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

They disappeared into the jungle dejectedly, like a group of deflated balloons.

The garrison troops skillfully lifted the alert, clearly accustomed to such scenes.

"That's it?" Kang Zhaodi looked disappointed. "I thought I was going to see a good show."

Xu Xin patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, once you get into the Beast Tamer University, there will be plenty of opportunities to watch the 'show'."

In the dead of night, a figure wearing a baseball cap silently slipped out of the camp. Devimon glanced back at the sleeping students, a cold smile playing on his lips: "What a bunch of foolish humans..."

It didn't want to stay with that pursuit team; the chances of being discovered were too high. Having gathered intelligence earlier, it had located the demon beast's trail—in the southern hills of Qingguo Mountain—so it didn't need to associate with these humans.

He felt very uncomfortable actually being among these human groups.

The black trench coat blended into the night, as if it had never existed.

Not long after, in a grove of trees outside the outpost, a group of bats made a piercing sound, took off, and flew into the depths of the jungle.

The next morning, Cheng Yuan discovered that Mo was nowhere to be found and couldn't help but mutter, "That guy, he left without saying goodbye, how rude! He didn't even leave his contact information, what a waste of my treat to barbecue."

That day, the four-person team's bespectacled beast tamer began recording and collecting the mission rewards from each team. Because he, as a professional beast tamer, had a higher exchange rate, he would distribute the money back to each team—a perk for everyone.

"Line up, line up, one at a time!" The man with gold-rimmed glasses pushed up his lenses, and the tablet in his hand flashed blue light.

Each group displayed their spoils:

Kang Zhaodi Group: "10 Wild Beast data and digital cores, plus a bunch of jungle specialties!" Kang Zhaodi proudly displayed his haul, with several oddly shaped tree branches on the back of the pangolin.

Zhao Lu's group: "12 Wild Beast data and 9 Digital Cores." Her Gear Beast whirred and spun, excitedly displaying its spoils.

Wang Wei's group: "Five Wild Beast data points and three Digital Cores." Wang Wei explained, sounding aggrieved, "We encountered a group of mischievous monkey beasts stealing our corpses..."

"You got robbed by monkeys?" Cheng Yuan suppressed a laugh. "You guys didn't run into the Liangshan heroes of the Digital Monster world, did you?"

When it was Cheng Yuan's group's turn, the gold-rimmed bespectacled beast tamer's pen paused: "32 Wildman Beast data and 30 Digital Cores, 5 Mischievous Monkey Beast data and 5 Digital Cores?"

The audience was silent.

“Class representative…” Kang Zhao swallowed hard. “You guys didn’t raid the Savage Beasts’ lair, did you?”

"You didn't get a professional animal trainer to do this, did you?" someone questioned. "Luck, pure luck," Cheng Yuan scratched his head, looking honest. "I just happened to stumble upon them fighting with the mischievous monkey beast, picked up the corpses, and did nothing wrong. It was all pure luck."

"You're kidding me!" Zhao Lu rolled her eyes. "Do you think this is a supermarket sale? With bargain hunting opportunities?"

“Exactly,” Wang Wei said sourly, “Why don’t we have that kind of ‘luck’?”

Xu Xin interrupted the discussion: "Today we'll split into two groups. One team will come with me to Savage Valley to carry out the research institute's mission, and the other team..." He looked at Cheng Yuan, "You and Little Dog Beast will lead the team to send those cubs back to Green Fruit Mountain."

Today, Xu Xin arranged for the main team to go to Savage Valley to carry out the mission of the Evolution Research Institute—to capture a Shamanmon; another team was responsible for sending the baby Digimon back to Green Fruit Mountain.

After all, Green Fruit Mountain produces Digimon called "Green Fruit," and that injured mischievous monkey beast seems to have some status in their group; they might be able to get some. Each intermediate Digimon is roughly equivalent to five Digicores. Regardless of how much they sell for, it's excellent to provide these kids with some resources before their college entrance exams.

"Me?" Cheng Yuan pointed to his nose, and the little dog beast imitated him by pointing at itself with its paw, looking incredibly cute.

