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

Now, with the support of the Celestial Hunters Guild, Lu Ming has successfully evolved his Falcon into a Magpie ahead of schedule, which should have been an opportunity to surpass Xu Xin.

Who would have thought that an even more abnormal Cheng Yuan would emerge from Pengcheng No. 1 Middle School this year?

Judging from its previous performance, Gatomon has clearly been hiding its true strength. However, considering only the divine power it has displayed and its mind control skills that resemble those of the Fairy or Dark attributes, it is definitely a powerful opponent that transcends attributes.

"The match begins!"

At the referee's signal, Gatomon unexpectedly rushed to the front line immediately, exposing itself completely to all its opponents.

This unusual behavior surprised the entire audience. Why did Tailmon, who was usually known for its aggressive attacks, act so strangely this time?

Lu Ming's pupils contracted slightly, and alarm bells rang in his mind. Something was definitely amiss. He immediately ordered, "Magpie, maintain altitude and remotely restrain! The rest of the team, proceed as planned!"

Seeing this, Cheng Yuan smiled. The magpie and its trainer were being cautious; by pulling it to its maximum altitude, its ground pressure would be reduced, and in that case…

Let's harvest the babies on the ground first!

Chapter 114 The Victory of Tactics

"What is Pengcheng No. 1 High School trying to do?" Spectators were abuzz with discussion. When Dilumon unexpectedly charged to the front line, everyone held their breath.

As soon as Lu Ming uttered the command, he realized he had made a fatal mistake.

After the magpie reached its maximum altitude, it ensured its own safety but lost real-time control of the ground battlefield.

Tailmon's charge was not without purpose—its target was never Magpiemon in the air.

"Divine Barrier!" Gatomon emitted a dazzling golden light, and a semi-transparent energy shield instantly unfolded, firmly protecting his teammates within it.

The attacks from the four adult Digimon of the Overseas Chinese Academy rained down, but only managed to create ripples on the barrier.

“Now!” A glint flashed in Cheng Yuan’s eyes.

Taking advantage of this lull, the team members from Pengcheng No. 1 Middle School unleashed their full power. Gearmon X's Triple Electric Net roared out, Pangolin's Earthclaw tore through the ground, Flamemon's Deadly Spray spread out, and Hedgehog's Glittering Hairs poured down like a torrential rain.

The four Digimon's attacks were perfectly coordinated, forming a deadly barrage.

"boom!"

When the sacred barrier shattered with a "bang," the teammates' skills all landed on the four growing Digimon on the ground of the Overseas Chinese Academy. Two Digimon turned into streams of data and left the field, while the remaining two were also badly injured.

"Fish Stream Cannon!" Lu Ming hurriedly gave the order.

The magpiemon in the sky finally reacted, opening its beak and unleashing a series of small fish-shaped energy projectiles. These fish-shaped missiles were incredibly powerful, each capable of covering an area ten meters in diameter. The shockwaves within that area were enough to instantly disable a growing Digimon.

Magpie

[Data Species, Bird Types, and Wind Systems]

[Maturity Stage]

[Skills: Frozen Claws, Waterfall Flash, Fish Stream Cannon]

[Introduction: A medium-sized predator with a pair of large wings, capable of agile flight in the sky and also adept at navigating water. This tri-aquatic capability allows it to roam a vast area in the digital world, making it one of the important maintainers of the digital world's ecological balance.]

Meanwhile, on the ground, Cheng Yuan's team had already established a commanding presence, and Cheng Yuan's task was to withstand the pressure from the sky for his teammates.

"Intercept them!" Cheng Yuan responded calmly.

The sacred ring on Tailmon's tail shone brightly, instantly deploying a sacred barrier. Upon encountering the first Fish Stream Cannon, the sacred barrier shattered, and it immediately summoned a Holy Light Bullet to intercept it, precisely meeting the Fish Stream Cannon in mid-air.

A dazzling explosion burst in mid-air, like festive fireworks.

Although it takes two to three Holy Light Bullets to intercept a single Fish Stream Cannon, this has already bought precious time for the team.

