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

Xu Xin nodded, extended his right hand, palm up, and a dense dark energy gathered, slowly condensing into a fruit-shaped phantom that exuded a dark aura but contained powerful strength—the Dark Fruit.

"It has been initially stabilized and can undergo a short-term complete evolution—DarkMetalGreymon."

A hint of admiration flashed in the eyes of Li Xiaochun, the Rabbit God General and head of the Ministry of Education of Dongda University.

She also extended her fair palm, and a completely different energy, full of wisdom and knowledge, converged to form a shimmering phantom of a "fruit of knowledge".

"Cheng Yuan's discovery of the digital spirit within the Beast Tamer not only opens up a new ladder for the Beast Tamer's growth, but may also point us in a new direction for exploring higher levels of power."

She spoke softly, gazing into the distance as if she saw endless possibilities.

"Protect him well."

Chapter 204 Flower of Light + Flower of Darkness = ?

Cheng Yuan, the puppy beast, and the ancient music beast slept for a whole day and night.

When he opened his eyes again, dusk was shining on the bed through the gap in the curtains. He tried to move, and his whole body felt as if his bones had been disassembled and reassembled, sending waves of aching pain through him.

However, I felt an unprecedented sense of clarity and mental well-being, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders.

Beside them, the puppy beast and the ancient beast were still curled up and sleeping soundly, their little bellies rising and falling gently with their breathing.

Cheng Yuan did not get up immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes, focused his consciousness into his body, and carefully examined his own condition.

The Soul of the Dark Warrior remains silent, like a sleeping beast.

The cracks left on the armor by the [Sky-Splitting Blade] and [Exploding Fireball] are slowly repairing themselves, but the process is slow.

The black dragon-serpent skull that the Armored Spirit Sea Dragon Beast had transformed into was also dull and lifeless, floating silently, needing time to be nurtured.

The seven blood-red eyes also dimmed their light, and the seven armored spirit birds seemed to have fallen into hibernation along with the Dark Warrior's soul.

The original plan to find suitable targets deep in the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts to replenish the two more beast skulls will have to be put on hold for the time being.

On the other hand, the power of the [Soul of the Warrior of Light] flowed gently and purely within him, repairing the hidden injuries in his body.

Cheng Yuan estimated that the Soul of Light Warrior would be usable again in a few hours, while the Soul of Dark Warrior would probably take three to five days to recover to its peak.

"It was truly a devastating defeat..." Cheng Yuan smiled bitterly to himself. This trip to the ruins and the turmoil in Shanghai had almost exhausted all his trump cards, pushing himself to the limit in both evolutions.

But the rewards were also enormous.

The Dark Warrior's Soul absorbed a massive amount of ancient soul power. Although most of it was used to nurture the Armor Spirit, its foundation and potential were significantly enhanced as the Armor Spirit improved, even giving the Dark Beasts the ability to gang up on each other.

The Soul of the Warrior of Light was an unexpected bonus. Although I'm not yet proficient with it, it's undoubtedly a new trump card, offering a completely different way of fighting.

Of course, the price was that the ancient soul power of the ruins had been completely exhausted, and in the short term, the Wild Wolf Beast would probably find it difficult to unleash such a powerful giant blade of light again.

Cheng Yuan roughly estimated that the Dark Warrior Soul (Dark Beast) had the data of a mid-stage mature stage, but with its comprehensive skills and profound foundation, it could challenge late-stage mature stages and even barely cope with semi-complete stages.

The Light Warrior's Soul (Wild Wolf Beast) has a base combat strength of around the early stage of maturity, relying more on skill and the special nature of light power.

"I need to become stronger..." Cheng Yuan clenched his fist, feeling the strength gradually returning to his body, and his desire for power grew stronger.

"Gurgle~" At this moment, the ancient beast turned over, sat up groggily, rubbed its big eyes, and when it saw that Cheng Yuan was awake, it immediately jumped over happily and rubbed against his hand.

The little dog was also startled awake. It yawned, then lightly jumped onto Cheng Yuan's chest, looking at him with concern in its azure eyes.

"I'm fine, I rested well." Cheng Yuan smiled and patted their heads. "How are you guys feeling?"

"Meow~ The data has recovered a bit, but I'm still so tired. I want to sleep a little longer." The little dog's voice was tinged with laziness.

