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

Cheng Yuan stared at the three digital crystals of courage embedded in the wall, his fingers unconsciously stroking the sealed program disc in his hand.

The Dragonmon priest's words were like a bolt of lightning that cleaved through his thoughts—it turned out that sealing the Digimon Spirit required the original owner's Digicore as a container!

“No wonder…” Cheng Yuan muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with sudden realization, “Of all the Digimon that died bravely on the battlefield, very few were able to leave behind their DigiSpirit.”

Cruel images flashed through his mind: Digimon falling on the battlefield, Digicores exposed to the air, and precious Digispires rapidly dissipating like sand in an hourglass.

By the time their comrades arrive to collect the bodies, perhaps not even a trace will remain. Moreover, those who know how to preserve these artifacts are few and far between, making each surviving digital artifact a true miracle.

"Jeanne d'Arcmon's Divine Spirit..." Cheng Yuan looked down at the golden crystal in his hand, his heart pounding. This crystal was far more precious than he had imagined; it contained the power and beliefs of the previous leader.

The Dragonmon priest seemed to see through his thoughts, his deep voice echoing in the empty temple: "Once a Digimon spirit is sealed, it can be preserved for a long time. But if you want to reactivate it, you must find a Digimon that resonates with it."

Cheng Yuan's eyes lit up: "Resonance?"

“Yes.” The Dragonmon priest’s claws lightly brushed against the crystals on the wall, producing a soft metallic scraping sound. “Digital Spirits choose inheritors that match their own traits. For example, the Courage Digital Spirit often chooses a fearless warrior. Wearing it close to the body will gradually influence the direction of its data growth.”

Cheng Yuan nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly changed the subject: "Priest, do you think... Digital Spirit can help Rookie Digimon evolve quickly?"

The dragon-human beast priest's pupils suddenly contracted, and his scales stood up slightly: "Why do you ask that?"

Cheng Yuan lowered his voice mysteriously, subtly taking a step forward: "I'm researching a new method of evolution. You see, the Digital Spirit contains the will and power of a powerful Digimon. If we can guide it out and combine it with a Rookie-level Digimon on a suitable medium..."

He deliberately left the message unfinished to observe the priest's reaction.

The air inside the sealed room seemed to freeze. The dragon-human beast priest's tail slapped the ground repeatedly, making a "slap slap" sound. Cheng Yuan could clearly hear his own heart pounding.

"Do you know what you're saying?" The dragon-human beast priest's voice suddenly turned stern. "This will change the disadvantage our entire humanoid alliance is at in this war!"

"If successful, the Humanoid Digimon League will gain a large number of Champion-level combatants. Just imagine, those Rookie-level warriors on the front lines, if they could break through at a crucial moment..."

The dragon-human beast priest's breathing became noticeably heavier, and two puffs of white vapor billowed from its nostrils. It turned and walked deeper into the secret chamber, pressing its claws against a stone wall a few times. The sound of a mechanism activating rang out, revealing a hidden storage cabinet.

"This is an experimental device designed by the Dragon Leader in his youth." The Dragonmon Priest took out a strangely shaped instrument, its surface covered with digital runes. "He once tried to infuse the Digimon of Courage into the bodies of Rookie Digimon to catalyze their evolution, but..."

"It failed?" Cheng Yuan asked sharply, while noticing a clear crack on the instrument.

The Dragonmon priest shook his head and placed the instrument on the stone table: "No, it was successful, but the price was too high. Although the catalyzed Digimon gained immense power in a short time, they couldn't withstand the impact of the Digimon Spirit and their data collapsed, causing them to explode and die." It sighed heavily, its scales making a "crackling" sound as it rubbed against each other. "Since then, the Dragon Leader has banned such experiments."

Cheng Yuan was shocked; he hadn't expected there to be such a secret behind the evolution of the digital armor.

But he quickly calmed down and said softly, "Perhaps... the problem lies in the method? Directly injecting digital spirit is too crude."

The dragon-human beast priest's tail suddenly stopped, and a strange light flashed in his eyes: "Continue."

Cheng Yuan felt his throat go dry, and he swallowed. "I'm conducting an experiment. If we could transform a Digimon's spirit into some kind of... intermediate form, like armor or a weapon, allowing the Digimon to gradually adapt..." He observed the priest's reaction as he spoke. "Of course, using Jeanne d'Arc's Holy Digimon spirit for this experiment would be too wasteful, especially if it fails..."

The dragon-human priest unconsciously tapped the stone table with his claws, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound. The secret chamber fell silent, with only the occasional "tick-tock" of the instruments echoing in the air.

