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

The towering alloy watchtowers, the walls under construction, the armored vehicles busily moving about, the patrolling Digimon, and the researchers hurrying by in white lab coats constitute the main theme here.

In the core area of ​​the base, in a makeshift command tent, Xu Xin was staring intently at the holographic sand table, which marked the complex terrain around the Underworld Rift, the distribution of Digimon, and the location of the pioneering team.

He unconsciously twirled a tactical pen in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

This base is none other than the rift point leading to the underworld that Cheng Yuan accidentally opened!

At this moment, countless lines of code flicker along the edge of the crack. Thousands of programmers are working day and night to repair the firewall and stop the crack from spreading, but it still exudes an unsettling, dark aura of death.

He volunteered to be stationed there and to be responsible for the construction and development of this outpost. His deepest goal was only one thing—to find that brat who had disappeared in the rift of the underworld! He wanted to see him alive, but he dared not think about him dead.

Suddenly, his personal phone rang in his pocket, and he froze as he looked at the caller ID.

He answered the phone almost instantly, and the familiar voice made his internal organs suddenly stop beating for a moment.

In contrast to his mood and expression, his voice was deliberately controlled and appeared very calm.

"Who? Class representative, you're willing to come back? ... Running all the way to Central China to have fun? Okay, I got it, stop talking nonsense, I'll arrange for someone to come pick you up in 10 minutes."

Cheng Yuan's voice, clearly relieved, came from the other end of the phone: "Hey, okay, Lao Xu, thanks! I'll treat you to barbecue when we get back. And..." Cheng Yuan lowered his voice a little, "I brought back something important from the Yellow Springs region, and I need to hand it over to the National Research Institute. Could you please do it for me?"

"???" Xu Xin's brow twitched violently! He brought back something too? This kid managed to bring back "local specialties" from that godforsaken place? It's a miracle he even came back unharmed! What else could he have brought back!

Click!

A crisp snapping sound pierced the quiet command tent. Xu Xin looked down and realized that he had snapped the tactical pen in his other hand!

The moment she hung up the phone, Xu Xin turned around abruptly.

He could no longer maintain his composure; his eyes betrayed undisguised excitement and a hint of lingering fear. He picked up another dedicated line communicator, his fingers trembling slightly from the force, and dialed another encrypted number:

"Hey, Sister Xiaochun, it's me, Xu Xin! The chicks are returning to their nests, activate the homing plan."

The entrance to the outpost of the Holy Ruins Digital Space.

Just a few minutes later, a deep and powerful engine roar came from the distant horizon, quickly getting closer!

A sharp, silvery-gray black dot tore through the hazy sky, swooping down at an astonishing speed!

Om-!

The powerful airflow whipped up dust from the ground, causing Cheng Yuan's clothes to flutter loudly.

A futuristic, streamlined fighter Digimon, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, landed steadily and vertically on the tarmac—it was the military's newest, fully-fledged fighter Digimon: Machinedramon!

The front canopy slid open silently, and a young soldier with a cool and handsome face, dressed in a crisp dark blue flight suit, stood up nimbly from the cabin.

He is Cheng Yi, an elite animal trainer renowned for his top-notch air combat skills and a leading figure among the younger generation of military personnel.

When he received the highest priority mission, he was patrolling the nearby airspace. He thought he was going to meet some important person, but through the machine dragon's long-range vision system, he saw a high school student wearing a school uniform who looked tired.

"Damn, what's with the plane..." Cheng Yi muttered to himself, but maintained the seriousness expected of a soldier.

He waved to Cheng Yuan, his voice coming through the communicator with a hint of businesslike impatience: "Get in! Back seat! We're in a hurry!"

Cheng Yuan was also taken aback.

He knew Xu Xin had great power, but he didn't expect that he could directly mobilize the latest type of mechanical dragon beast to pick him up. He also didn't expect that the pilot would be Cheng Yi, whom he had met once before in the Time and Space Secret Realm!

To avoid being recognized, he subconsciously lowered the brim of his hat, gave a mumbled reply, and strode toward the rope ladder hanging down from the mechanical dragon beast.

Cheng Yi frowned slightly as he watched Cheng Yuan furrow his brow as he tried to hide his climbing the rope ladder, but he didn't think much of it.

However, just as Cheng Yuan had settled into the back seat and fastened his seatbelt, Guan Yan, who was seeing him off at the outpost entrance, suddenly waved vigorously, the crisp sound clearly penetrating the roar of the engine:

"Qilin! Have a safe journey! Wishing you success in your college entrance exam! Let's keep in touch online!"

A Qilin?!

These two words struck Cheng Yi's mind like two thunderbolts!

Fragments of memory, obscured by the [space-time disorder] as if viewed through a thick layer of frosted glass, were utterly shattered in that instant!

Qilin... Twelve Divine Generals Reserve... Digital Armor... Armor Evolution...

The identity of "Qilin" reconnects her with the boy in front of her.

Cheng Yi felt his mind go blank, and his pupils suddenly contracted!