"What, you don't dare?" Xu Xin raised an eyebrow.

"Woof!" The little dog jumped down from his head, head held high, looking like it had him covered.

The team was still led by Cheng Yuan, with Wang Lin accompanying them. Xu Xin let Cheng Yuan choose four classmates to go with him.

Cheng Yuan quickly selected his team members: Kang Zhaodi, Zhao Lu, Li Yue, and Wen Rou. The Pangolin was responsible for carrying the loads, the Gear Beast provided firepower, and the Baloo Beast and Flower Beast took care of the cubs.

“Remember,” Xu Xin lowered his voice, “Qingguo Mountain is rich in digital gems, and that mischievous monkey beast seems to have some status…” He winked meaningfully.

Cheng Yuan understood immediately: "Understood! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

The little dog and Cheng Yuan continued to act as scouts, walking at the front. The newly hatched golden-black ball beast was perched on the little dog's head like a hat, making for a particularly comical scene.

Wang Lin and Cao Jin continued to follow at a distance. Seeing the students' excited expressions, Cao Jin asked worriedly, "Captain Wang, are you sure you don't need to keep up?"

"Relax," Wang Lin yawned, "Any two of these little guys can beat your Big-Eared Beast, so what's there to worry about?"

Cao Jin's big-eared beast snorted in dissatisfaction, but dared not refute it.

Guided by the injured monkey beast, they entered the cave leading to Green Fruit Mountain. Vines entwined the cave entrance, and the faint sound of flowing water could be heard from within.

The newly hatched golden-black ball beast rested on the head of the puppy beast like a hat.

Chapter 47 The Great Sage Equal to Heaven?

"Ten-minute break!" Cheng Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and plopped down on a rock. The little dog beast immediately jumped off his shoulder and ran happily to play with the black ball beasts.

Wenrou was distributing data cubes to the cubs, while Zhao Lu and the Gear Beast were keeping watch on their surroundings. The Pangolin of Kangzhaodi lay on the ground as a makeshift seat, and the cubs got off the rattan chairs on its back one after another, bustling around.

Cheng Yuan looked around at the mischievous monkey beast, the group of round black ball beasts, and the lively dog-cat beasts, and suddenly felt playful: "Hey, little guys, do you want to hear a story?"

"Squeak?" The black ball beasts immediately surrounded them, their round eyes full of curiosity.

"Once upon a time, there was a stone monkey beast..." Cheng Yuan cleared his throat and began to vividly recount the Digimon version of "Journey to the West".

The trainers, who were all busy with their own tasks, couldn't help but prick up their ears upon hearing the familiar opening. But when they heard "Stonemon sprang from the Digimon Stone," they all burst out laughing.

"The Stone Monkey Beast didn't want to drift aimlessly among the monkey troop, so it traveled far to the East Sea to seek a master and undergo training..." Cheng Yuan gestured, "After arduous training, it successfully evolved into the Spiritual Stone Monkey Beast and even learned Development Technique Seventy-Two..."

"Later, it wreaked havoc in the palace and was sealed beneath the Data Mountain..." Cheng Yuan suddenly lowered his voice, "until one day, a beast tamer with a sacred digital soul—Sanzang—appeared!"

"Holy type!" The little dog beast's ears perked up, and its azure eyes shone brightly.

"They broke the seal, formed a partnership, and ventured into the vast Digital World together. But one day, they fell into the trap of the Ultimate-level Skullmon, were sown apart, and went their separate ways..." Cheng Yuan vividly described the scene of their separation, and several sentimental girls had already begun to wipe away tears.

"The beast tamer Sanzang, traveling alone, accidentally stumbled into the territory of the Skeleton Beast and quickly found himself in dire straits. When the beast tamer Sanzang was in such a predicament..." Cheng Yuan suddenly stood up, raised the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and imitated the action of summoning, "At the critical moment of life and death, the beast tamer Sanzang called upon his former partner - the Spirit Stone Monkey Beast!"