With unwavering trust in Cheng Yuan and Gatomon, Gearmon and Sandslammon abandoned all defense and evasion, unleashing their full power to blast all four Digimon on the ground of the Overseas Chinese Academy out of the battle space or render them immobile.

When Magpiemon finally managed to detonate one of its fish-shaped projectiles upon contact with the ground, the four Digimon from the first school had already completed their mission of taking down the enemy's ground troops. They immediately dispersed their formation, and with Cheng Yuan's Holy Light Bullet intercepting them, the fish-shaped projectiles could no longer cause any significant damage.

"Despicable!" Lu Ming's forehead veins bulged. He hadn't expected Cheng Yuan to adopt this "feint attack" tactic—seemingly focusing fire on the mature troops while actually clearing out the ground forces first to create a local advantage.

Cheng Yuan's lips curled into a slight smile. This was precisely the new tactic he had discussed with Teacher Cao Jin: since it was difficult to defeat the Magpie Beast in a short time, they would first create a local advantage. Five against one, even if the opponent was in its mature stage, two fists could not defeat five hands.

"Magpie Beast, Storm Wings!" Lu Ming gritted his teeth and gave the order. The magpie beast in the sky flapped its wings violently, stirring up a violent air current. This was its signature development skill, which could both attack and disrupt the opponent's formation.

However, Gatomon was prepared. The Holy Ring shone brightly, creating a protective barrier around his teammates.

"The time to fight back has come!" A sharp glint flashed in Cheng Yuan's eyes.

In an instant, the five Digimon from Pengcheng No. 1 Middle School launched an attack simultaneously. Eight Holy Light Balls, Super High Pressure Lightning Balls, Gear Saw, Flying Stones, Flash Needles, Seed Shots, and various other skills rained down on the Magpiemon in the air.

The five Digimon were like five anti-aircraft guns, intercepting and blocking the Magpiemon in the air.

The magpie darted left and right in the air, desperately trying to dodge. Any misstep could result in its flight path being locked and it becoming a target of concentrated fire.

While some of the Magpie's abilities during its growth phase may not be able to break through its defenses, they can disrupt its flight rhythm. If its flight rhythm is interrupted and it stops, it may fail to dodge, be locked onto its flight path, and become the target of concentrated fire.

At this moment, Gatomon's eyes suddenly lit up with an eerie red light, but it did not intend to control Magpiemon; it merely activated its chaotic abilities. Magpiemon, struggling to escape in the air, could be fatal even if it only lost focus for a moment.

Sure enough, Magpiemon faltered in mid-air, and was immediately struck by Gearmon X's super-high-pressure lightning ball, which has a mild paralyzing effect, making Magpiemon even more stiff.

"Focus fire!"

The five Digimon seized the fleeting opportunity, and all their attacks hit simultaneously.

"Boom boom boom boom boom—"

Amidst the deafening explosion, the magpie fell like a kite with a broken string.

"Magpie Beast!" Lu Ming shouted hoarsely.

At this shout, the magpie was startled awake when it was only two or three meters off the ground. It flapped its wings with all its might and finally regained its balance, avoiding serious injury. But at this moment, it landed on its claws and grabbed a handful of sand.

Just as it was about to flap its wings and take flight again, Cheng Yuan's voice reached Lu Ming's ears.

“Admit defeat,” Cheng Yuan said calmly. “Your magpie beast has lost air superiority, while we still have five Digimon in good condition. We can’t let it take off again.”

At this moment, all five Digimon were preparing their skills, ready to unleash their attacks as soon as Magpiemon was airborne.

Cheng Yuan added, "Don't forget this is a round-robin tournament. Next, you'll be facing Meisha's bilingual Shellmon. You don't want to lose your form and even lose to Shellmon, do you?"

Lu Ming clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. As the pride of the Overseas Chinese Academy, he had never suffered such humiliation. But reason ultimately prevailed over emotion—continuing to fight would not only fail to bring victory but would also cause unnecessary harm to the Magpie Beast.

"We... admit defeat." These four words seemed to drain all his strength.

The referee's electronic voice immediately announced: "Overseas Chinese Academy concedes defeat, Pengcheng No.1 Middle School wins!"

The crowd erupted in uproar. No one had expected that the two teams with Champion-level Digimon would end in such a one-sided manner.

