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

Finally, before exhausting their last bit of strength, they climbed to the edge of the crater of the dead volcano.

This is the pinnacle of the world of death.

Beneath our feet lies a bottomless, enormous volcanic crater, billowing with thick, magma-like black fog, like the gaping maw of hell.

Endless black mist surged forth from it, shooting straight up at the gray sky above, which was also shrouded in dark clouds.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur mixed with decaying data, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Blue arcs of electricity, like dancing venomous snakes, flickered and leaped silently in the thick fog, each flash revealing a strange silhouette churning within the black mist.

Guan Yan's condition worsened; her arm showed subtle signs of fragmentation, and her consciousness became somewhat blurred. She could only lean weakly against Cheng Yuan's chest. The little dog beast slumped into a semi-conscious state on his shoulder.

Conversely, Cheng Yuan, in his Dark Beast form, was not affected by the dark data; it was as if he were even darker and more chaotic than the data itself.

Just then—

Boom!

An unusually thick, twisted blue lightning bolt, like a giant sword tearing through the sky, suddenly exploded in the thick fog at the center of the crater!

A blinding blue light instantly illuminated the churning black fog! In that fleeting moment of light, an enormous white shadow vanished into the depths of the fog!

The colossal shadow was as bulky as a mountain, and even a fleeting glimpse of its outline exuded a terrifying pressure that could freeze one's soul! Behind it, it seemed as if a pair of enormous bat wings, capable of blotting out the sky, were stretching out! An aura originating from the primordial era, far surpassing the four fully-formed creatures at the foot of the mountain, swept across the edge of the crater like an invisible tsunami!

"Hiss..." Cheng Yuan gasped, his heart almost stopping! Just a fleeting glimpse of that oppressive aura made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave!

This being, perched at the very core of the dead volcano... could it be a monster from ancient mythology, comparable to the Ancient Tyrannosaurus?! Why isn't it attacking?

Especially the enormous eye within the white figure reminded him of a legendary Digimon: Deathmon!

【Death Beast】

[Data Seed? Demon King Type]

Ultimate Form

[Skills: Death Arrow (fired from the evil eyes in both hands), Eye of Burst (fires a crimson destructive ray from the single eye on the head)]

[Introduction: Formerly a High Angel type Digimon, like Demonmon, it fell to the Dark Area and became a Demon Lord type. Although a Demon Lord type, unlike other Fallen Angel and Demon types, it does not intentionally commit evil, but watches over others from a neutral position. Legend has it that when the final battle arrives, its white form will turn pitch black, transforming into a God of Destruction, a fearsome existence in the Digital World.]

Before Cheng Yuan could think further, the thick blue arc of electricity flashed wildly a few times and then suddenly went out! The thick fog surged, and the enormous, suffocating white shadow vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

All that remained was the churning fog and the flickering, darker, more ominous black arcs of electricity within it.

"Let's go!" Cheng Yuan, carrying Guan Yan, with the little dog beast on his shoulder and the silent Baron beast in tow, stepped into the churning, thick black fog of the volcano's crater, which seemed capable of swallowing everything.

The thick fog instantly enveloped them, stripping them of their vision and leaving them only with pure darkness and a suffocating sense of oppression.

The light of the sacred realm struggled to stay afloat in the thick fog, like a candle flickering in the wind.

I don't know how long I walked in the darkness; perhaps it was just a moment, or perhaps centuries.

The thick fog ahead seemed to be thinning? A different kind of stench, unlike the decaying smell of a dead volcano, filled my nostrils; this air felt more ancient and desolate.

The sensation underfoot was no longer hard volcanic rock, but... stone slabs?

The thick fog that enveloped them dissipated rapidly, like the receding tide.

Cheng Yuan suddenly stopped and looked around in surprise and uncertainty.

Where are the billowing black fog and the dead volcano now?

This is a vast, empty, and desolate ruin!

Towering stone pillars, covered in cracks and vines, resemble the ribs of a giant, supporting the long-collapsed dome above, revealing the gray sky.

The broken remains of the giant stone statue are half-buried in the yellow sand, and the strange face that is neither human nor beast can still be vaguely discerned.

The ground was covered with huge stone slabs engraved with unrecognizable runes. Many of the slabs were broken and displaced, and strange, faintly glowing moss stubbornly emerged from the cracks.

In the distance, the outline of a collapsed palace was swallowed up by deeper shadows.

"This is..." Cheng Yuan was stunned and subconsciously let go of Guan Yan's arms.

Guan Yan's legs gave way and she almost fell, but Baron Beast caught her in time.

She breathed weakly, looking around blankly. When she saw the familiar patterns on the huge stone pillars and slabs that belonged to the ancient civilization of the digital world, her eyes suddenly flashed with disbelief!

“Sacred Ruins…this is…Sacred Ruins Digital Space!” Her voice trembled with excitement and weakness. “We…we escaped! We left the Yellow Springs region! Qilin! It was you! It’s all thanks to you! Without you, I could not have come out alive, let alone brought back the research results that my mentor risked his life for!” She looked at Cheng Yuan, her eyes filled with gratitude for surviving the ordeal.