He stiffly turned around and looked at Cheng Yuan in the back seat, who had a "I'm doomed, I've been recognized after all" expression on his face.

Shock, disbelief, sudden realization, and a touch of awe in the face of a "legendary figure" instantly filled his chest.

Snapped!

Almost instinctively, Cheng Yi straightened up abruptly and gave Cheng Yuan in the back seat a perfect military salute, his voice trembling slightly with excitement:

"Greetings, Commander!"

Cheng Yuan's lips twitched, and he waved his hand helplessly: "Cheng...Brother Cheng, don't do this. Please, take me to the Pengcheng Qingtian District Digital Arena as fast as you can, please!"

"Yes! I guarantee the mission will be completed!" Cheng Yi's voice was loud and firm, all his previous nonchalance and doubts vanished, leaving only a strong sense of solemnity and mission.

He quickly sat back in the front cabin and closed the cabin lid.

The next second, the engine of the mechanical dragon beast roared deafeningly, and the powerful push-back force slammed Cheng Yuan hard into the seat!

The silver-gray fighter jet shot up vertically like an arrow released from a bow, instantly piercing the clouds in the Sacred Ruins and disappearing into the vast sky. Throughout the entire flight, Cheng Yi was completely focused, his operation as precise as a textbook example, daring not to slacken or become distracted in the slightest, as if he were a national treasure.

The Qingtian District Digital Arena is the site of the college entrance examination and science assessment competition between Pengcheng No.1 Middle School students.

The huge circular arena was bustling with noise and the atmosphere was electric.

The competitive assessment is conducted by examiners appointed by the Ministry of Education to various schools, who conduct competitive assessments and score candidates in batches.

The machine dragon landed vertically in the parking lot outside the arena, attracting many onlookers.

As Cheng Yuan disembarked and the Jilong Beast took off again, Cheng Yuan's figure disappeared from Cheng Yi's sight, and the [Time-Space Concealment] took effect once more.

The identity of "Qilin" was once again separated from Cheng Yuan himself. Cheng Yi only remembered that he had received orders and had carried a high school student all the way.

Cheng Yuan met with Xu Xin outside the arena.

"Not bad, no broken arms or legs, looks pretty energetic." Xu Xin looked Cheng Yuan up and down, then lightly punched Cheng Yuan's shoulder.

Cheng Yuan rubbed the spot where he had been punched, looking pained: "What energy? I dozed off on the plane and I'm so sleepy now. I'm afraid I'll mess up the test later."

"Mistake?" Xu Xin scoffed, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery. "Based on that time at the Netherworld Rift, when you dared to charge into the Ghost Legion with Gatomon, you think you could easily crush a mere early-stage Mature examiner? You could beat him with your eyes closed."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Besides, the truly elite students have already passed the secret exams of major beast tamer universities before the college entrance exam and have been admitted in advance. Although you missed the secret exams, your score as a double champion in the mock exams speaks for itself. Getting into any top university won't be difficult for you. For you, the college entrance exam is just a formality."

Cheng Yuan shook his head: "I promised my parents that I would get good results in the college entrance examination."

Beside them, Wang Lin and the other team members were speechless, their eyes filled with complex emotions as they looked at Cheng Yuan, a mixture of admiration and bewilderment.

They had personally witnessed Cheng Yuan's outburst in dire straits. That Gatomon... no, the goat-like armored Digimon it later evolved into (Galemon) could probably hold its own against any one of their main Digimon, since it was a support Digimon.

Of course, it still falls short when compared to Captain Xu Xin's words.

"I'm going in." Cheng Yuan yawned. Although he had slept for a while on the fighter jet, he was really too tired.

"Alright, stop praising me so much, I'm going to report for duty now." Cheng Yuan yawned widely. Although he had slept for a while on the mechanical dragon beast, the life-and-death escape and the huge mental exhaustion of the past few days had left his body and mind in a state of extreme fatigue.

The Qingtian Digital Arena, also using virtual digital space for assessments, can accommodate 2 people. However, less than one-fifth of these are from Qingtian District applying for the combat course at the Beast Tamer University. Therefore, the number of spectators is relatively small.

He quickly located the assessment district where Pengcheng No.1 Middle School was located.

"Everyone looks so energetic!" Cheng Yuan said.

"Hey, Cheng Yuan, a double champion! Why did you only just arrive? You took so many days off, I thought you were going to give up on the college entrance exam." A familiar boy exclaimed in surprise when he saw him.

The association meticulously concealed Cheng Yuan's whereabouts, and all the teachers and classmates who knew about his involvement in the Underworld Rift disappearance signed strict confidentiality agreements. In everyone's eyes, he had simply taken a long leave to deal with family matters.

Cheng Yuan sat down next to him casually, rubbing his sore eyes: "Something came up at home. Whose turn is it now?"

"Look, on platform number three, Zhao Lu! It looks like she's almost done." The classmate pointed to a battle platform not far away where a fierce battle was taking place.

