Immersed in the serene, lilting flute melody, Zhou Heng discovered that the space before his eyes had suddenly changed. He arrived in a lush green forest, where gentle, warm sunlight filtered through the gaps in the foliage, falling precisely on a stone that was not particularly large but exceptionally clean. A handsome young man with shoulder-length hair sat there in the warm sunlight, holding a flute and playing as his body swayed gently with the melody. Beside him, a pointed-eared elven man sat on the grass, holding a wooden pipa and continuously accompanying the handsome young man's flute melody.
Zhou Heng had seen the pointed-eared elven man before. He was the "Elven King" who had sat upon the Elven Throne. In that case, the handsome young man playing the flute on the stone was the true owner of the Elegant Ancient Flute, the Ancient Hero whose identity was still three question marks.
Zhou Heng tried to approach, but discovered that he could not move, as though he were merely a visitor to this space. When the flute fell silent, the handsome young man with shoulder-length hair suddenly chuckled. "The Vast Star Nation has no future."
The Elven King stopped playing and looked in the direction of the handsome young man's gaze, toward where the warm sunlight fell. "Why? The Vast Star Lord is in the prime of life. There should be a future."
The handsome young man held the Elegant Ancient Flute, twirling it playfully between his fingers, a hint of languor in his voice. "Because this is fate. The fate of the Vast Star Nation. Or perhaps this is the path he chose."
The Elven King raised his hand and gently beckoned at the air. A breeze and the green leaves scattered on the ground gathered in his palm