"The Sacred Ruins Digital Space?" Cheng Yuan frowned, bent down to pick up the still weak little dog beast from his shoulder, and scanned the huge and mysterious ruins.

“Yes,” Guan Yan said, her arm supported by Baronmon as she tried to stand up straight, her voice tinged with seriousness. “This place is located deep within the Central Plains region of the real world, and it is one of the most complex and uniquely governed digital spaces. Moreover, it is a large digital space… Many powerful Digimon races inhabit this place, and there are even… Ultimate-level Digimon.”

"The Central Plains?!" Cheng Yuan and the little dog beast locked eyes. They had traveled from Penguin Stadium in Shenzhen to the digital space of the Central Plains...

How long will it take to get back to Shenzhen?

There are 6 hours left until the college entrance examination.

Chapter 150 The Sound Bird Beast

Inside the digital space of the Sacred Ruins, a huge shadow was cast on the shattered dome of the ruins.

Guan Yan leaned against Baronmon's strong arm, her voice weak but clear, "This ruin... before we strayed into the Underworld, my mentor and I conducted a preliminary survey. Deep within it, there may very well be the secret of the Digital World's disappearance and shattering!"

She paused, took a deep breath, as if drawing upon her mentor's unfinished legacy, "Although my mentor is gone, I must continue. His research cannot be interrupted."

“That’s right.” Baron responded in a deep voice. “My knowledge tells me that this place is of extraordinary value. Lost technology, forgotten rules… may be buried beneath these ruins. Now, I am capable of protecting Guan Yan as she completes her exploration.”

Its lion dance mask turned slightly, its gaze fixed on the deeper darkness within the ruins.

Cheng Yuan said solemnly, "Moreover, there might be a passage connecting to the Underworld here. Those scavengers... still have hope. But..." Its voice grew grave as it recalled the giant white shadow on the Death Volcano, "A terrifying being lurks at the entrance to the Death Volcano... We must warn the Beast Tamer Association that they must not act rashly!"

Guan Yan nodded. The little dog lay weakly on Cheng Yuan's shoulder armor, but its ears twitched slightly.

suddenly!

"Woof! Watch out!" the little dog beast cried out in a sharp, urgent warning!

Almost at the same instant, Cheng Yuan suddenly turned around!

In his armed evolution state, he had already sensed a group of energy fluctuations belonging to the growth stage, which were rapidly approaching from the shadow of a huge broken stone pillar to the side!

Whoosh—!

A piercing noise, like metal scraping against glass, rang out!

More than twenty bird-shaped Digimon, resembling a hybrid of giant bats and mechanical birds, suddenly pounced out of the shadows!

[Sound Bird Beast]

[Virus type? Bird type]

[Growth Period]

[Skills: Giga Howl (A roar at full volume that delivers a shockwave attack), Final Sound (Emits ultrasonic waves that immobilize enemies), Sonic Hypnosis]

[Description: Covered in feathers with sonic patterns, its massive, single eye, embedded in the center of its forehead, is quite eerie—this eye is not an ordinary visual organ; it can detect subtle sound fluctuations and "see" the trajectory of sound. It dwells high in the Cyber ​​Forest, communicating with its companions by emitting various sounds, and can also control other Digimon through sound waves.]

At this moment, the vocal birds were releasing a thousand howls, attempting to attack the strange "humans" who had suddenly appeared in their new nest.

"Shut up!" A fierce glint flashed in Cheng Yuan's eyes, and the blood-red light of the demon sword "Blood Evolution" appeared on his gauntlet. These social, child-stage Digimon were now like trash in his eyes; a single group skill, "Conquer Storm," would be enough to crush them.

However, in the instant his murderous intent surged—

A muffled, hoarse voice came from its mind; the noisy voice from the Dark Flower reappeared, but this time it didn't chuckle evilly; instead, it spoke:

“Dark Beast…Soundbird Beast…Absorb Soundbird Beast.”

Cheng Yuan instantly understood the "advice" whispered from the dark flower.

"Mo, I know it's your voice. Stop playing tricks and just say what you want to say!"

Dark Flower: "..."

There was no response.

But Cheng Yuan changed his mind and used the Conquer the Storm to sweep over the flock of birds and beasts, knocking them unconscious.

It approached the group of one-eyed birds and beasts that were emitting mosquito coils, and the seven blood-red eyes on its armor glowed with a bloody light.

Cheng Yuan could sense the armor's devouring intent towards these sound-bird beasts. It seemed that these sound-bird beasts had a certain origin relationship with the Dark Beasts and greatly benefited the Dark Beasts' power.

With Cheng Yuan's consent, seven viscous, deep, dark red beams of light, seemingly capable of devouring all light, shot out from the seven blood-red eyes, precisely enveloping the birds and beasts!

In just a few seconds, the seven bird-like beasts completely disappeared and were absorbed into the Blood Eye.

Cheng Yuan originally intended to eliminate it directly, but at this moment, the Dark Flower suddenly trembled. A mysterious voice told him that the seven blood-red eyes of the Dark Beast Armor could absorb and devour seven sound-bird beasts, greatly enhancing the Dark Beast's strength.

