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

“This means…” he murmured to himself, “that there are far more kinds of digital spirits than are known.”

With time running out, Cheng Yuan clearly realized that he couldn't spend all his time in the forging workshop.

As he watched the dragon-humans coming and going on the street, a bold conjecture took shape in his mind: since digital armor eggs can be mass-produced, then there must be some kind of technology for mass acquisition and storage of digital spirits.

“Otherwise…” he stroked his chin thoughtfully, “would every blacksmith have to sacrifice their digital spirit to create armored eggs? That’s clearly illogical.”

Suppose some people with digital spirits die, and their spirits are sealed away and then made into digital armor eggs, perhaps this is the best way to pass on their legacy.

At this moment, Cheng Yuan looked like a leisurely stroller, with his hands behind his back, appearing quite relaxed.

The little dog lay lazily on his head, its tail swishing back and forth, looking just like a woolen hat.

Just as Cheng Yuan was lost in his thoughts, a commotion suddenly broke out in the narrow alley ahead.

Two small Digimon were standing in a circle, occasionally letting out piercing laughs.

"Looks like something's up." Cheng Yuan frowned slightly and quickly stepped forward to investigate. He saw a mushroom beast and a wild beast strutting around something with their heads held high.

Subconsciously turned on the arc laser machine:

【Wild Man Beast】

[Virus Type - Demon Type]

[Growth Period]

[Skills: Goblin Assault (throws fireball), Goblin Charge (charges with club)]

[Description: The Wild Man Beast resembles a goblin, with slender limbs, green or gray skin, large ears, a pointed nose, and cunning eyes. It typically carries a crude stick and wears clothing pieced together from leaves or rags, giving it a very shabby and primitive appearance.]

Mushroom Beast

[Virus species, plant type]

[Growth Period]

[Skill: Poison Mushroom Bomb]

[Description: She has a very malicious personality, enjoys bullying the weak, and often uses numbers to attack and plunder smaller Digimon. However, she also has a shy side, always covering half her face.]

Surrounded by them was a dejected kendo beast. Its kendo uniform was covered in dust, its headgear was crooked, and its sword, which should have been always in its hand, was now empty.

【Sword Path Beast】

[Virus type demon]

[Growth Period]

[Skills: Flame Strike Face, Lightning Strike Hand]

[Description: A small dragon-like creature wearing a kendo helmet and uniform, its body covered in green scales, with short but sturdy limbs and a long, thin tail. Its goal is to become a top-tier swordsman in the Digimon world.]

"Hehe, little one, where's your sword? A sword-wielding beast without a sword might as well be called a stick beast!" The mushroom beast's shrill laughter was particularly jarring in the alley as it reached out to pull at the sword-wielding beast's headscarf.

The sword beast kept its head down, its fists clenched until they turned white, but it remained silent and did not resist.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Yuan clicked his tongue lightly, not expecting that there was also "bullying" in the digital world, and the methods were exactly the same as those in the human world.

"Hey, you guys, what are you doing?" Cheng Yuan deliberately made his footsteps louder, causing the three Digimon to turn around at the same time.

They turned around and saw a strange "Digimon," immediately revealing disdainful expressions. The Wildmanmon narrowed its cunning eyes, and after recognizing the newcomer, scoffed, "Where did this outsider come from? Mind your own business!"

Cheng Yuan calmly replied, "Oh? What if I insist on interfering?"

The mushroom beast turned around and sized Cheng Yuan up and down: "Who are you?"

"Me?" Cheng Yuan grinned. He knew that in the eyes of the native Digimon of this world, he and Puppymon were one entity. He casually ruffled Puppymon's hair on his head, which to others looked like he was adjusting his fluffy felt hat.

“My name is Cheng Yuanshou…” He patted the sword beast on the shoulder, “and by the way—I’m also this little guy’s friend.”

Chapter 90 Kendo Tournament

"Friends?" The mushroom beast scoffed, a mocking expression on its face. "What friends could a sword-wielding beast that doesn't even have a sword have? What a joke!"

Cheng Yuan ignored their mockery and instead looked at the Sword Beast: "Where is your sword?"

Kendomon lowered his head, his fingers nervously twisting together, and his voice was barely audible: "...I lost it."

"Hey, you two." Cheng Yuan stood up, his sharp gaze fixed on the mushroom beast and the wild man beast. "What kind of skill is it to bully the weak? Get out of here right now, and don't let me see you bullying anyone again, or I'll beat you up every time I see you."

"Hmph, do you know what you're saying?"

The mushroom beast grinned sinisterly, secretly pulling out a poisonous mushroom bomb from behind its back, preparing to launch a sneak attack.

"Woof!" The little beast suddenly burst into a dazzling light.

Three holy light orbs instantly coalesced, and a golden holy barrier, like an eggshell, enveloped Cheng Yuan and the Sword Dao Beast.