"Summoned and activated by the bond, the Spirit Stone Monkey evolved into the majestic Great Sage Equaling Heaven Beast!" Cheng Yuan raised his arm as if holding a non-existent golden cudgel. "Waving a sturdy digital alloy staff, clad in alloy armor, and riding on auspicious seven-colored clouds, it instantly charged into the skeleton's territory, unstoppable!"

The black ball beasts jumped around excitedly, squeaking and urging Cheng Yuan to continue. Even the usually aloof Zhao Lu couldn't help but urge, "And then? What happened next?"

"To find out what happens next..." The break was longer than the planned 10 minutes; half an hour had passed without him realizing it. Cheng Yuan spread his hands with a mischievous grin, "To be continued!"

"Squeak—" The black ball beasts let out disappointed cries, and some even began to protest by bumping Cheng Yuan's legs with their round bodies.

"Getting on our way is the priority!" Cheng Yuan rubbed his sore calf. "We'll continue when we get to a safe place."

Not only the black ball beasts, but even the puppy beasts were listening intently. Holy type Beast Tamer?

It was engrossed in listening, but it wasn't identifying with Digimon; it was identifying with a tamer.

I became a Holy Beast Tamer?

"Go, Cheng Yuan Beast! Dodge... Hold on... Use that move... Hold on..."

It seems like I could do it too!

The little dog was lost in a fantasy...

The golden-silk black ball beast also quieted down, seemingly lost in thought...

After a series of actions, Cheng Yuan, who was good at storytelling, suddenly became the most popular tamer among these little Digimon. They surrounded Cheng Yuan and strongly demanded that he update the series.

Guided by the mischievous monkey, the group arrived at a dark cave.

The cave entrance was deep and dark, like a gaping maw ready to devour people.

"I should have brought Zhang Ming and his Candle Beast..." Cheng Yuan muttered. The flames on the Candle Beast's head were practically natural flashlights in this environment.

"Woof!" The little beast volunteered to step forward, a bright orb of holy light condensing on its chest. The pure white light dispelled the darkness at the cave entrance, but the shadows deeper within remained awe-inspiring.

"Using a Holy Light Bullet as a flashlight?" Zhao Lu raised an eyebrow. "Class representative, your thought process is really..."

"A brilliant idea!" Cheng Yuan exclaimed smugly. "Two moving light bulbs, one in front and one behind, are you scared yet?"

In fact, this usage benefited from the special training given to improve the Holy Light Bullet's endurance during previous training sessions. Under the precise control of the puppy beast, the Holy Light Bullet could stably maintain illumination for several minutes.

The mischievous monkey squeaked, warning of the danger inside the cave. Cheng Yuan nodded, took out a knife from his backpack, and carved a clear arrow mark at the cave entrance.

“It’s a basic exercise, something that Teacher Xu taught us in training,” he explained. “That way, even if you get lost, you can find your way back.”

This thoughtful gesture made the team members look at Cheng Yuan in a new light. This usually carefree class representative turned out to be so reliable in a crucial moment.

The cave was damp and cold, with condensation dripping from the walls, making a "drip-drip" sound. The light from the holy light projectiles cast flickering shadows in the narrow tunnel, as if countless eyes were watching from the shadows.

"Squeak!" The black ball beast on the puppy's head suddenly squeaked. Cheng Yuan looked up and his hair stood on end—two small spider beasts were slowly descending from the cave ceiling, their sharp fangs gleaming coldly!

【Little Spider Beast】

[Virus Species - Insect Type]

[Growth Period]

[Skills: Silk Spit, Venomous Fangs]

[Description: Resembling a spider, it has a small body and multiple claws. Its body color is usually dark. It is generally docile, often curling up into a ball and hanging from tree branches. However, when an enemy approaches, it becomes extremely ferocious, launching a collective attack from above.]

If it weren't for the black ball beast on the puppy's head noticing, these two little spider beasts hanging down from the cave ceiling might have bitten Cheng Yuan with their venomous fangs.

This appears to be a place to stay in the cave, and the location when the little spider beast was encountered was a slightly wider tunnel.

