Digimon: I really didn't want to be the Digimon Emperor!

“Speaking of Cheng Yuan, he’s really strange.” Li Dongsheng, the principal of Meisha Middle School, frowned and said, “I thought that the level that grassroots high school students could reach was the limit, with that Agumon trainer last year. I didn’t expect that another one would emerge this year, and he even managed to reach the mature stage for the first time.”

“Everyone has their own destiny… Didn’t the first generation of beast tamers more than 20 years ago also start from scratch and explore?” A gentle female voice suddenly interrupted the discussion. The owner of the voice was wearing a horse-face skirt and had a temperament as cold as a winter plum blossom. She sat down in the group of people discussing the topic.

"Greetings, Minister Li!" The men present, their expressions filled with undisguised awe, greeted him.

Upon seeing the visitors, the leaders from each school took the initiative to greet them; these were truly high-ranking officials.

The woman walking slowly towards us was Li Xiaochun, the Minister of Education. She also holds a high-ranking position in the Animal Trainers Association and is one of the twelve divine generals known as "Mao Rabbit". Her elegant horse-face skirt accentuated her refined temperament, and she exuded an aura of authority with every gesture.

This Minister of Education has been conducting field inspections of animal trainer education systems in major cities. Her inspection in Pengcheng has lasted for more than a week, far exceeding that of other cities. It is rumored that she is the mastermind behind Pengcheng's innovative move of upgrading the college entrance examination simulation test into a league.

This is clearly intended to use Pengcheng as a pilot city to bring the mature university-level beast tamer league system down to the high school level, stimulate the competitive spirit of high school students, and get novice beast tamers "getting fired up" earlier.

Li Xiaochun nodded slightly and looked towards the arena: "In the next match, shouldn't Cheng Yuan's Gatomon and Deng Yong's Shellmon be on the field?"

The school leaders nodded and looked at the venue, waiting for the new beast tamer, who might be related to the "Dragon Crystal Palace" of the East China Sea Digital Space, to take the stage.

Chapter 116 Unstoppable Momentum

The individual competition has begun, and Cheng Yuan's first match in the round of 16 was against the captain of Bao'an Middle School.

The other's partner was a fierce little wolf, its limbs wrapped in bandages, its eyes flashing with a dangerous red light.

【Little Wolf】

[Virus Type - Monster Type]

[Growth Period]

[Skills: Roaring Demonic Flame, Spiral Bite]

[Description: Its appearance is somewhere between a wolf and a dog. Its digital core contains data from mythical demon wolves from the real world, and it often exhibits a berserk state that is inconsistent with its growth stage.]

As soon as the starting whistle blew, Digimon tried to close the distance and launch a melee attack. After all, Gatomon's signature Holy Light Bullet was really hard to deal with, and it was no match for him at long range.

However, Gatomon's speed far exceeded its opponent's expectations. A flash of white light appeared, and the gloveless version of "Panic Punch" landed heavily on Lycanmon's abdomen. This strike was clean and swift, knocking its opponent out of the arena.

[Xing Shuoxi] I never imagined that Tailmon, which I thought was a turret-type monster, would also have fighting skills. With its cat punches combined with extreme speed, even the referee could only see its afterimage.

Although its power is limited, it is sufficient to deal with adult Digimon.

In the quarterfinals, Cheng Yuan faced off against Qianhai Experimental Middle School. His opponent was a female Digimon trainer named Guan Ying, whose temperament was quite similar to Zhao Lu's; both were academic high-achievers. Her partner Digimon was a delicate and adorable jellyfish.

Jellyfish

[Data Type/Software Type]

[Growth Period]

[Skills: Paralyzing Lightning Strike, Voltage Punch, Spiral Flying Kick]

[Description: Possesses a jellyfish-like, soft head and a humanoid body, which is also extremely flexible, allowing it to retract into its head. It has a proud and strong personality, greatly appreciates cleanliness, and resents human acts of pollution.]

The fight between the two was truly spectacular. The jellyfish's fighting skills were astonishing; even without attribute enhancements, Gatomon's cat-like punches struggled to gain the upper hand for a time. The two Digimon exchanged blows, their fists and feet clashing, creating dazzling sparks that captivated the spectators.

However, when Gatomon's fists began to flash with holy light, the battle immediately turned one-sided, and the difference in energy levels between the adult stages became clear at that moment.

