet most Blue Sea citizens bought one as soon as they had enough points—not only because the masks provided protection from wind and heat, but because they looked cool.
And the fact that they were genuine military-issued gear only made them more desirable.
Whenever the Blue Sea government wanted to encourage consumer spending, it would release a new batch of high-priced military equipment. Every single time, crowds of people happily lined up to spend their hard-earned points.
And now Cheng Qisheng understood exactly why these thousand-plus Blue Sea citizens would rather hover in the freezing high-altitude winds than simply land.
She could vaguely sense the emotions of her followers.
The main reason was simple:
They thought hovering in midair looked incredibly stylish.
Hovering with the Flight Wings wasn’t easy. For Blue Sea citizens, who had acquired their wings rather than being born with them, it required considerable skill and precise control.
Being able to remain perfectly suspended in the air was proof that they had fully mastered their Flight Wings—a subtle but unmistakable display of combat prowess.
On top of that, they had come in response to a divine oracle.
The Blue Sea citizens who rushed over all realized that the Great Creator might be watching this region at that very moment.
So they deliberately slowed the beat of their wings, spreading their magnificent black wings as wide as possible. They casually—though not too casually—straightened the various black accessories they wore, eagerly hoping to show their finest selves to their God.
Anticipation.
Joy.
Delight.
Pride.
Adoration.
Cheng Qisheng’s eyes saw a thousand sinister-looking, awe-inspiring four-winged “supervillains.”
But through the bond of faith, what she felt was a thousand followers so happy they practically wanted to romp around wagging their tails.
Cheng Qisheng couldn’t help laughing.
Forget it. If they looked like villains, then they looked like villains. As long as the kids were happy.
She went down the line, patting each of them on the head. Through the blessings she bestowed, she immediately felt their emotions returning to her—greater joy, happiness, and excitement.
I really need to figure out a more efficient way to give blessings.
Patting heads one by one isn’t going to work forever.
As she continued blessing her followers, Cheng Qisheng simultaneously designated the two strongest Blue Sea warriors to go down and speak with Tian Buke’s group.
The moment they received the divine oracle, the two Blue Sea citizens moved at once, beating their wings as they descended gracefully to the ground.
After landing, they first faced the sky, placed a hand over their hearts, lowered their heads respectfully, and offered a formal salute.
Only then did they turn to Tian Buke.
“Our God’s oracle instructs that you are to remain here until everyone has arrived before setting out.”
Tian Buke blinked in surprise.
“There’s… still more?”
Haven’t more than a thousand people already shown up?
Anyone qualified to wear Flight Wings—aside from a lucky fluke like him, who had gotten his through sheer good fortune—should have a combat rating of at least sixty-five. Combined with the aerial advantage provided by the wings, and it still wasn’t enough?
The Blue Sea warrior, dressed in an expensive, battle-worn combat uniform, replied,
“As far as I know, all three thousand of us who left the Temple received the oracle.”
That morning, the three thousand of them had departed the Safe City in groups, scattering in different directions to search for places suitable for long-term settlement.
Then the divine oracle had arrived.
Their group happened to include the fastest and most skilled fliers. Another two thousand people either couldn’t fly as quickly as they could or had started from farther away, and were still on their way.
Instinctively, Tian Buke tightened his grip on the Universal Translation Meme in his hands.
Then he caught himself and held it out to the Blue Sea warrior instead.
“This thing really must be important. Big Sis, maybe you should hold onto it.”
He was only eighteen years old. The Blue Sea warrior in front of him looked to be at least twenty-five or twenty-six, so calling her “Big Sis” didn’t seem inappropriate.
“My name is Lang Feiyue. You can just call me Sister Feiyue. This is Qin Chongming.”
The man in his early thirties gave a silent nod.
Lang Feiyue didn’t take the Universal Translation Meme. Instead, she looked seriously at Tian Buke.
“The oracle we received wasn’t to escort the item. It was to ensure your safety and bring you back to the Safe City unharmed.”
“You are important. So, to prevent any accidents, we’ll wait until everyone has arrived before setting out.”
If this had been any other civilization, people would undoubtedly have pressed for details—Why? What happened?
But this was Blue Sea.
Tian Buke and Arnold obediently acknowledged the instruction, then immediately moved to stand beside the two older Blue Sea citizens, placing themselves under their protection.
“Okay. We won’t wander off.”
We may not know why we’re important… but this is a divine oracle.
If it comes from the Great Creator, then there must be a good reason for it.
“Oh, right. It was the golden item card they gave me that produced the Universal Translation Meme. I’ve already asked our God for permission, and the Great Creator has agreed to let their whole family come back to Blue Sea with us.”
The moment Lang Feiyue heard that it had been approved by their God, her expression grew even more solemn.