Despite being called a small spider beast, its size is comparable to that of a human, with a ferocious appearance and six compound eyes reflecting Cheng Yuan's face.

Only then did I notice that there were spider webs everywhere. Especially overhead, there were huge spider webs.

"Back off!" Cheng Yuan grabbed Wen Rou, who was closest to him. The two little spider beasts landed on the ground with a "thud," their six compound eyes reflecting the terrified faces of the crowd.

"Didn't they say the little spider beast is very docile?" Li Yue's voice trembled slightly.

“That was before it was provoked…” Zhao Lu pushed up her glasses; the Gear Beast was already in battle mode.

The two spiders retracted their webs, dangling in mid-air, and roared angrily at Cheng Yuan.

Cheng Yuan then noticed that the dense spiderwebs above his head were covered with the remains of many Digimon. These two spider-mon were clearly the "road bullies" of this area, specifically targeting passing Digimon.

"Be careful, Spidermon is a social Digimon," Zhao Lu said.

“There are only two of them here!” the little dog said.

"Prepare the Holy Light Bomb!" Cheng Yuan commanded, and the orb of light on the chest of the little dog beast roared out.

"Click-click-click!" The Gear Beast's flying saws activated simultaneously, drawing dangerous arcs in the air.

The two spider beasts let out piercing screechs and spewed out sticky spider silk from their mouths. One of the strands of silk flew straight towards Cheng Yuan's face!

The battle was about to begin. Holy light orbs and lightning bolts intertwined, forcing the spider beasts into a retreat. Just when everyone thought victory was assured, a third spider beast suddenly pounced from the shadows, aiming straight for Cheng Yuan's back!

"Woof!" The little dog noticed the danger in time, but it was too late to defend itself.

At the critical moment, the mischievous monkey suddenly launched a pebble with its slingshot, hitting the attacker precisely in the eye.

The vines of the Flowermon and the Balmon followed closely, binding the Spidermon like a dumpling.

"Well done!" Cheng Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Although the encounter was brief, it had given everyone a fright.

After cleaning up the battlefield, the group advanced with even greater caution. Cheng Yuan periodically replenished the little dog's attribute points to maintain the illumination of the Holy Light Bullets. The tunnel seemed endless, and the oppressive atmosphere kept everyone silent.

Finally, a faint ray of light appeared ahead.

"It's the exit!" Wenrou exclaimed in surprise.

When the sunlight returned to their faces, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The fresh scent of grass and trees dispelled the musty smell in the cave, invigorating everyone's spirits.

However, before they could enjoy this moment of peace, the sounds of fighting in the distance made everyone's hearts jump again.

In the distance, they could hear the roars of wild beasts, suggesting that a fierce battle was taking place not far away.

Chapter 48 King Kong vs. Golden Horned Beast

"It sounds...like the roar of the savage beast from last night?" Zhao Lu pricked up her ears, her brows furrowed.

Kang Zhao scratched his head: "That's strange. They were dancing in front of the outpost last night, how come they've come to Qingguo Mountain today?"

The mischievous monkey in the group suddenly became restless, emitting rapid squeaks. It pointed towards the distant valley, its paws trembling incessantly.

Cheng Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "You guys stay here, I'll go take a look with the little dog beast." He paused, then turned to Wen Rou and held out his hand: "Give me the collector, maybe we can still find a lot of corpses."

Everyone: "..."

This deep forest, located within the territory of Qingguo Mountain, is eerily quiet. It's unclear whether the Digimon that originally lived here were summoned by the leader to join the battle, or whether they were trying to survive by avoiding the invading Digimon.

Cheng Yuan and the little dog beast made their way unimpeded, following the sounds of battle as they made their way to the mountaintop.

When he reached the top of a hill, he finally smelled the scorching heat of burning fire and heard the increasingly clear sounds of fighting.

"Holy crap!" Cheng Yuan jumped in surprise and immediately lay down, using the rocks as cover to look down the mountain.

The sight before him made him gasp—

Below the mountain is a canyon, and the stream in the canyon has been stained an eerie blue by the blood of the Digimon, with severed limbs floating on the surface.