Tailmon evaded all attacks with astonishing speed, its fists brimming with holy light energy as it aimed straight for the jellyfish's head. Although its opponent stubbornly stood firm, it had already lost consciousness.

"This is the pressure of maturity..." one of the school leaders and guests remarked.

Meanwhile, two other captains with Champion-level Digimon also advanced with overwhelming force. Zhao Lu's Gearmon X, after a hard-fought battle, barely managed to defeat the two captain-level opponents, having almost revealed all its trump cards.

The final four are: Cheng Yuan (Gitomon), Deng Yong (Shellmon), Lu Ming (Magpiemon), and Zhao Lu (Gearmon X).

In the team competition, Cheng Yuan's Pengcheng No.1 Middle School team won another victory, easily defeating Qianhai Experimental Middle School.

The remaining team match is against Meisha Bilingual, a team that has mature Shellmon. If they win consecutive matches, they will undoubtedly win the team match. If they lose, their ranking will be determined by their points.

After numerous battles, Gatomon's popularity soared with each match. This was not only due to its formidable strength, but also because of its adorable and endearing appearance.

The "cat-loving" craze has swept across social media, with countless fans going crazy for this adorable cat-shaped Digimon. Some younger students have secretly decided that they will also sign a partnership agreement with Snowballmon next year.

Who can resist the temptation of petting a cat?

"Cheng Yuan, the Great Demon King, is indeed terrifying. He truly deserves to be our tamer back then."

The online rhetoric of the "How to Train Your Dragon Avengers" members has gradually changed. They went from being haters to fans, and even became whistleblowers, recounting how the members and the dog-like beast sparred with them one by one and helped them grow, seemingly acting as if they had their eye on him all along, as if they were trying to ride the wave of popularity.

"Cheng Yuan, how are you feeling?" Kang Zhao handed him a bottle of energy drink.

"Thanks, big guy. It feels alright, there's a chance, but I'm not too sure." Cheng Yuan took the energy drink, opened the bottle, and gave a few sips to the battle-hardened Gatomon.

"You say it's alright? If it were me, I would have gotten cocky by now," Kang Zhaodi laughed. He was eliminated before the round of 16 due to insufficient points, ranking 28th, which is a decent result for someone in his normal growth period.

Zhao Lu smiled wryly and said, "I guess this is the best I can do. I can't be as abnormal as you guys. You're all in your mature stage."

Wang Wei joked, "The title of 'the number one beast below the adult stage,' Gearmon X, is no small feat, haha."

Wang Wei's Hedgehog also achieved a score of 57th, placing him in the middle, which is not bad.

Eliminated contestants like Kang Zhaodi and Wang Wei, who were already quite free, joined the online community to generate buzz and promote Pengcheng No. 1 Middle School.

At this time, Gatomon and Gearmon X had already been called over by the school doctor and Laamon for treatment and recovery.

There are two individual matches and one team match to follow.

Cheng Yuan and Zhao Lu waited outside the treatment room. Cheng Yuan asked, "Zhao Lu, how is Gear Beast X doing with the direction of the development technique we discussed two weeks ago?"

Zhao Lu frowned: "I've been practicing and have absorbed a lot of data on electromagnetic cannons, but it's always unstable and often explodes. Gearmon X has injured itself several times."

After the two Digimon came out, Cheng Yuan checked the time: "There's still some time before the next match, shall we go to the practice room and try again?"

"Is it okay, the three-in-one gear beast?"

"quack!"

“If you can learn the Super Electromagnetic Cannon before the competition, I’ll arrange a meetup between you and my family’s Gear Beast. Otherwise…” Cheng Yuan deliberately dragged out his words.

Gear Beast X immediately nodded frantically: "I guarantee I'll complete the mission, hahaha!"

Ever since seeing the photo of Cheng Yuanjia's Gear Beast wearing a white lab coat, this mechanical Digimon has been obsessed with meeting him in person.

"Do Digimon have genders?" Cheng Yuan once asked curiously.

Zhao Lu shrugged: "This remains an unsolved mystery in the digital world. However, it is true that Digimon have an instinct to breed stronger offspring by rearranging their DNA."

During the afternoon's special training, inspired by the "blind date," Gear Beast X finally achieved a breakthrough.

"Development of the Super Electromagnetic Cannon, mastered!"

"Is this the power of love?" Zhao Lu joked.