"If..." the Dragon-Man Beast Priest finally spoke, his voice low and slow, "if you need a Courageous Digital Spirit as experimental material...?"

Cheng Yuanqiang suppressed his elation and nodded calmly, "That would be perfect. Although the Courage Digital Spirit is precious, Forging Fire Village has two backups."

The Dragonmon Priest gave Cheng Yuan a deep look and suddenly asked, "Who exactly are you? This kind of thinking... doesn't seem like something an ordinary Digimon would come up with."

Cheng Yuan's heart tightened, but he remained outwardly calm: "He's just a blacksmith who likes to delve into things and innovate." He pointed to his head, "Sometimes, a newcomer's perspective can reveal things that the veterans overlook."

In fact, Cheng Yuan was exploring the path to the known destination.

The Dragonmon Priest remained silent for a long time before finally walking towards the wall inlaid with the Digimon of Courage. With a gentle scratch of its claws, the crystal rubbed against the wall, producing a piercing "squeak," and a Digimon of Courage fell to the ground.

"Take it." He handed the crystal to Cheng Yuan, his eyes flashing with a complex light. "I hope you won't disappoint me."

Cheng Yuan solemnly accepted the crystal, feeling the surging energy fluctuations within it: "I will do my best."

As Cheng Yuan left the Dragon Ancestral Temple, the sun had already set. He looked up at the sky, where the twin moons, unique to the Digital World of the Secret Realm, were slowly rising, casting their cool light.

He gripped the two crystals in his hand—the Divine Digital Spirit and the Courageous Digital Spirit—and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

“Gulemon, wait for me…” he murmured softly, “I will find the Light of Evolution.”

The days that followed became regular and fulfilling.

The mornings in Forging Village were always awakened by the sounds of forging. Just as Cheng Yuan had suggested, the five beast tamers had formed a closely cooperating team. They had a clear division of labor, each fulfilling their specific duties—

"Add another 0.3 millimeters to the left shoulder armor." Cheng Yi's mecha dragon beast hovered in mid-air, and the laser scanner emitted a "beep" sound. "The right joint needs more room to move."

"Understood." Xu Bing nodded, and the Martial Rabbit Beast immediately adjusted the forging intensity. The clanging sound of metal being struck rang out rhythmically like a symphony.

As Cui Zhuo's mythical bird carved energy-conducting patterns with its beak, it made a soft "click-click" sound, each mark being of uniform depth. Ma Yunlin held the design drawing, offering suggestions from time to time, the "scratching" sound of a pencil scratching across the paper accompanying her whispers.

"Energy flow is stable!" Lin Xiaoyang announced excitedly, staring at the monitoring device. Gaogamon breathed a sigh of relief, and the buzzing sound from the energy infusion gradually subsided.

The five men exchanged smiles and high-fived in celebration. This division of labor greatly improved efficiency, and their progress far exceeded Village Chief Long's expectations.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yuan's progress is equally remarkable.

“Based on the data from the 286th experiment,” the Gear Beast’s electronic eyes flashed blue, and its mechanical arm made a precise “click” sound as it operated, “the armor material’s ductility reaches its peak at 447°C, with an error range of ±2°C.”

Cheng Yuan nodded, the "scratching" sound of the pen scratching across the notebook filling the air.

The puppy-like beast's clone hovered in mid-air, sizzling as the holy light blasts heated the metal. The real beast, meanwhile, perched on Cheng Yuan's shoulder, yawning occasionally.

Cheng Yuan leaned against a pillar, a faint smile on his lips.

For him, forging basic armor was no longer a difficult task—the Gear Beast's precise calculations and craftsmanship, combined with the Puppy Beast's energy control, allowed his forging skills to far surpass this level.

With only three days left until the blacksmith qualification exam, the beast tamer group's workshop was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

"We did it!" Xu Bing exclaimed excitedly, slamming his fist on the wooden table with a loud "bang." "The preliminary assessment was absolutely no problem!"

"There are still five days until the secret realm closes after the assessment." Cheng Yi stroked the steel wings of the Machinedramon, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I plan to pilot the Machinedramon around the world and draw a complete map of the Digital World."

The machine-dramon's engine emitted a deep roar, seemingly in response to its master's plan. "The Digital World Administration will definitely offer a high price for this map."

"Are you crazy?" Lin Xiaoyang pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the firelight. "What if we encounter a Perfect-level Digimon in the air? To them, Machinedramon is just a flying piece of meat!"

