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

The sword-wielding beast gripped its "Guardian Sword" and nodded solemnly. After this period of special training, its strength was now vastly different from what it used to be.

Village Chief Long stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming. He had a vague feeling that the outcome of this kendo tournament might surprise everyone...

Chapter 96 The Sacred Digital Spirit

After the Delacroix was defeated, Cheng Yuan stood on the arena, feeling the surging heat within him.

The battle just now had taken a toll on him. The wound on his thigh left by the vampire blade had stopped bleeding thanks to the healing power of the divine power, but his human body still felt a little weak.

The little dog beast lay on his head; due to the heavy exertion, the light of the Holy Ring had dimmed.

Wizardmon's voice rang out again, "According to the rules, ChengYuanmon has won three consecutive matches and will be rewarded with six sets of growth data resources!"

Six shimmering growth data packets floated from the guest seats and hovered in front of Cheng Yuan. Each data packet contained a large amount of energy, but compared to the attribute cubes in the real world, the data volume was larger, but also more complex, containing a large amount of redundant data.

This isn't very useful to Cheng Yuan and Puppymon, but it's definitely a good thing for the ancient Digimon of this world. It's much purer than directly absorbing the data of other dead Digimon.

"Thank you." Cheng Yuan smiled slightly and put the data packet into his pocket.

His gaze fell on the sword-wielding beast, the little creature gripping the "Guardian Sword," its eyes brimming with fighting spirit. Cheng Yuan nodded to it, signaling it to come onto the stage.

"Next match, Swordsman Beast from Forgefire Village versus Source Beast!" Wizardmon announced loudly.

An uproar erupted in the audience.

"Internal strife within the same village?"

"This is going to be interesting!"

Sword Beast took a deep breath and leaped onto the arena. The "Guardian Sword" in its hand gleamed with faint golden light patterns, traces of the digital light spirit infused by Cheng Yuan.

"Teacher Cheng Yuanshou, please give me your guidance!" Sword Beast bowed solemnly.

Cheng Yuan smiled and pointed his longsword diagonally at the ground: "Come on, let me see your progress."

Battle is imminent.

Sword Beast struck first, its sword crackling with blue lightning, a "Lightning Strike" aimed straight at Cheng Yuan's chest. Puppy Beast warned Cheng Yuan beforehand, and with a swift swing of its longsword, three holy light projectiles roared forth.

Sword Beast was prepared. With a turn of its sword, flames rose and a "Flame Strike" shattered the Holy Light Bullet.

"Not bad!" Cheng Yuan nodded approvingly. The Sword Beast's progress was indeed astonishing; in just ten days, it had already mastered the use of two attribute skills so skillfully.

The audience watched intently. The two Digimon's swordsmanship styles were completely different—Cheng Yuan's "Holy Light Sword Wave" was gorgeous and varied, while the Swordmon's moves were simple yet sharp. Every collision sparked dazzling fireworks, eliciting gasps from the audience.

"Teacher Cheng Yuanshou, watch out!" Sword Beast suddenly leaped up, its sword simultaneously unleashing lightning and flames, drawing a dazzling cross of light in the air—"Thunder Flame Cross Slash!"

A hint of admiration flashed in Cheng Yuan's eyes. This move was a combination technique created by the Sword Dao Beast, its power far exceeding that of a single skill. He dared not be careless; with a flick of his longsword, six holy light orbs simultaneously appeared, forming an encirclement to meet the cross slash.

"boom--!"

The shockwave from the energy collision swept across the entire arena, filling the air with smoke and dust. Cheng Yuan took the opportunity to retreat a few steps, feigning exhaustion, and knelt on one knee, supporting himself with his longsword.

The audience was completely silent.

"Cheng Yuan Beast...has run out of stamina?"

"After all, we just fought three matches in a row, and our opponents were all strong."

Did the Sword Beast win?

Cheng Yuan slowly stood up, dusted himself off, and smiled, "I concede. Sword Beast, your strength has surpassed mine."

The sword-wielding beast's eyes widened: "But..."

“No buts.” Cheng Yuan interrupted, his voice soft but firm. “A win is a win.”

The sword-wielding beast clenched its fist, a complex emotion flashing in its eyes. It knew Cheng Yuan was giving it a chance, but it had to accept this gesture.