What's even more astonishing is that this battle perfectly illustrates the importance of tactical command—Digimon battles, especially team battles, are not simply about attribute advantages and skill clashes, but about creating advantages through ingenious tactics and gradually tilting the scales of victory.

This time, the No. 1 Middle School team used ingenious command tactics to exploit the opponent's psychological blind spots and manipulate the Overseas Chinese College at will.

If we had to put it in perspective, this psychological warfare began the moment Gatomon hid in the back row during the very first team battle.

"Thank you for your kind offer." Cheng Yuan extended his hand to Lu Ming.

Lu Ming did not respond immediately, but stared intently at Cheng Yuan: "In a head-on clash, my Magpiemon will definitely not be weaker than your Gatomon. Your Gatomon's attack power is not high enough and lacks explosiveness. Hmph, let's see who wins in the individual match."

Cheng Yuan shrugged: "You're just like your Digimon, both stubborn and clinging to sand even when you fall down."

The coaches from other schools looked serious, scribbling notes on their tactical boards. This tactician was demonstrating a completely new tactical mindset—not bound by conventional combat methods, but adept at exploiting every psychological blind spot of the opponent.

Inside the VIP room, several mysterious figures were also talking in hushed tones.

"Find out this student's background." The middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses pushed up his glasses. "Especially his combat skills, which overpower beast trainers of the same age."

“The data shows,” the assistant quickly reported, “that he has received professional training from the Beast Tamers Association. This professional beast tamer is also studying at Pengcheng Beast Tamer University and has already made a name for himself in the student council.”

"A professional beast tamer... He's really fast." The middle-aged man pondered. "Continue to observe. If he can demonstrate this level of tactical skill in individual competitions... we can consider making contact with him early."

Chapter 115 Minister of Education Li Xiaochun

"Why did he suddenly admit defeat? He was just acting like he was going to fight to the death." Back in the players' lounge, Teacher Cao Jin asked incredulously.

Cheng Yuan repeated the words that made Lu Ming admit defeat during the match.

Cao Jin gasped, "That's brilliant! Not only did it save Gatomon from a tough fight, but it also inadvertently drew a lot of hatred towards Mesa Bilingual..."

The Digimon Gatomon, a recently evolved Champion-level Digimon, is nearly equal in strength to Granmon, and both are Data types, giving them a certain type advantage over Gatomon. If they were to clash head-on, even if Gatomon won, it would be severely weakened.

"No matter how advanced the medical technology in the infirmary is, it can't restore an exposed trump card," Kang Zhaodi added thoughtfully. Under such a high-intensity schedule, even adult-level Digimon struggle to maintain their peak performance.

There are still several individual and team battles today. At this level of intensity, even Champion-level Digimon might not be able to withstand it.

Zhao Lu and Kang Zhaodi also looked at Cheng Yuan. In this match, which was called a mock exam but was actually a league, Cheng Yuan and Dilu Beast carried the burden of the entire school team. If it weren't for them, Pengcheng No. 1 Middle School would probably have been eliminated in the preliminary rounds long ago.

“This psychological warfare tactic can only be used once,” Cheng Yuan shrugged. “Next time, the opponent won’t fall for it.”

He secretly planned to emulate his senior, Xu Xin, and do everything in his power to bring glory to his alma mater. This spirit of inheritance would be the secret to Pengcheng No. 1 Middle School's ability to stand firm amidst fierce competition from other top schools.

Soon, online public opinion spread like wildfire:

"Pengcheng No.1 High School is going to become the number one high school this year."

"A shocking upset! A public high school receiving government subsidies has successfully outperformed a prestigious private school backed by wealthy elites?"

"I agree with Lu Ming. If it really comes down to it, Gatomon is no match. Its attack power is too low."

"If you're shameless, then so be it. You lost but don't dare admit it, and you're just stubbornly clinging to the past..."

"Unveiling Cheng Yuan: From an Ordinary Student to a Rising Star Animal Trainer!"

The penguin competition channel instantly turned into a battlefield, with students from various schools joining in to defend their own athletes and schools, arguing heatedly even through the screen.