"W-What?!" Wildmanmon took two steps back in horror. "You're a Holy-type Digimon!"

The mushroom beast's face also turned deathly pale.

Vaccine-type Digimon have a natural restraining effect on virus-type Digimon, especially since these are just small minions in their growth stage.

Furthermore, among humanoid Digimon, the Holy type symbolizes justice and authority.

Because the first leader of the Humanoid Digimon League was Jeanne d'Arcmon, a Holy-type Digimon.

Three more Holy Light Orbs appeared, making a total of six Holy Light Orbs, meaning each person would be hit by an average of three orbs!

The mushroom beast and the wild beast exchanged a glance and swallowed hard in unison.

"Tch, consider yourself lucky!" the savage beast said, his words a mix of bravado and fear, before grabbing the mushroom beast's arm and fleeing in a sorry state. "Don't run away if you dare! We'll go find our boss to deal with you!"

Watching the two Digimon flee in disarray, Cheng Yuan put away the Holy Light Bullet and turned around to ask with concern, "Are you alright?"

The swordsman raised his head, his eyes slightly red: "Thank you... My sword accidentally fell into the lava pool during training, and everyone laughed at me, saying I wasn't worthy of being a swordsman..."

Cheng Yuan nodded thoughtfully: "You lost your sword? How do you usually train then?"

The swordsman gestured dejectedly: "I can only swing it in the air, or use a wooden stick instead... But they say that a swordsman without a sword is not qualified to participate in the swordsmanship tournament."

"A kendo tournament?" Cheng Yuan's ears twitched. "What kind of competition is that?"

Mentioning the Kendo Tournament, Kendomon's eyes suddenly lit up: "Don't you know? This is a grand event held by the Humanoid Digimon League every five years! The winner not only gains honor, but also receives the Digimon spirit left behind by the martyrs!"

What? Martyrs? Digital spirit?!

Cheng Yuan's interest was immediately piqued, and he crouched down to get closer: "You mean, when a Digimon possesses a Digital Spirit, its Digital Spirit can be sealed away after it dies in battle and then given as a reward to someone else?"

Kendomon nodded: "Yes, when some powerful Digimon sacrifice themselves, their spirits don't immediately dissipate, but rather crystallize and are enshrined in the ancestral temple. The prize for this competition is the sacred Digimon spirit of Jeanne d'Arcmon!"

Cheng Yuan and the puppy beast exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with joy—there really was a way to acquire DigiSpirits in bulk!

"Let's go!" Cheng Yuan grabbed the sword beast and said, "I'll take you to get a new sword."

Back at the forging workshop, Cheng Yuan first checked the progress of his clones and the Holy Light Bullets. The three little dog beast clones were still diligently hammering the ore, but their energy was already more than half depleted.

He quickly had his main body, the little dog beast, replenish their energy.

“Alright, next—” Cheng Yuan rolled up his sleeves, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation, “we need to forge you a new sword.”

The sword-wielding beast hesitated, then nervously rubbed its paws together: "But... I don't even have a single piece of material..."

"Who said there isn't one?" Cheng Yuan's lips curled into a sly smile as he pointed to the gleaming metal forging table in the corner. "Isn't this a ready-made one?"

"Is this... alright?" Sword Beast hesitated.

The little dog tilted its head: "Woof? Cheng Yuan, when did you learn to forge swords?"

Cheng Yuan smiled mysteriously: "No, but we can try."

Then Cheng Yuan transformed into a temporary novice blacksmith and, under the tempering of holy light, managed to forge a rough sword blank.

Its design is very simple, and it looks more like a cheap toy sword, but at least it is made of metal, which is incomparable to a bamboo sword.

Moreover, because the digital spirit of light was infused into the forging process, the sword body faintly glows, possessing an extremely weak light and a sacred aura.

"Here you go!" Cheng Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and handed the "first work" to the sword beast. "Although it doesn't look very good, it's definitely better than a wooden stick."

The sword-wielding beast trembled as it took the sword, its eyes gleaming with gratitude: "This... is this really alright?"

"It'll do for now." Cheng Yuan patted his shoulder. "But a sword is just a tool; true power comes from the person who uses it. You should use this sword to protect yourself, and also to help others."

Sword Beast gripped the hilt of his sword and nodded vigorously: "Yes! I will definitely become stronger and use my sword to help others!"

After finishing with the sword for the sword-wielding beast, Cheng Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at the small, matte-finish sword, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Kendomon, do you know how to seal Digimon's spirit?" Cheng Yuan asked seriously, his smile fading. Images of powerful Digimon from the murals flashed through his mind. If he could master the technique of sealing Digimon's spirit, it might be helpful in his search for the Light of Evolution.

Kendomon, clutching its new sword and lovingly stroking the blade, paused for a moment after hearing Cheng Yuan's question. It tilted its head, pondering for a while, then its eyes suddenly lit up: "The Dragonmon priest of Forgefire Village knows! The Digimon Spirit is enshrined in the ancestral temple!"