"Hmm? Are you sure it's not the temptation of the uniform...?"

"What temptation?"

"It's nothing..."

"Super Battery Cannon is a trump card move that plays a decisive role for Gearmon," Cheng Yuan said, changing the subject. At the same time, he also remembered that Gatomon was currently lacking a decisive killing move.

As an ambitious beast tamer, Cheng Yuan was naturally not satisfied with Gatomon's current skills.

Whether he wants to explore the digital space, guard the dark areas, or search for the light of evolution in the secret realm of time and space, he needs to constantly push his limits.

He secretly set a goal: to become a professional animal trainer before Xu Xin.

Chapter 117 One Shot, One Kill

The next morning, Cao Jin, the teacher in charge of the team, had a solemn expression after drawing lots.

Among the top four, Zhao Lu was the most composed. After all, the other three were in their mature stages, while she was still growing, so she had no psychological burden.

Cao Jin just hopes she won't be drawn against Cheng Yuan vs. Zhao Lu.

However, even though Cao Jin drew Deng Yong (a mature-stage Shellmon) for Zhao Lu, who is bilingual with Meisha, she still felt that she had bad luck.

The mutated shell-like beast with dragon-like features is simply too powerful.

Compared to ordinary Shellmon, although both are connected by huge shells, it has a triangular head, a fierce face like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and a much larger size. During the battle against the Overseas Chinese Academy team, Shellmon's "Destruction Ray" successfully clashed with Magpiemon's Fish Stream Cannon, leaving the Overseas Chinese Bilingual Team heartbroken.

In this team competition final, it is inevitable that they will face off against Meisha Bilingual's Shell Beast.

It's worth mentioning that besides Deng Yong's Shell Beast, Meisha Bilingual Team also has another member who is at the top 8 level, but their performance was less than 100%.

Cao Jin said to Cheng Yuan and Zhao Lu: "The individual semifinals will be held first. Zhao Lu will be facing Deng Yong (Shell Beast) from Meisha Bilingual School, and Cheng Yuan will be facing Lu Ming (Magpie Beast) from Overseas Chinese College. Be careful. The individual finals will be after the team battles. Be careful."

"Don't worry, I have confidence in Gatomon." Cheng Yuan said confidently.

Cheng Yuan and Lu Ming (Magpie Beast) are like old enemies. Yesterday, during the team competition, Cheng Yuan made Lu Ming admit defeat, and then he and Meisha Bilingual really went all out, showing all their cards. The two adult Digimon fought so hard that the virtual digital space became a bit unstable, and the staff had to quickly find the programmers to fix it.

Cheng Yuan's mind flashed through information about Shellmon: a dual-attribute Digimon of water and dragon types, a defensive turret, and possessing powerful skills such as Destructive Beam and High-Pressure Bubble. Its most troublesome feature was its armor, a fusion of dragon-type stamina and shell defense; its only weakness was its movement speed. This Digimon, with the support of the Deng Yong family, had been trained since the third year of junior high school, and its control over its Champion-level power far surpassed that of Gatomon.

Tailmon also faces considerable pressure when dealing with such a "tank" type Digimon.

"I'm going to prepare for the competition." Zhao Lu's voice interrupted Cheng Yuan's thoughts. Her back looked somewhat slender as she turned and walked towards the athletes' room, but her steps were unusually firm.

The first semi-final match took place at Wanxiongqiao Stadium, with Zhao Lu (Gear Beast X) from Pengcheng No.1 Middle School facing off against Deng Yong (Shell Beast) from Meisha Bilingual School.

In the battle arena, after the two Digimon entered the battle space, Deng Yong shook his head: "Zhao, I heard you were still training before the competition. Your Gearmon X does have great potential, but unfortunately, its development time is too short. The gap between the growth stage and the maturity stage is an insurmountable chasm that cannot be bridged by developing any skills."

Zhao Lu didn't answer, but gently patted the Gear Beast X's body. The three-in-one mechanical body made a "click-click" sound, and the gears spun at high speed, generating bursts of current.

As Deng Yong had predicted, the game turned out to be one-sided once it started.

Gearmon X's net-like lightning exploded on the shell's surface, yet left not a single mark; the serrated flywheel struck the shell, producing a teeth-grinding scraping sound before bouncing away. The shell-mon was too lazy to even move, standing still and letting its opponent attack, truly as solid as a city wall.