Cheng Yuan, who caused these heated discussions, especially after leading the team to victory against Huaqiao Middle School, has also become the main subject of discussion.

Some universities are already preparing to extend offers to animal trainers, such as by lowering admission requirements.

At this point, the format and groupings for the individual competition were also announced.

The individual competition will still use an elimination points system. If all goes well, Cheng Yuan will need to advance through four rounds: the round of 16 to 8, the quarterfinals to 4, the semifinals, and the finals.

Playing all four games is an honor.

As expected, the mature birds were placed in different promotion tracks.

Upon learning of the group assignments, Cheng Yuan rubbed his nose. The Ministry of Education really went to great lengths to enhance its influence, arranging the groups so cleverly that no one would believe there wasn't some behind-the-scenes manipulation.

But this also means that the earlier they meet, the more exciting the final battle will be. The three adult-level Digimon are like carefully placed chess pieces, waiting for the final showdown.

As expected, Cheng Yuan won both of his matches and successfully advanced to the semifinals.

Eight instant-cast Holy Light Bullets, super speed, kite tactics, and other signature skills were all on display, along with previously used skills such as Cat's Eye and Divine Barrier. These were all recorded, analyzed, and deduced by the opponent's think tank.

As for Zhao Lu, fortunately, she didn't encounter any players in their prime in the first two matches. With her outstanding performance in Gear Beast X form, she also managed to overcome all obstacles in the individual competition.

Although the growth stage of the X-form remains unchanged and it is still in the growth period, the change in its form and the improvement of its abilities bring a considerable increase in combat power. It is no exaggeration to say that it is half a growth stage higher than the normal growth stage, and it is not an exaggeration to call it a semi-mature stage.

Many people are curious and researching how Zhao Lu's Gearmon evolved into its X form, including Wang Shu, the mechanic in the Security Bureau. If this evolution could be replicated and carried to maturity, it would be revolutionary for Gearmon's development path.

Imagine a fighter jet evolved from a geared beast, capable of carrying two wingmen with perfect understanding; its tactical value would increase exponentially...

Is it even possible that there could be more than two subgears?

Therefore, Zhao Lu's advancement to the semi-finals was within Cheng Yuan's expectations.

After all, although Gearmon X's data is not enough to evolve, her enhancement is backed by the entire police department, the mechanics and the companies behind them, as well as her professional Beast Tamer father who has a Perfect partner.

However, Zhao Zheng is not in a hurry to improve her strength during her training. Instead, he wants to lay a solid foundation first and wait until she finds the future she wants before he can study her further.

He no longer forces Zhao Lu to apply to the police academy, returning the opportunity to choose her own life to his daughter.

Of course, these were Zhao Lu's family matters, and she couldn't interfere. After all, Zhao Lu's father had also subtly suggested through different channels that Cheng Yuan should apply to the police academy, putting pressure on Cheng Yuan.

……

At the guest table, undercurrents were running through the leaders of various schools.

"Principal Liu, your school is truly full of talented people. Last year, you produced a grassroots genius, Xu Xin, and this year you have another one. Moreover, he was able to evolve to maturity in high school. Perhaps, Pengcheng will have another beast tamer with a complete form in the future."

In the guest seats, the principal of No. 2 Middle School said sourly to Liu Guoliang, the principal of No. 1 Middle School.

"Thank you for your kind words. Although No. 2 Middle School was disappointed to be eliminated in the top eight, it is still an improvement over last year." Liu Guoliang smiled broadly.

The two started their commercial hype, which made the private school representative next to them roll his eyes.

Several representatives from private schools also began to whisper among themselves, clearly indicating that both public and private schools had formed their own small circles.

Public schools are becoming more accessible to the general public, relying on association resources to select and cultivate ordinary talents. The model is more selection-oriented with training as a secondary focus, and the elites who emerge from these schools are closer to the Beast Tamer Association.

Private elite schools, on the other hand, invest heavily in elite training and training, and the elites they produce tend to associate more closely with organizations such as hunters' unions.

Meanwhile, the observers from the Beastmaster University listened quietly, absorbing information from the outstanding competitors in order to judge their growth potential and strength, and to identify the true seeds.