Cui Zhuo slowly packed his medical kit: "I think it's safer for me to just take the motorcycle tour." He looked up at the window, "This world has many plant-based medicines and treatments worth recording."

"Too conservative!" Lin Xiaoyang's Digivice beeped. "I want to go deeper into the Script Forest for more adventures. Our Digivice has a detection function in the secret realm, so maybe we can find some wild data resources."

Xu Bing wiped his boxing gloves, the metal rubbing against the leather making a "rustling" sound: "Hunting beast-type digital beasts is more exciting. Collecting some digital cores and data might be very useful."

She suddenly sighed, "It's a pity we can't take the Digi-Eggs with us. Otherwise, many extinct Digimon could be reborn in the real world, and those would be truly priceless."

"Everyone!" Ma Yunlin suddenly clapped her hands, her aura as a business elite fully unleashed. "I have a plan that can make everyone rich." She quickly sketched a business empire on a piece of paper. "We can integrate the forging resources of the surrounding villages to form an armor industry chain, and then build flagship stores in the settlement area." Her pen drew powerful lines on the paper. "Once war breaks out, the price of armor will at least triple!"

"Hey, hey," Cheng Yi couldn't help but laugh, "We only have one week left, are you really planning to start a multinational company here?"

Amid the laughter of the crowd, Ma Yunlin shrugged dismissively.

As the laughter subsided, everyone's gaze turned to Cheng Yuan, who had remained silent throughout.

"Qilin, what are your plans?" Xu Bing asked directly.

Cheng Yuan put down the gear parts in his hand, the sound of metal clashing crisp and pleasant: "I heard that after the blacksmith assessment, there will be recommendation slots. The best batch of assessors can be recommended to study at the Holy Land of Courage Digital. I want to go for that slot."

"Activate the volcano, the hidden place of the ancient Tyrannosaurus Beast," Cheng Yuan silently murmured to himself.

His voice was calm, yet it made everyone prick up their ears.

"Wait a minute," Lin Xiaoyang was the first to break the silence, "You're taking the preliminary assessment!" His voice rose eight octaves in surprise, "Those intermediate and advanced blacksmiths are all eyeing this spot!"

Cheng Yuan simply smiled, his gaze falling on the experimental table in the corner of the workshop—where a specially treated Courage Digimon sat quietly. No one knew how many sleepless nights he, Gearmon, and Puppymon had endured for this moment.

Cheng Yuan simply smiled mysteriously and continued to immerse himself in his research.

In the days that followed, he, Gearmon, and Puppymon worked tirelessly, trying to combine the Digimon Spirit of Courage with armor forging. The workshop was filled with the sounds of clanging hammering, buzzing energy fluctuations, and clattering machinery.

The corner was piled with discarded design drafts, and the rustling sound of papers turning over echoed everywhere.

Cheng Yuan's dark circles were getting worse, and the sighs he made when rubbing his eyes were becoming more and more frequent.

Finally, on the morning of the assessment day, the motorcycle beast's horn sounded, and the steam it emitted spread into the clouds.

The group boarded the motorcycle, and the wheels made a regular "click-clack" sound as they sped towards the gathering place.

Chapter 99 Courage Evolution Armor

After a long day of riding motorcycles, the slightly tired group rested and then set off towards the open-air forge.

Looking into the distance, wisps of black smoke drifted above the factory, the traces of countless burning forging furnaces.

"So many people!" The little dog perched on Cheng Yuan's shoulder, wagging its tail excitedly.

The factory was surrounded by onlookers, and the Digimon gathered in small groups, excitedly discussing the upcoming blacksmith exam. The air was thick with the scent of metal and fire, and the occasional clanging sound of hammering could be heard from afar.

"I heard there are quite a few powerful blacksmiths participating this time?" A growing candle beast stood on tiptoe, trying to peer into the venue.

"Hmph, not just anyone can be a blacksmith. Without real skill, you can't even control the heat properly." A mature fire beast stood nearby, arms crossed, its tone laced with arrogance.

Cheng Yuan and his group made their way through the crowded audience area and successfully entered the venue. The venue was even more lively than expected, but there were only about thirty blacksmiths actually participating in the assessment. Most of them were Fire-type Digimon, ranging from small Rookie-level Digimon to towering Champion-level ones. After all, blacksmithing is a rare and skilled profession, and without real expertise, no one would dare to sign up easily.

"Looks like everyone here knows their limits," Cheng Yuan chuckled softly.

In the center of the venue, more than thirty forging tables were neatly arranged, each equipped with basic forging tools, and official metal materials were piled up next to them. If you wanted to use your own materials, you could apply in advance.