Cheng Yuan's gaze immediately turned to station number three.

In the virtual space, Zhao Lu's partner, Gear Beast X, is engaged in a fierce battle with the examiner's Armored Beast.

【Armored Beast】

[Vaccine Type - Ankylosaurus - Maturity Stage]

[Maturity Stage]

[Skills: Million-Ton Crushing Blow, Giant Tail Hammer Strike, Heavy Armor Barrier]

[Introduction: Evolved from a pangolin, its entire body is covered in hardened skin covered with sharp protrusions, giving it both superior defensive capabilities and destructive power. Although a herbivorous Digimon, it is brave and fearless.]

At this moment, Zhao Lu's Gear Beast X's performance can only be described as mediocre.

Its [Super High Pressure Lightning Ball] was easily blocked by Armored Beast's [Heavy Barrier]; its [Gear Saw] cutting attack was agile, but it was difficult to penetrate the opponent's thick armor; its [Exploding Drill] attack was also anticipated by Armored Beast and smashed away with [Powerful Ram].

Zhao Lu, standing on the command platform, had a furrowed brow and a somewhat unfocused gaze, clearly indicating that her mind was not entirely on the battle.

The scene from a month ago kept replaying uncontrollably in her mind:

The Netherworld Rift erupted, and the Ghost Legion ravaged the land. Cheng Yuan, leading Gatomon, resolutely charged into the hastily assembled pioneering team and stepped into the all-consuming rift...

She was outside the rift and witnessed Cheng Yuan being swept away by the dimensional turbulence.

Then Xu Xin led the true pioneering team to arrive, repelled the ghost army, sealed off the news, and signed a confidentiality agreement...

Cheng Yuan seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.

If he were here, he would definitely be watching closely, then he'd saunter over to the command post, using his smug tone to analyze the examiners' weaknesses, offering advice and even some underhanded tricks to help everyone get better scores...

Thinking of this, Zhao Lu couldn't help but sigh softly. Her thoughts were like a kite with a broken string, impossible to bring back.

Lacking effective command, Gearmon X was immediately put on the defensive, forced to retreat step by step by Armormon's tail hammer, and was on the verge of failing the test.

"Hey! Zhao Lu! What are you daydreaming about?! Concentrate!"

Zhao Lu felt like she heard Cheng Yuan's familiar voice that made her heart stop. Was she hallucinating again? It had happened quite often this month.

"Use the electromagnetic railgun to take it down! It's such a big target!"

"Not a hallucination?" Zhao Lu looked in astonishment toward the source of the sound, and saw Xing Xi...

"You...you're back?!" Zhao Lu's astonishment and disbelief were instantly overwhelmed by immense joy. Her voice rose with excitement, even trembling slightly.

Her sudden action and the presence of the examiners on the panel all paused for a moment, their gazes turning to Cheng Yuan.

Cheng Yuan didn't care at all. He just nodded towards the battle platform with an encouraging smile on his face: "Yes, I'm back."

At this moment, for Zhao Lu, it was as if the gloom in Hui Zhongnian's heart had been instantly dispelled, and the bright sunshine filled the whole world!

An immense joy and an indescribable excitement surged through her body like an electric current, revitalizing her heart, which had been dormant for a month due to worry!

This intense emotion, like the most potent catalyst, instantly ignited the bond between her and her partner, Digimon!

In the virtual digital battle arena, Gearmon X, who was being suppressed to the brink of defeat, seemed to sense the emotional appeal of its partner. The golden arcs of electricity were no longer wispy strands; catalyzed by its partner's ecstatic and excited emotions, they surged like a torrent of lightning, instantly enveloping its entire body!

Chapter 152 Unleashing Potential! The Five-in-One Gear Beast!

In the virtual digital battlefield, Gearmon X, which was originally in a state of continuous retreat, suddenly had a dormant volcano inside its body ignited in an instant!

The X-shaped red stripe at its core burst forth with dazzling light, far exceeding the surging torrent of data during the normal growth period, gushing out like a burst dam!

"Snap! Snap! Snap!"

A series of teeth-grinding metallic scraping and reassembly sounds rang out! To everyone's astonishment, the two small Gearmon that were originally tightly meshed on either side of Gearmon X instantly sprouted two brand new small Gearmon, as if cells were dividing!

Four small gear beasts spun rapidly around the core, emitting a high-frequency hum, shimmering with silver light, and their energy fluctuations steadily increased!

"What's going on?!"

"Is this about to evolve?"

"It doesn't seem like it! The energy level is still in its growth phase, but the amount of data has increased ridiculously!"

The pot exploded. This kind of transformation was unprecedented!

A barely perceptible blue glint flashed in Cheng Yuan's eyes, and the system's scan results were instantly fed back:

[Wealth Value -100]

Gear Beast X

[Data Type - Mechanical Type]

[Growth Period]

[Status: Due to the surge in data volume, the core gear continues to fission into smaller gear beasts, and these smaller gears are beginning to develop independent consciousness.]