"The victor is Swordmon!" Wizardmon announced loudly.

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience. Although Cheng Yuan's defeat was somewhat sudden, the strength displayed by the Sword Beast was equally convincing.

The outcome of the battle that followed was a foregone conclusion.

Swordmon defeated Mushroommon and Savagemon with overwhelming superiority. In particular, in the final battle, its "Thunder Flame Cross Slash" directly blasted Savagemon out of the arena, causing the entire audience to erupt in cheers.

"The champion has been born!" Wizardmon excitedly announced. "Kendomon will receive the Holy Digivice of Jeanne d'Arcmon!"

In the guest seats, the Dragon Leader slowly rose, holding a crystal-clear golden crystal in his hands, its surface engraved with intricate sacred patterns.

"Kendomon," the dragon leader's voice was solemn and majestic, "This is the sacred Digimon spirit left behind by Jeanne d'Arcmon, symbolizing protection and justice. Today, I bestow it upon you, hoping that you will inherit Jeanne d'Arcmon's will and fight for the Humanoid Digimon Alliance."

The Sword Beast knelt on one knee, receiving the crystal with both hands. The instant they touched, the crystal emitted a dazzling light, transforming into a stream of light that merged into its body. The Sword Beast's sword was immediately coated with golden patterns, emanating a divine aura.

"I swear, I will never betray this power!" The Sword Beast's voice was firm and powerful.

Cheng Yuan, sitting in the audience, smiled with satisfaction. He knew that the Sword Beast had found its path.

After the award ceremony, Kendo Beast quietly found Cheng Yuan.

“Teacher Cheng Yuan,” it said, bowing its head, its voice choked with emotion, “this… is for you.”

Cheng Yuan was stunned. He saw that what the Sword Dao Beast was holding was the crystallization of the Sacred Digital Spirit. It had actually given him this precious reward!

"This..." Cheng Yuan didn't know what to say for a moment.

“Without you, I would never have been able to win the competition.” Kendomon raised its head, its eyes full of sincerity. “Besides, you said you would help the Dragon Priest obtain the technology to seal the Digimon Spirit. This… should be helpful to you.”

Cheng Yuan took a deep breath and accepted the crystal. He could feel the powerful energy contained within it, the will and belief of the Jeanne d'Arc beast.

“Thank you, Sword Beast,” he said solemnly. “I need it for a research project, and I appreciate your kind gesture.”

The sword-wielding beast beamed a bright smile, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from its shoulders. It waved and turned to run towards its waiting friends.

As Cheng Yuan watched its retreating figure, he was filled with emotion. He had chosen the Digimon Spirit Sealing Technology over Jeanne d'Arc's Digimon Spirit, but he never expected that the Digimon Spirit would eventually return to his hands.

"Next, it's time to go find the dragon priest to fulfill the promise." Cheng Yuan gripped the crystal tightly, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

The little dog lay on his head and lazily yawned: "Woof, finally I can rest..."

Cheng Yuan smiled and patted its little head: "You've worked hard. I'll give you a chicken leg when we get back."

The mature motorcycle beasts spewed thick smoke as they slowly drove away from the gathering platform.

Cheng Yuan leaned against the window, gazing at the vast land rushing past outside, his hand caressing the sacred digital spirit. The little dog beast was curled up on his lap, dozing off, its tail tip twitching every now and then.

“We’ve had quite a haul this time.” Xu Bing sat down opposite him and handed him a steaming cup of digital tea. “We not only obtained data resources, but also witnessed the ancient swordsmanship. We also collected a lot of historical information and intelligence about this world in the market.”

Cheng Yuan took the teacup and chuckled, "How's your forging training going?"

"Don't even mention it," Cheng Yi interjected, rubbing his aching arm. "When Village Chief Long inspected the ingots this morning, he said they looked like they had been hit by a meteorite."

Cheng Yuan looked towards the driver's cab and saw the motorcycle beast's chimney spewing cheerful white smoke, its wheels clattering against the rails in a light rhythm. Village Chief Long was leaning against the door, the golden light of the setting sun reflecting off his scales, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"It seems there are people who are more eager to get back than we are." Cheng Yuan looked thoughtfully at the crystal in his arms.