"Gurgle! Gule Beast is hungry!" Gule Beast clutched its rumbling tummy and looked longingly at Cheng Yuan.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yuan also felt a strong wave of hunger wash over him, his stomach feeling incredibly empty.

"Come on! I'll take you out for a big meal! We can eat first, then go to sleep!"

He found a well-regarded seafood restaurant in the small town and ordered a table full of dishes.

Cheng Yuan disregarded his image and devoured the seafood feast.

The little dog didn't care about its image as it ate the fish, spitting out bones like a machine gun.

The ancient beast, on the other hand, was busy with a large plate of stir-fried clams. Its little paws clumsily pried at the shells, eating with gusto and getting sauce all over its face.

After a hearty meal, Cheng Yuan went to a nearby convenience store and bought a large amount of Digimon food, energy drinks, and commonly used medicines to replenish his adventure supplies before returning to the guesthouse, completely satisfied.

Over the next few days, Cheng Yuan completely let go of all his worries and took the two beasts to the beach to enjoy a real vacation.

They surfed in the clear water, built strangely shaped sandcastles on the fine sand, and went beachcombing in the evening with buckets and shovels to collect seashells and catch small crabs. They even rented diving equipment to go to the shallow sea to see corals and small fish.

Sunshine, beaches, waves, and carefree playmates—this is what a holiday should be like.

The planned "challenge" trip to the Imperial Capital Beast Tamer University was temporarily put on hold because he and his dog beast both needed time to recover.

It's a good opportunity to take a vacation and relax.

Occasionally, he would also check his phone.

Regarding the "Ultimate Digimon riot" incident in downtown Shanghai, the official explanation was indeed consistent: "Due to spatial instability, wild Ultimate Digimon accidentally entered the commercial area. They have now been driven back to the Digital Space by General Lin Tao and Peng Bo, the vice dean of Shanghai Beast Tamer University."

The report was vague, deliberately downplaying the extent of the damage and specific details, while praising the sheriff's quick response and the orderly evacuation of the public.

There were some speculative posts in the forum based on so-called "eyewitness accounts," but they were quickly deleted or blocked by the administrators.

Descriptions of the "Silver Werewolf Digimon" and the "Mysterious Silver-Haired Old Man" appeared sporadically, but they were all dismissed as eyewitness hallucinations or rumors and were quickly deleted or blocked by administrators to reduce their popularity.

Cheng Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Dog God and the Association had indeed suppressed the matter, and the stubborn old man's "admonition" had obviously worked.

But he also knew that his ability to transform into Digimon had definitely caught the attention of the association's higher-ups. Previously, they were only interested in the "Qilin" persona; now, it seemed that Cheng Yuan himself would also be implicated.

He also paid special attention to the "History Dust Foundation" and the spy Lin Yu whom he had captured alive, but found nothing, as if the foundation and Lin Yu had never existed.

The foundation's official website, posts, and news all vanished overnight, as if wiped out with a single click.

This unusual calm only made Cheng Yuan feel that undercurrents were surging.

In addition, the discovery of the "Ancient Ruins of the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts" was announced in a high-profile manner by the Shanghai Beast Tamers Association.

The report states that the Shanghai University Archaeological Team has made a major breakthrough based on the preliminary work of Professor Lu You (Guan Yan's mentor and nominal leader, who has sacrificed himself in the underworld), discovering extremely valuable ancient digital weapon technology. However, specific details are being kept confidential on the grounds of "involving national security."

The names of researchers such as Guan Yan and Zhao Gang, as well as the student guards, were mentioned and they received commendations and awards from the association and the school. However, Cheng Yuan's name did not appear at all.

"It seems this is also the effect of the stubborn old man's 'admonition'..." Cheng Yuan understood.

That's good, it saves us a lot of trouble.

He doesn't want any fame.

The most important things are tangible benefits and improving one's own strength.

During this time, he also received messages from Guan Yan, Zhao Gang and others, inquiring about his safety and excitedly telling him that the school, in recognition of his significant contribution to this mission, had given them a large reward and a huge amount of school points, far exceeding the original mission compensation.

As for Cheng Yuan's portion, the association and the school have no intention of defaulting on their debt. The funds have been allocated to a temporary virtual account, which will be transferred directly to Cheng Yuan's student card account once he officially enrolls at Shanghai University.