“Understood. We’ll bring them back safely.”
She turned toward the silver-haired woman, the silver-haired man who had hurried outside, then glanced at the silver-haired child peeking timidly out the cabin window.
“Are there only the three of you?”
Arnold immediately began translating with energetic gestures, supplementing his explanation with drawings. Combined with their earlier communication, the family finally understood what they meant.
“No! We—we aren’t just three Ctx people!”
The silver-haired woman hurriedly spoke up.
“We… we’re a large clan. There are 246 of us. C-could you… take all of us with you?”
Yes.
The moment they saw the sky filled with countless Blue Sea people, they changed their minds.
If, earlier, they had still been hesitating—still worried that leaving with these aliens might lead to an even harsher life than before—then that concern vanished completely the moment they saw more than a thousand Blue Sea citizens wearing insulated cold-weather gear and bearing Skywing Dragon wings.
Cold-weather suits were not easy items to obtain.
For Blue Sea to have over a thousand of them meant that they must have opened at least tens of thousands of white-rank item cards.
And when the silver-haired couple noticed the protective way Lang Feiyue and Qin Chongming positioned themselves around Tian Buke and Arnold, they immediately realized something else.
Those two aliens, who seemed incredibly powerful to them, were probably considered the younger generation among their own people.
The drawing Arnold had made—the one showing Planet Dazzling Star eventually being destroyed—suddenly became far more believable.
Many Dazzling Star people had already sensed that the temperature was steadily dropping, and that the snow beasts were becoming more numerous and harder to deal with.
If the world truly was headed toward destruction, no Dazzling Star person would find that surprising.
This brutal world, where survival meant fighting snow beasts every single day, had gradually given the Dazzling Star people the same trait as the Blue Sea civilization:
A deep admiration for strength.
Following the strong always gave you a better chance of surviving.
Not to mention the thousand warriors in the sky above them. Each pair of wings represented the death of a Skywing Dragon.
The sheer implication was terrifying—and at the same time, incredibly reassuring, like grabbing hold of a powerful protector.
The two Dazzling Star adults eagerly promoted their clan.
“We can hunt, we can tan hides and fur, and we know many snow beasts’ weak points. Please take us with you.”
After another round of difficult communication, Lang Feiyue finally understood what they were asking.
“No problem.”
More than a thousand people had arrived in the first wave alone. Bringing back a little over two hundred local residents would be effortless by comparison.
“Our relatives include someone who’s seriously ill and can only lie in bed. It might be troublesome… but we can carry her ourselves.”
Lang Feiyue shook her head.
“That’s not necessary. We can handle it.”
We’ll just carry the bed back while flying. Simple enough.
“Go gather everyone. Once everyone’s here, we’ll set off.”
After settling the matter, she turned to Qin Chongming.
The two had known each other for some time. In the previous world, Qin had been a team leader, and their teams had fought side by side.
“Don’t you have a few teammates up there too?”
Qin Chongming nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Ask them to help transport the locals.”
“Mm.”
He flew back into the air without saying a word. Reaching his teammates, he simply patted each of them on the shoulder and pointed toward the ground.
The five of them immediately followed him down.
Since the Blue Sea people couldn’t directly communicate with the Dazzling Star locals, the silver-haired man had gone back inside the cabin while Qin was flying up.
When the six Blue Sea citizens landed, he emerged carrying a round object about the size of a soccer ball, tightly wrapped in animal hide.
He peeled away the hide, revealing a flint and steel that had clearly come from an item card. Striking the flint, he ignited the sphere.
It quickly caught fire.
Thick blue-green smoke billowed upward, carried by the wind as the plume grew denser and denser.
Qin Chongming, who had remained silent the whole time, stared at the colored smoke. His eyes suddenly lit up.
“How do you make…?”
He had barely rasped out four words before stopping himself.
His voice was shot.
It was so hoarse that he now sounded like a Skywing Dragon screeching.
After obtaining his Flight Wings, Qin Chongming had been so excited that, the moment he mastered flying, he had immediately flown out of the Safe City just to enjoy himself.
He repeatedly soared to great heights, then folded his wings and plunged straight toward the ground, only to spread them again at the very last instant and shoot back into the sky.
It was exhilarating.
It was unbelievably fun.
So the entire time, Qin Chongming had been laughing and shouting at the top of his lungs.
He had literally shouted his voice out.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t speak anymore. But his voice had become so unpleasant that Qin Chongming, who cared a great deal about his image, preferred to keep his mouth shut whenever possible.
The silver-haired man had been quietly observing both Qin Chongming and Lang Feiyue the whole time.
Seeing this only put him more at ease.
Someone who would rather stay silent simply because his voice sounds bad… there’s no way he could be a bad person, right?