Outside the train window, night was falling, and several figures appeared on both sides of the tracks, rapidly approaching the train.

Chapter 97 Another One

The motorcycle sped through the night, the sound of its wheels hitting the rails echoing clearly in the silent wilderness.

Inside the carriage, Cheng Yuan leaned against the window, toying with the sacred digital spirit crystal in his hand. The crystal gleamed with a faint golden light under the moonlight.

The little dog was curled up on his lap, fast asleep, its tail occasionally twitching.

Suddenly, the motorcycle let out a piercing horn, jolted violently, and came to an abrupt stop. Cheng Yuan stumbled, nearly falling, and quickly grabbed the seat for support.

"What's going on?" Xu Bing stood up alertly, her professionalism as a beast trainer already making her place her hand on the arc light machine.

"Enemy attack!" Village Chief Long's roar came from the driver's seat. "Everyone, prepare for battle!"

Before the words were finished, a violent explosion came from outside the car, and the flames illuminated half the sky.

Cheng Yuan quickly picked up the little dog and looked out the car window. He saw several dark shadows swooping down in the pitch-black night sky.

"It's a Beast-type Digimon!" Cheng Yi's expression changed, and he immediately summoned Mechadramon. "Prepare for battle!"

Five trainers rushed out of the carriage, each commanding their Digimon to engage in battle. Cheng Yuan and the other Rookie-level Digimon were instructed to remain inside the vehicle to protect the non-combatants.

"Woof! It's so lively outside!" The little beast perked up its ears, its bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

Cheng Yuan nodded, watching the battle situation outside with bated breath.

In the night sky, the Machinedramon spread its steel wings and engaged in a fierce battle with a massive Black Bardoramon.

The missiles and machine guns of the Machinedramon drew brilliant trajectories in the air, while BlackBudoramon spewed out dark fireballs. The two sides exchanged blows, and the battle was fierce.

"Boom!" A missile struck Dark Bardoramon's wing precisely. It let out a shrill roar, but quickly regained its footing and swung its claw at Mechdramon. Mechdramon nimbly dodged, simultaneously firing a series of machine gun shots, forcing its opponent to retreat repeatedly.

On the ground, Gaogamon clashed head-on with a Diablosmon. The Diablosmon's heavy armor made it virtually impervious to blades and spears, but Gaogamon, with its agile movements, constantly sought opportunities to attack its opponent's weak points. Each collision sparked dazzling sparks and kicked up clouds of dust.

On the other side, Xu Bing's Martial Rabbit Beast was fighting two against one, fiercely battling a Spotted Cat Beast and a Fanged Beast. The Martial Rabbit Beast's Ninja Swift Fist was as fast as lightning, while the Spotted Cat Beast retaliated with its flexible body and sharp claws. The movements of both sides were so fast that they were almost invisible.

When Wu Tu Beast seemed to be at a disadvantage due to being surrounded, Xu Bing took out a tactical chip and inserted it into the Arc Light Machine slot. Wu Tu Beast immediately gained the strength of a Vajra Beast. On the basis of being a speed-type beast, it had a huge advantage in both skills and strength. It was able to fight two opponents at once without being at a disadvantage. The muffled sounds of fists and feet colliding and sharp roars could be heard in the carriage.

Cui Zhuo's Witch-Bird Beast darted between the various small battlefields, occasionally releasing green healing energy to restore the strength of injured Digimon. While its pickaxe had limited offensive power, it was excellent at support.

"Dolphin Beast, is there anything you can do?" Ma Yunlin looked anxiously at her partner. Dolphin Beast shook its head helplessly. On land, its strength was greatly reduced, and it could hardly use even the most basic skills.

A loud "Bang!" rang out. Cheng Yuan turned to look and saw Village Chief Long wielding a massive forging hammer, locked in fierce combat with a Drill Mole Beast. The Drill Mole Beast's nose had evolved into a sharp drill, and each attack it launched from the ground was accompanied by a piercing metallic scraping sound.

Village Chief Long countered with brute force, swinging his hammer. The hammer slammed into the ground, sending dirt flying and smashing the drill mole beast back into its burrow.

The little dog said, "Why does Village Chief Dragon look like he's playing 'whack-a-mole'?"