"Clang—!" A clear bell rang out, and the hall fell silent instantly.

The three examiners slowly walked up to the platform—Dragon Leader, Flame Beast, and Flame Wizard Beast.

The dragon leader was dressed in a light blacksmith's outfit, while the fire beast was still engulfed in flames, so naturally there were no clothes on it. The flame wizard beast, on the other hand, wore a short robe embroidered with flame patterns, making it look mysterious and majestic.

"Welcome everyone to this blacksmith assessment." The dragon leader's voice was steady and powerful. "The assessment will be conducted in two ways—either by demonstrating your individual blacksmithing skills or by working as a team to create a set of growth-stage armor. You may bring your own materials or use the resources provided by the official team."

He looked around, his gaze lingering briefly on Cheng Yuan, before continuing, "Now, please choose your assessment method and begin."

As soon as the words were spoken, the temperature in the venue suddenly rose, and the blacksmiths all went to their respective forging tables, flames rose, and the sound of metal clashing echoed one after another.

The five tamers exchanged glances and decisively headed towards the team assessment area. Cheng Yuan thought for a moment; his teamwork with the Gear Beast, plus the assistance of the Puppy Beast, was clearly also for the team assessment.

“Let’s go to the group area too,” Cheng Yuan said to Gearmon and Puppymon.

The gears of the Gear Beast spun rapidly, making a "click-clack" mechanical sound: "Understood, I have prepared the optimal forging plan."

The puppymon excitedly waved its paws: "Go for it! The armor we've built today will amaze all the Digimon here!"

The forging process has officially begun.

The puppy beast was in charge of melting the metal and precisely controlling the temperature, while the gear beast assisted in engraving the data matrix, and Cheng Yuan cheered them on. The two beasts worked together seamlessly, and the process proceeded in an orderly manner—melting, forging, engraving, assembling, and packaging, striving for perfection in every step.

Time passed, and darkness fell, but the sounds of forging continued unabated in the arena. Many examinees were drenched in sweat, yet they persevered. This assessment was destined to be a test of endurance.

By noon the next day, the Digimon had completed their basic skills assessment one after another. Some cheered excitedly that they had passed, while others were dejected, clearly having failed to meet the examiners' standards.

In the group assessment area, the five beast tamers were the first to complete their work. They worked together to create a set of growth-stage armor that could enhance the wearer's attack power and the power of fire-attribute skills.

"Please judge, three examiners," said Xu Bing, a professional animal trainer, respectfully.

Flame Wizard Beast reached out and touched the armor, closed its eyes to sense it for a moment, and slowly said, "The physical attack increase is okay, but the attribute bonus is too small."

The Flame Beast shook its head: "The energy conversion rate is not high, and the wearer will lose a lot of physical strength and energy."

The five animal trainers felt a chill run down their spines, but the dragon leader added, "However, it has all the necessary functions, so it's passable. It needs more practice and more work on its fundamentals."

"Thank you, examiners!" The five breathed a sigh of relief. Although the evaluation wasn't high, they had at least passed the task. They happily withdrew, already planning how to bring this technology back to the real world.

After several more rounds of judging, it was finally Cheng Yuan's and Gear Beast's turn.

"My name is Cheng Yuan, and my beast name is Gear Beast." Cheng Yuan stepped forward and introduced himself.

A murmur of discussion immediately arose from the audience.

"Is he the Light Blacksmith from Forging Village?"

"That's right, I saw him at the kendo tournament two weeks ago!"

"Strange, he's clearly a light attribute user, so why is he forging fire attribute armor this time?"

The three examiners naturally heard the murmurs, especially Leader Long, whose eyes flashed with anticipation. After all, Cheng Yuan's performance at the sword tournament had already proven his extraordinary abilities.

"Please show us your work," said Flame Wizard Beast.

Cheng Yuan smiled slightly and presented a set of seemingly ordinary flame-patterned armor.

The three examiners were stunned: "...That's it?"

They had expected Cheng Yuan to produce something amazing, but it turned out to be just a basic fire-attribute armor set.

However, Cheng Yuan mysteriously said, "My armor is still one step away from completion."

As he spoke, he exchanged a glance with Gearmon and Puppymon, and then took out a device that made the Dragon Leader's pupils shrink—an energy data infusion device!

"This is...?!" The dragon leader suddenly stood up, as if he had seen through something, his voice trembling slightly.

Cheng Yuan didn't explain, but simply put the armor into the device, then took out a Courage Digital Spirit Crystal that was flashing with a blazing light and slowly put it into the injection slot.