They also revealed that the school's vice president attaches great importance to the findings from the ruins. The school hopes to share information with you regarding the remaining ancient weapon constructions and data, and to conduct joint research. Furthermore, the vice president stated that you are the most anticipated freshman at Shanghai University of Technology.

Cheng Yuan did not express his opinion. After the Shanghai high-level officials went back on their word after he helped the black ape beast recover from its madness, he did not intend to have any further involvement with Shanghai.

As for the harvest from the ruins... the Digital Research Institute of my Pengcheng Qilin Group is still eagerly awaiting its return.

In her last voice message, Guan Yan subtly added, "Cheng Yuan, thanks to you this time, you saved me 'again'..." She emphasized the word "again," seemingly implying something, and then continued, "We'll see each other again soon."

She held a company offer letter in her hand, with the seal of Qilin Group at the bottom.

Cheng Yuan smiled and replied, "Everything is fine, see you when school starts."

That night, after putting the two little ones to sleep, Cheng Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed, a thought suddenly occurring to him. He tentatively summoned them simultaneously—

In the palm of my left hand, a warm and pure Flower of Light slowly emerged, radiating a soft white light.

On the palm of his right hand, a deep and dark "Flower of Darkness" quietly bloomed, exuding a profound black light.

He cautiously, with a hint of reckless curiosity, brought his two palms closer together, trying to gently touch the two petals of light and darkness, which were completely opposite in nature.

Chapter 205 Undercurrents

It's sizzling!

The moment light and darkness came into contact, a slight sound, like cold water dripping into hot oil, was emitted, along with wisps of black smoke. Suddenly, a small arc of electricity burst out at the point of contact, producing a piercing sound, like cold water dripping into hot oil, and wisps of eerie black and white smoke rising up!

A strong sense of unease surged through my heart like an instinctive urge.

"Stop! Stop right now! Kid, are you out of your mind?!" Mo's long-absent, furious voice suddenly exploded in his mind!

"Gah gah gah! Interesting! Keep going! It's good that it exploded! If this Dark Soul had a different master, maybe I could be more free!" The demon sword's consciousness clamored, as if it wanted to stir up trouble.

There was also a newly awakened consciousness, still bewildered and weak, emanating a subtle fluctuation of fear from the dark armor.

Cheng Yuan was startled and quickly separated his hands, still shaken.

He only had this idea on a whim. Seeing that the little dog beast could skillfully fuse light and dark energy to form the [Light and Dark End], he wondered if his Light and Dark Flower could also have some kind of "fusion easter egg". He didn't expect the reaction to be so intense.

Mo seemed infuriated by Cheng Yuan's recklessness, raising his voice eight octaves: "Nonsense! At least... you can't use a human body to test it! Use a sturdier body! Your beast tamer's body is as fragile as paper. Once the energy backlash occurs, you'll instantly turn to ashes, utterly defenseless!"

Cheng Yuan scratched his head sheepishly: "Sorry, I forgot about that..."

But then he thought of another problem: when evolving into a Dark Beast, it seemed that he could not summon the Flower of Light; similarly, when evolving into a Wild Wolf Beast, he could not summon the Flower of Darkness.

Finding a "robust body" that can simultaneously summon and withstand two extreme powers is truly not easy.

After chatting and joking with "Mo," who was gradually "accepting his fate" and getting used to being in jail, and the talkative Yao Dao, who was always enjoying the show, Cheng Yuan felt mentally exhausted and was about to rest.

Just then, his arc laser vibrated slightly, receiving an encrypted message.

Sender: Xu Xin.

Cheng Yuan was delighted and connected the call.

"Cheng Yuan, I heard you've discovered a new way to have fun in Shanghai, is it exciting?" Xu Xin's calm voice came through, with a rare hint of teasing.

Cheng Yuan chuckled twice: "Old Xu, don't laugh at me. I almost didn't make it back."

“You’re better at causing trouble than anyone I know, and you’re also better at surviving after causing trouble.” Xu Xin’s tone became serious: “To make a long story short, there are two things. First, in Shanghai, the Dog God General and the vice principal of Shanghai Tuan University have blocked your several applications to transfer your academic records.”