"It seems the beast-type Digimon came prepared," Cheng Yuan said in a low voice. "Their target is very clear; they're coming for us."

The puppy beast nodded: "Woof! They must know about the Holy Digimon!"

The battle lasted for about half an hour before the beast-type Digimon finally began to retreat. BlackBudoramon let out a reluctant roar and was the first to flap its wings and fly away from the battlefield. Seeing this, the other Digimon also withdrew from the battle and disappeared into the night.

"We won!" Lin Xiaoyang shouted excitedly, but his Gaoga Beast was already covered in wounds and panting heavily.

Village Chief Long put away the forging hammer and walked back to the carriage with a gloomy face: "As expected, someone leaked information to the beast-type Digimon. If it weren't for our several anonymous guards, something bad would probably have happened by now."

"Leaked secrets?" Cheng Yuan asked in confusion.

The village chief nodded: "Forgefire Village has obtained Jeanne d'Arcmon's Digimon Spirit, which is a huge threat to Beast-type Digimon. Digimon Spirits can guide the direction of growth, and if they obtain them, it may help them give birth to powerful Digimon of the Holy Beast type."

“In the ancient war between light and darkness, the Holy Digimon, whether angels or holy beasts, were extremely powerful beings.” Village Chief Ryu sighed. “Beast-type Digimon have always coveted this power.”

Cheng Yuan stroked his chin thoughtfully: "That's why they're willing to go to any lengths to snatch it."

“That’s right,” Village Chief Long said in a deep voice. “This is just a test; they will definitely come back. We must return to Forging Fire Village as soon as possible and strengthen our defenses.”

The motorcycle-like Digimon started up again, carrying everyone towards Forgefire Village. Cheng Yuan watched the battlefield recede into the distance outside the window, a sense of unease rising in his heart. The attack by the Beast-type Digimon was just the beginning; a much larger storm might be brewing.

It was late at night when they returned to Forging Village. Everyone was exhausted and went to their rooms to rest. Cheng Yuan lay on his bed, still clutching the Sacred Digital Spirit Crystal in his hand, replaying the battle of the night in his mind.

"The Divine Digital Spirit..." he muttered to himself, "Could this still be a plot device??"

The next morning, Cheng Yuan couldn't wait to find the dragon-human beast priest. After walking through several quiet streets, he arrived at the temple supported by the skeleton of a giant dragon beast.

The dragon-human beast priest seemed to have anticipated his arrival and was waiting at the temple entrance.

"You've come." The dragon-human beast priest's voice remained low and calm.

Cheng Yuan nodded: "Priest, the Sword Beast has won the Sword Tournament. As agreed, you should teach me how to seal the DigiSpirit."

The dragon-human beast priest smiled slightly: "Come with me."

It turned and headed deeper into the temple, with Cheng Yuan following closely behind. After passing through several corridors, they arrived at the wall inlaid with three Digimon of Courage. The Dragon-Beast Priest took a small metal box from his robes and handed it to Cheng Yuan.

"What is this...?" Cheng Yuan took the box with a puzzled look, opened it, and found that it contained a disc-shaped object.

“The method of sealing the Digimon Spirit,” the Dragonmon priest explained. “It’s a program that, when a Digimon learns and releases it, can seal the Digimon Spirit.”

Cheng Yuan was stunned: "Program? I thought it was some kind of cultivation technique or ritual..."

The Dragon-Beast Priest shook his head: "Digital Spirit is essentially a special form of data and must be processed in a data-driven manner. Although this program can stably encapsulate Digital Spirit, the key is—it needs a suitable container."

"What kind of container do we need?" Cheng Yuan asked, frowning.

The Dragonmon Priest raised his scaly arm and pointed to the three Courage Digimon embedded in the wall: "Haven't you noticed yet?"

Cheng Yuan stared intently at the three rhombus-shaped crystals, which were exactly the same as the digital cores. His pupils contracted slightly: "These crystals... are the digital cores?"

“Exactly.” The Dragonman Beast Priest nodded solemnly, his claws lightly tracing the surface of the crystal: “The most perfect container for sealing a digital spirit is its original owner’s own digital core. Only a data carrier of the same origin can perfectly contain this crystallization of will and power.”

Chapter 98 The Approaching Assessment