After half the game, even with Gearmon X unleashing all its powerful moves, it still couldn't break through its solid defense.

However, it was precisely because it underestimated its opponent that it gave Gearmon X an opportunity.

"Gear Beast X, use the Super Battery Cannon." Zhao Lu clasped her hands together, praying that it wouldn't explode this time.

If the shell-like creature had a much faster reaction time, the outcome would likely have been different.

The three sets of gears on Gearmon X's chest spun wildly, dazzling lightning gathering at the muzzle. It had practiced this move countless times, each time ending in a barrel explosion. But now, in Zhao Lu's expectant gaze, a streak of azure lightning pierced the sky—

"Boom!"

Amidst a deafening explosion, a hole the size of a bowl was blasted through the seemingly indestructible shell of the Shellmon! The entire audience gasped, and the commentator's voice trembled: "A growth-stage Shellmon has breached the defenses of a mature Shellmon! This is the first time in league history!"

"One shot, one kill!"

Gearmon's attack successfully avenged the humiliation inflicted upon it by Shellmon, giving Guan Yu an immense surprise.

Guan Junyan, Tange, etc., huh, wan, yu, luo, yu, ji, jie, huan, yu, yu, chuan.

Unfortunately, this attack failed to turn the tide of the battle; it only pierced the shell and did not cause any major damage.

Enraged, Shellmon launched a furious counterattack under Deng Yong's command, unleashing a barrage of Destructive Beams, ultimately forcing Gearmon X out of the arena. Zhao Lu, though defeated, was still honorable; the observers in the stands had filled their notebooks with notes—to have been nurtured to this level during her growth phase, her evolutionary potential was limitless.

It even sparked heated discussions online, once again drawing attention from tamers to the importance of Digimon skill development.

Zhao Lu has gained a good reputation. This battle is not just about rankings and winning or losing, but also about the Beast Tamer University's observers' assessment of the candidates' potential. If they are capable in the growth stage and mature in the maturity stage, what will happen if they are cultivated and evolved to the maturity stage?

"Well done." Cheng Yuan stopped Zhao Lu in the contestant's tunnel. "The observers' eyes lit up."

Zhao Lu wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled with relief: "It's up to you now."

Cheng Yuan felt that Zhao Lu had already received a good evaluation from the observers, and he and Dilumon needed to work harder.

It's just a bird, I'll give you a surprise later.

The atmosphere in the second semi-final was completely different. Cheng Yuan and Lu Ming stared at each other across the distance, the air thick with tension.

As the competition progressed, each contestant accumulated some supporters, and the supporters on both sides cheered fiercely.

Magpiemon is a powerful bird-type Digimon, far superior to Origamimon or Florimon. It is incredibly cool from its first appearance to its battles, and its attacks are extremely fierce. Whether it's its skills or fighting spirit, it follows a fast and ruthless path.

The loss to the Meisha bilingual team was largely due to the team's overall performance and the constraints imposed by the opponent's two captains.

Tailmon, the Holy Beast type, looks small and cute, more like a companion Digimon. Beneath its adorable appearance, it miraculously unleashes enormous energy and fighting spirit, defeating many powerful opponents in the semi-finals. No one dares to underestimate it.

The guests whispered amongst themselves, and the discussion was heated online.

"As Lu Ming said yesterday, Gatomon has a serious weakness in attack. In a head-on collision, whether it is size or skills, Magpiemon does have the advantage."

"While Gatomon is fast, Magpiemon is no less so. In terms of speed, flying bird-type creatures have a significant advantage, and they can attack and defend in the air. Although Gatomon has Holy Light, its range is limited, and it's easily dodged from a distance. I wonder how Gatomon and Cheng Yuan plan to deal with this?"

“Lu Ming,” Cheng Yuan suddenly spoke from the battle arena, his voice clearly transmitted through the arena’s sound system, “The Magpie Beast is such a big target, it’s easy to hit it, after all, it can’t even dodge the Shellmon’s slow attack.”

Lu Ming remained unfazed: "If you think this level of trash talk can bother me, then you've made a mistake. No matter what you say, it won't make up for your Digimon's weakness in attack power. This time, you won't have as many companions to help you."

"How could that be?" Cheng Yuan revealed an innocent smile. "I was worried that you would lose too quickly and wouldn't have a chance to show off the secret weapon I prepared."