Their view was that if people aimed to become more beautiful for a righteous purpose, they would have a higher likelihood of success. And if it was for a grand purpose, they might truly become "a beauty that overturns nations and cities."
That is how society in the Ocho continent operated nowadays; such issues had been brought to the fore and subjected to scientific study. It was agreed that beauty, like singing, was an acquired skill, which could be achieved through substantial effort.
Ma Lin supported this phenomenon because women were willing to improve their morality, let the beauty of their souls spill out, create external allure, and try to prevent the ugliness of the soul from leading to physical unattractiveness.
Moreover, everyone also found that individuals of higher status in the extraordinary were generally better looking than common people.
For instance, Ma Lin, who hadn't put much effort into his appearance, still stood out much more than the average person.