Cheng Yuan stood still, sensing the changes in the armor.

The seven blood-red eyes, having devoured data of the same origin, seemed to glow with a more restrained and profound light. A new dark power flowed through their limbs and bones before entering the seven blood-red eyes.

It could sense that the hypnotic control effect of "Dark Twilight" activated through the Blood Eye was even stronger, and it seemed that each of its single eyes had gained a new ability, capable of being separated and becoming a new Soundbird Beast, which could be commanded by the Dark Beast.

Darkmon, Deathmon, and Soundbirdmon—these Digimon with their large eyes, could they possibly have some connection that wasn't mentioned in the anime?

Countless questions flooded my mind instantly. But now is not the time to explore them!

"We must return to reality immediately!" Cheng Yuan looked at Guan Yan with a solemn expression. "Your physical condition requires treatment, your mentor's funeral arrangements need to be handled, and... the things Dr. Zhao instructed us to submit must be handed over as soon as possible."

The main issue is that the college entrance examination is about to begin in a few hours. Although it is daytime in the Sacred Ruins Digital Space, it should be around midnight in the real world.

Guan Yan immediately understood Cheng Yuan's urgency. She mustered her strength, quickly pulled out the D-Dragon Machine, and brought up the known map of this digital space.

"Found it! About twenty kilometers southeast of the ruins is the outpost of the Holy Ruins Digital World. That's our official base when we entered the Holy Ruins Digital Space, and it has a stable passage to the real world!" Guan Yan pointed to an inconspicuous triangular symbol on the map.

"Twenty kilometers... Let's go... Full speed ahead, we must make it!" Cheng Yuan's eyes flashed and he suddenly picked up Guan Yan, startling her into a cry of surprise. At the same time, he put the little dog beast on his shoulder.

"Baronmon, keep up!"

“Alright!” Baron replied in a deep voice.

Three figures, like arrows released from a bow, instantly rushed out of the desolate ruins and disappeared into the even denser, more sinister ancient forest on the outskirts of the Sacred Ruins.

Perhaps it was the lingering aura of the dead volcano on them, but they encountered no powerful Digimon along the way. Only some weak, infant Digimon that sensed the danger fled in panic into the depths of the grass.

At full speed, in less than two hours, a spectacular outpost surrounded by tall barbed wire and alloy fortifications appeared on the edge of the forest.

In the center of the wall stands a fortress-like building constructed of metal modules, with a familiar flag fluttering atop it.

We've arrived at the Sacred Ruins Outpost!

In the bushes several hundred meters from the outpost, Cheng Yuan disarmed himself.

He and Guan Yan straightened their disheveled clothes and hair, trying to make themselves look less like refugees who had crawled back from hell, before calmly walking towards the camp gate with Baron and Little Dog.

After presenting their tamer identification and undergoing a simple identity verification and energy scan, they were able to enter the fortress smoothly.

Tamers, Digimon, commerce, and various advanced tamer and Digimon service facilities—the Sacred Ruins outpost is several times more prosperous than the Savage Valley outpost. Cheng Yuan, who had just emerged from the Silent Ruins and the Death Volcano, felt as if he had been transported to another world.

Cheng Yuan rushed to the public charging area inside the fortress. He took out the phone, which had long since run out of power in the Underworld and whose casing was somewhat deformed, and with trembling hands replaced the spare battery.

The screen lit up! The signal bars flickered a few times before finally stabilizing!

Without hesitation, he immediately dialed his home phone.

After a brief pause, my mother's familiar voice came through.

Cheng Yuan felt a pang of sadness, but he forced back his surging emotions and said in the calmest voice, "Mom, it's me! I'm fine! The signal was bad, I just came out of a special area..."

"Huh? You're back from special training? What kind of special training? Is it until the college entrance exam? You need to be careful during your training, okay? Don't exhaust your Gatomon!" Cheng's mother's words were filled with longing for her son, but even more so with doubt.

Cheng Yuan: "..."

Clearly, the Beast Tamers Association has already spoken to Cheng Yuan's parents. Professional beast tamers have a special profession, often undertaking mysterious missions, and they have obviously accepted their son's situation, so they aren't overly worried.

Although he had worried for nothing, fearing that his parents would be overly concerned about his sudden disappearance, Cheng Yuan felt that the current situation was quite good.

After hanging up the phone, he immediately checked the time—only three hours remained until the start of the college entrance examination! Even taking the fastest maglev train from the Sacred Ruins outpost to Pengcheng, where he was, would be too late!

For airplanes, you have to buy tickets and wait in advance! That makes it even more difficult to make it!

How to do?

Cheng Yuan's gaze swept across the contact list, finally settling on a name—Xu Xin!

Chapter 151 I'm Back

Meanwhile, in Shenzhen, a thousand miles away...

The Penguin Sports Arena, which once hosted grand Digimon battles, has had its once bustling stands demolished and replaced by towering alloy observation towers and rapidly expanding thick alloy walls.