Blue Card Starry Sky

Chapter 1 Gantang Village

In the vast universe, in this boundless ocean, there is a desolate land where countless species of living beings reside.

This is the boundary of the Endless Sea. Humans, beastmen, winged races, sea creatures, and demons live on this fertile continent. Most humans and beastmen inhabit the coastal lands, while the sea creatures and demons reside on the vast islands of the Endless Sea. The winged races are found everywhere, and are the most prominent races of this land.

For tens of millions of years, the five tribes have been constantly fighting, warring, merging, and splitting in the endless sea. Many smaller tribes, in order to survive, have been forced to flee to more remote places. The small fishing village of Gantang by the sea is one such village, far removed from strife and war, where life is simple and peaceful.

One early morning, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon and the villagers had not yet come out to play, a long whistle broke the tranquility of the place. A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by deafening thunder.

"Swish," "Boom,"

A deafening roar echoed from the distant, deep forests. Chaos reigned in the distance; flames soared into the sky, lightning flashed, and thunder roared. The entire Mensomm Mountains shook violently, and black, demonic clouds instantly blanketed the mountain range, plunging everything into complete darkness, as if night had fallen. Explosions, bursts of light, and incessant thunder echoed from within the darkness, creating a scene of utter terror, like the end of the world. The villagers were terrified, hiding themselves in fear, afraid to utter a sound lest they be caught in the calamity and lose their lives.

"Mommy, what happened? Why are we hiding?" the child asked his mother curiously.

"Baby, there are bad people outside, so we need to hide," the young mother said to her child.

……

The strange commotion in the deep mountains lasted for three days and three nights, shrouded in demonic darkness. It was a long time before the thunder ceased, the turmoil subsided, and color slowly returned to the sky as the darkness gradually faded. The sun finally appeared at midday, its blazing rays illuminating the earth. Smoke still lingered in the mountains, and the sounds of burning and collapsing trees could be heard intermittently.

The villagers emerged from their hiding places, gazing with puzzlement at the distant Men'som Mountains. The elders had always said that the Men'som Mountains were mysterious, inhabited by unknown monsters and filled with enigmatic places. Ten thousand years ago, some daring ancestors ventured in to hunt, but none returned; they never came back. Therefore, the Men'som Mountains contained many forbidden areas, and no one dared to venture there rashly.

In the council hall of the fishing village, the elders were arguing and debating whether to send someone to investigate the situation in the Mensomm Mountains and see if anything was amiss. Finally, the chieftain gave the order, sending the tribe's bravest warrior to investigate.

Lan Feng received the clan chief's order and specially selected twenty warriors to accompany him. Lan Feng was the most valiant and skilled fighter in the clan, exceptionally intelligent and resourceful. He knew this mission was extremely dangerous, and the Mosom Mountains were teeming with wild beasts, including many high-ranking beastmen; a single misstep could make him their prey. Therefore, the area had always been a forbidden zone for the clan. This time, he brought all his most prized possessions with him, determined to return safely.

Several days passed quickly, but the news people were hoping for still hadn't arrived. Ten days passed... twenty days passed, a month passed, and there was still no movement or response from the Men'som Mountains. What had happened to the Men'som Mountains this time? Such a violent earthquake—was something bad about to happen? So much time had passed! Lan Feng and the others still hadn't returned. Were they in grave danger? The villagers were filled with anxiety; every day, someone would peer out at the village entrance, hoping to see them return!
……

"dong dong dong"

A rapid knocking at the door in the dead of night shattered the silence of the mountain village.

Hearing her husband return, the woman hurriedly got up and opened the door. A dark figure flashed into the room. Lan Feng appeared before her, carrying a child in his arms. "Quick, give him something to eat, he's starving!"

The woman quickly fetched some millet porridge for the child.

"Smack, smack"

The baby ate with great relish. A chubby, fair-skinned little boy made the woman incredibly happy. She had always wanted a son but hadn't been able to, and today her husband had brought home a big, healthy boy. Naturally, the woman was overjoyed and forgot all her previous worries. After the baby finished eating, he fell fast asleep.

"It's been so long since you got back?" the woman asked.

“Something strange happened. We got lost inside and only just found our way back. We almost couldn’t get out. It was terrifying, complete chaos. The whole valley was burned down, a lot of wild animals died, and we found a lot of good stuff…” Lan Feng kept rambling on and on.

"I specially brought this chubby little boy back for you."

"I love it, God bless me with a son."

……

In the clan's council hall, the entire village sat together, listening to the warriors' return and their stories.

It turned out that shortly after Lan Feng and his group entered the mountains, they encountered a dense fog and got lost. After an unknown amount of time, they came to a clearing where everything had been burned out. Ahead lay a large crater, several miles in circumference, constantly emitting multicolored light and billowing mist. A large sphere was spinning at the bottom of the crater. With a bang, the sphere exploded, revealing what looked like a child from a distance. Unsure of what to do, no one dared to approach. After a long while, Lan Feng finally mustered the courage to go forward alone.

Lan Feng saw a chubby little boy fast asleep inside. Beside the child were some clothes, two rings, a pendant, and a bundle. A gleaming short sword was also stuck in the ground. Lan Feng carefully observed the situation for a while, and finding nothing amiss, he carefully put everything away. Then, Lan Feng carefully picked up the child, wrapped him in his clothes, and looked at the child's sweet sleeping face. He suddenly thought of his woman and felt a surge of excitement; this was a son bestowed upon him by heaven!

The warriors brought back plenty of food, including many wild animals that had been burned to death. There was enough meat for the villagers to eat for quite some time. People lit fires, danced, and drank; the whole village was filled with joy and laughter. Today was a truly auspicious day for Gantang Village, a day of unprecedented happiness and joy. The villagers sang and danced, children, women, and the elderly all beaming with delight. Everyone gathered around the square, lighting a roaring bonfire. Every warrior was overjoyed, showing their best side. It was like a New Year's celebration, a lively and joyous occasion filled with drinking and eating meat.

……

(End of this chapter)