Having said that, it jumped up impatiently, holding the sword in one hand and grabbing Cheng Yuan's sleeve with the other, ready to walk out: "I'll take you! You helped me forge a new sword, I must repay you!"

Cheng Yuan was amused by its enthusiasm and turned to wave to the little dog beast: "Come on, let's go take a look."

At the end of the central street of Duanhuo Village stands a majestic and ancient temple.

From a distance, the main support of the entire building is actually a huge dragon skeleton, the white bones gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Various metal wind chimes hang from the eaves of the temple, making a crisp "ding-dong" sound when a breeze blows, as if telling ancient stories.

"Is this the temple of the Dragonkin?" Cheng Yuan looked up at the peculiar building and couldn't help but marvel at the ingenuity of the Digital World.

Sword Beast nodded and lowered his voice, saying, "The Dragon Beast Priest lives inside; he is the most respected elder in the village."

Upon entering the temple, one is greeted by walls inlaid with countless luminous minerals and floors covered with carpets woven from animal hides, which feel soft and comfortable underfoot.

The most eye-catching feature is the enormous dragon-human beast statue in the very center, so lifelike that it seems as if it might come to life at any moment.

"You're here?"

A deep voice came from the shadows.

Cheng Yuan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a dragon-human beast wearing a dark red robe slowly walking out.

It was taller than ordinary dragon-human beasts, carrying a huge stone pillar engraved with totems on its back, and holding an exquisite totem cane in its right hand, with a glowing red crystal inlaid at the top.

"Hello, I am Cheng Yuan Beast." Cheng Yuan bowed slightly, imitating the etiquette of the sword beast.

The dragon-human beast priest's gaze lingered on Cheng Yuan and his "felt hat" for a moment before he slowly nodded: "The village chief just mentioned you, a blacksmith apprentice with the digital spirit of light. Right now, you should be practicing your basic skills in the workshop."

Cheng Yuan: "..."

Chapter 91 The Guardian Sword

Its voice is like aged wine, mellow and magnetic.

Cheng Yuan noticed that the priest's scales were somewhat aged and white, but his eyes were still sharp as knives.

"High Priest, I would like to ask about the method of digital spirit sealing." Cheng Yuan went straight to the point.

The dragon-human priest did not answer immediately, but turned and walked deeper into the temple: "Come with me, you'll understand when you see it for yourself."

Cheng Yuan and the Sword Beast exchanged a glance and quickly followed. After passing through several deep corridors, they arrived at a wall inlaid with three red crystals. The crystals were rhomboid in shape, and flames seemed to flow inside them, radiating warm and powerful energy fluctuations.

“This is…” Cheng Yuan held his breath.

"The crystallization of three Courageous Digital Spirits," the Dragonmon Priest said with a hint of pride, "the most precious treasure of our Forgefire Village."

Cheng Yuan leaned closer to examine them and discovered that each crystal's surface was engraved with fine lines, which, when combined, formed tiny flame-shaped patterns. He couldn't resist reaching out to touch them, but was repelled by an invisible force when he was still an inch away from the crystals.

"There's an isolation mechanism here; you can't just touch it," the dragon-human beast priest said meaningfully. "If you want to learn the sealing method, you must first prove that you are worthy of this knowledge."

Cheng Yuan withdrew his hand and asked seriously, "What do you need me to do?"

The dragon-human beast priest turned his gaze to the sword beast that had been hiding behind Cheng Yuan, a hint of affection flashing in his eyes: "Help this little guy win the sword tournament in ten days, and I will teach you the sealing method."

"Huh? Me?" The sword-wielding beast was so startled it nearly dropped its new sword. "I... I can't do it..."

“See, this is the problem.” The dragon-human beast priest sighed. “The sword-wielding beast has good talent, but its personality is too cowardly. Swordsmanship requires not only skill, but also a strong heart. If you can help it find a strong heart and win the swordsmanship tournament, the method of sealing it will naturally be offered to you.”

Cheng Yuan glanced at the trembling Swordmon, then at the Courage Digimon shining on the wall, and suddenly understood. He straightened his back and nodded solemnly: "Alright, I accept this mission!"

Back in the workshop courtyard, Cheng Yuan moved a small stool over and sat down, resting his chin on his hands as he fell into deep thought. The little dog beast was dozing at his feet, while the sword beast, clutching its new sword, nervously looked around.

"So, we're going to have special training now?" the Kendo Beast asked timidly. "But... but I really can't..."

Cheng Yuan suddenly stood up, startling the swordsman: "First of all, we need to get rid of your habit of self-doubt!" He imitated Teacher Xu Xin's lecturing style, saying with a stern face, "From now on, for every 'I can't' you say, do ten push-ups!"

"Huh?" The sword beast was dumbfounded.

"Woof! That's a great idea!" The little dog suddenly perked up. "I'll supervise!"