Cheng Yuan's heart skipped a beat; it was just as he had imagined.

“But the commotion you’ve caused this time is quite significant,” Xu Xin continued. “The Dog God General and the Magic University will not give up investigating your background easily. Be careful while you’re alone in Shanghai, and it would be best to come back as soon as possible. While you’re in Shanghai, try to keep a low profile and don’t cause any more big news.”

"I understand. Please thank the Rabbit God for me."

"Secondly, regarding the crucial intelligence you provided—the possibility of a stable entrance to the Underworld on 'Ashinoshima'—the Association takes it very seriously and has already activated its highest-level informants in the four island nations to conduct a secret investigation. Did you obtain any other relevant information from that spy named Lin Yu?"

Cheng Yuan thought for a moment and shook his head: "No. He was very cautious at the time, only mentioning the name Ashinoshima and that the entrance was relatively stable and safe, without mentioning any other details."

“Then we can only cooperate with the Shanghai branch and exchange intelligence… Ashinoshima… involves foreign forces and the Yellow Springs passage, so things are very complicated.” Xu Xin’s voice was solemn. “If the entrances of the two countries are ultimately confirmed to lead to the same Yellow Springs Digital World, there will be no shortage of open and covert struggles over the control of the entrances and the Yellow Springs resources in the future.”

He paused, then revealed another piece of information: "In addition, the first advance team of the 'Heroes Return Home' project, organized by the association, encountered terrifying obstacles when they entered the crater of the dead volcano. Although they were fortunate enough to avoid casualties, many people and Digimon were injured, making progress difficult!"

"If the dead volcano route is impassable, then the potential stable passage to Ashinoshima will be of immense strategic value. The association will continue to investigate, so for now, don't get involved in this matter. Focus on your studies and your safety," Xu Xin instructed.

“Okay, I understand,” Cheng Yuan replied.

"Well, one last thing. The first phase of the Death Space Outpost project is complete, and the development plan for the Death Digital Space is about to enter the planning stage. If you're interested, come back and take a look, participate in the early discussions, and you can accumulate some experience in advance. If you don't have time, that's fine too, I won't force you."

"Pioneering the Death Digital Space?" Cheng Yuan's heart stirred. This was Pengcheng's core strategic project. The Death Digital Space was suspected to be part of the Yellow Springs region, and Cheng Yuan had escaped death in the Yellow Springs region. Therefore, Xu Xin intended to bring him in to train as a professional beast tamer in advance.

He glanced at the calendar; it was almost time for school to start, and he'd been staying in Shanghai for a while.

"I've almost finished my business here, and I can head back to Shenzhen tomorrow."

"Great, be careful on the road, contact me when you arrive. Um... try to avoid major transportation hubs." Xu Xin added meaningfully before abruptly ending the call.

Cheng Yuan put down his phone and let out a long sigh.

Although my trip to Shanghai was thrilling, it has finally come to an end.

Next, it's time to return to Shenzhen to handle some unfinished business, reflect on what I've learned this time, and make final preparations for my upcoming university life.

Meanwhile, deep within the encrypted network unseen by Cheng Yuan, another discussion about him is taking place in a sophisticated encrypted virtual conference room.

The attendees were indistinct, with only a few phantom images of emblems representing different factions visible – some with complex crests resembling the “Foundation”, others with the logo of the top “Hunter Guild”.

The language used at the meeting was the language of the four islands.

On the projection screen, fragmented clips of the chaotic disaster in the Shanghai Digital Space business district were displayed, including silhouettes of Blackmon, Inugamimon, and Hayatemon, before finally settling on a white-bodied werewolf warrior Digimon.

The image quality is not high, as it was shot from a distance, but you can see that the werewolf Digimon opened its mask at a certain moment, revealing the profile of a human boy, although the image was not captured very clearly.

A voice processed by a voice changer summarized in the language of the four islands: "In conclusion, this target is suspected of possessing the ancient inherited ability to 'evolve into a Digimon,' with an extremely high value assessment and a threat level to be determined."

According to preliminary information, the disappearance and downfall of Kimura Hirohito—our Sakura Tamers University's prodigy—is closely related to this legacy! Coincidentally, both the ancient tradition of transforming into Digimon and the ancient Armor Evolution are connected to someone our informant was in contact with…”