Chapter Twenty-One: The Ultimate Allure of the Multiverse

“Oh, oh, oh! Is that really the little prince?”
“He’s actually appeared!”
“Damn, I can’t see him clearly!”
Every ten meters along the street, a holographic image lit up.
The elves participating in the celebration stopped in their tracks and turned as one to look at the images. There, on a stage as white as snow, a young boy walked with a light step. He wore a robe embroidered with golden thread and a mask that blurred his features, but his attire left no doubt—this was the little prince they all wished to see.

“So I just sing any song here?”
A clear, childish voice rang out from the projection.
“Yes, yes, just sing whatever you like—no one will see you,” answered a woman’s voice from the image.
“Will I really get more allowance?” the boy asked again.
“Really!” The woman’s answer was full of conviction.
“All right, then I’ll sing!” The boy sounded thoroughly content.

In the taverns, many elves spat out their drinks in surprise.
“Cough, cough… What’s going on?”
“Does the little prince not know he’s being broadcast live?”
“That’s the queen’s voice. She’s definitely behind this.”
The adult elves knew perfectly well what kind of queen they had.
“She’s as mischievous as always…”
“It’s been a long time since her last prank. I almost missed it!”
The elves burst into laughter. That queen never lost her sense of humor.

In the image, Lin Lei bent down to pick up a large branch from the ground. The elves watched intently, curious about what he was up to.
He gripped the branch and held it near his mouth, striking a pose as if he were about to sing—after all, standing on stage, a proper atmosphere required a microphone.
But he stood there holding the branch for a full five minutes while everyone watched, until suddenly, Lin Lei opened his mouth: “What should I sing?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”
Inside and outside the palace, the elves toppled over in exasperation.
“If you don’t know what to sing, why bother with the pose?”
The elves bristled with indignation.

But the queen was not the least bit angry. Smiling brightly, she said, “Just sing something suitable for the festival. Don’t you have plenty of songs from the multiverse?”
“Right.” Lin Lei nodded. “All my songs are from the multiverse.”
The elves of Twin Moon City grew even more excited—so the legend was true: the little prince had inherited the legacy of the multiverse!

“What do songs from the multiverse sound like?”
“I can’t wait—will he sing a song about cultivation?”
Their anticipation for Lin Lei soared.

“Well… then I’ll just sing anything. Hey, you, come here and help me out…” Lin Lei had no intention of singing his best; something casual would suffice.
He called over one of his maids and whispered a few words in her ear.
The maid’s expression was complicated. “Your Highness, do you really want to sing that one?”
“Yes,” Lin Lei confirmed.
“But it’s meant for a group to sing…”
“It’s fine, just give me the opening.” Lin Lei waved his hand dismissively. The maid went off to arrange the music, then hesitated a moment before returning to the stage and, with a high-pitched voice, recited the introduction.

“A handsome boy is about to sing a song—what do you think it should be called?”
“I think…” Lin Lei picked up, “Let’s call it Ding-ga-long-dong-qiang!”
“Oh my!”
Inside and outside the palace, elves who had just managed to stand again collapsed in disbelief.

Heavens, Ding-ga-long-dong-qiang? What kind of song title was that? Even if he was trying to get away with something, this was pushing it.
“His Highness is certainly willful!”
“Well, he is the queen’s son.”
The elves straightened up, clutching their aching backs. The little prince’s antics were truly unique.

In the garden, Lin Lei was distracted by the sound of the royal magicians getting to their feet—they, too, had fallen.
“If you want to fall, at least do it somewhere else and don’t disrupt my rhythm,” Lin Lei scolded, waving a fist at them.
The magicians hastily patted their heads and nodded. “We won’t interrupt, please continue.”

The elves of Twin Moon City could not help but laugh at the sight. This little prince was quite a character.

“Hmph.” Lin Lei struck a pose with the branch again and signaled the maid to start over.
The music began.

“A handsome boy is about to sing a song—what do you think it should be called?”
“I think we should call it Ding-ga-long-dong-qiang!”
Lin Lei tapped his toes on the ground and suddenly began to sing.

“Where do you come from? What’s your sign, your blood type, and your zodiac? What’s your favorite food, and what soup do you like…”
The song burst forth, abrupt yet somehow natural, giving the elves no time to prepare. The voice, brimming with freedom and joy, swept through the garden like a whirlwind, carrying the images with it and flooding the hearts of every elf in Twin Moon City.

That exuberant whirlwind lifted everyone’s spirits, making them feel as if they floated in the bright sunlight, while even the coldest wind turned warm.
In the garden, the leopard splayed its fingers wide, staring unblinking at the stage.
The royal magicians were dumbfounded, their ears pricked high.

“This song… is truly wonderful!”
“My goodness, it’s beyond anything I expected!”
“So this is music from the multiverse?”
The elves of Twin Moon City were utterly enraptured by the joyous melody. Their gazes toward the stage burned with fervor.

Lin Lei, masked, sang and danced with all his might, bringing a scene of pure childhood delight that soothed every soul.
He was like a vortex, drawing in the attention of every elf.

“Ding-ga-long-dong-qiang, we’re all the same—give me a stage and I’ll make a dazzling debut! Ding-ga-long-dong-qiang here, ding-ga-long-dong-qiang there…”

With grand, sweeping gestures, Lin Lei performed. Though not entirely professional, he was utterly captivating.

Lin Wen’s soul struggled to extricate itself from his body.
“Give him a stage and he’ll shine—how like him,” the grand prince of the elves sighed inwardly. The song came from the multiverse, but the singer was unmistakably Lin Lei. Drawing attention was his specialty.
His lively and buoyant voice naturally warmed and delighted, fitting this song perfectly.

“See? That’s my son’s true flair!”
Winnie’s eyes sparkled. “I think I’m going to get rich, Lin Wen. I’ve found the funding for my mech development!”
Lin Wen turned to her in speechless exasperation, then looked pitifully at Lin Lei, who still didn’t realize this stage had been custom-built by Winnie and was currently broadcasting live. She had also prepared a trove of recording gems to sell after the festival.

“Lin Lei is going to be famous…” Lin Wen felt a pang of melancholy. He should be glad his little brother was becoming well known, but he didn’t want him to draw too much attention.
At least the mask still concealed his identity—that was his only consolation.

“…Ding-ga-long-dong, ding-ga-long-dong, ding-ga-long-dong-qiang-qiang-qiang…”
A few minutes later, Lin Lei’s singing came to an end.

Applause thundered from all sides of the garden.

The elves of Twin Moon City were in an uproar!
“That was so joyful! His Highness is adorable!”
“I’m already a fan!”
“The song was wonderful too—what’s that phrase from cultivation novels? Something about lingering tones?”
“It’s ‘the melody lingers, echoing for three days!’”
“Yes, that’s it—music from the multiverse is truly advanced!”

“I’m so moved!”
A few sensitive elves couldn’t hold back their tears. Tonight was truly the happiest night of their lives.
Not only had they glimpsed the dazzling little prince, but also a sliver of the mysterious multiverse—and even that sliver held infinite charm!

“To think you could make a song out of ‘Ding-ga-long-dong-qiang’—and it’s so catchy! Amazing, truly amazing. The culture of the multiverse is so rich!”
Cultivation is advanced, and so is music—

“I hope I can visit that world in my lifetime!”
“I really must start cultivating!”
“If I follow His Highness in cultivation, maybe I’ll reach that world one day!”

That night, Twin Moon City glowed with light. The festivities lasted until dawn.
The elves drank and talked all night, sleepless with excitement. Though the little prince had appeared only briefly, he was now etched indelibly into every elven heart.

What a joyful little fellow he was.