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

[Solution: Once the data integration is stable, it can be considered a new, normal state.]

“It’s not evolution,” Cheng Yuan’s voice clearly reached the ears of the students around him who were discussing it. “It’s a form reorganization caused by the dramatic increase in data volume. Just like some Digimon’s size increases with their strength, it has chosen another more efficient way of reorganization.”

He pointed to the field and said, "The core hasn't changed, but the 'core components' have increased."

An association expert wearing glasses, responsible for on-site observation and recording, also witnessed this in the main monitoring room! He nodded repeatedly: "The morphology of this Gear Beast X is quite novel! Its growth stage has indeed remained unchanged, but its core data has exploded, driving structural optimization and reorganization! This morphology... has enormous potential!"

"Holy crap! So that's why he was getting beaten so badly earlier—he was preparing a powerful attack!" The boy exclaimed in sudden realization, slapping his thigh.

"Awesome! A growth-stage monster bursting out and defeating a mature monster? If this succeeds, it will definitely be on the news!" Kang Zhao excitedly waved his fist, as if he were the one on the field.

Amidst the clamor of discussion, the reassembled Gearmon X form was completely transformed!

The main structure is thicker and more robust. The four small gear beasts fly around like satellites, incredibly agile. Each rotating small gear has its own independent consciousness, with lively eyes. They are closely connected to the core gear and each performs its own function.

"Gear Beast X, counterattack!" Zhao Lu's eyes burned with fire as she decisively gave the order.

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!

The four small gear beasts instantly detached from the main body, like four golden meteors, and crashed into the armored beasts that were waiting in battle from four tricky angles! They were no longer simple meshing parts, but combat units with independent mobility!

"Hmph!" The examiner snorted coldly, and the armored beast immediately activated [Heavy Barrier], instantly forming a thick energy shield.

However, the four small gear beasts did not directly crash into the shield, but instead nimbly circled the armored beast at high speed!

Gear Flying Saw!

Four small gears unleashed gear saws, shaving off blinding sparks and producing a chilling screech from all sides of the armored beast's shell.

The armored beast was extremely agitated by this all-around harassment. Its huge body moved clumsily, making it impossible to lock onto any small, fast-moving target.

"Now! Super Battery Cannon!" Zhao Lu seized the moment when the armored beast's defense was being restrained!

Om-! ! !

Gearmon X's main body instantly transforms and reassembles! Its arms and core gear structure unfold and connect, while its energy conduits frantically charge!

A gigantic cannon barrel, its shape ferocious, its muzzle diameter several times greater than before, and crackling with terrifying golden arcs of electricity, took shape amidst blinding light! Deep within the muzzle, destructive energy frantically condensed, compressing into a blindingly bright golden-white sphere! The entire virtual battle space trembled slightly under the oppressive force of that energy core!

The examiner's expression changed drastically! The power of this shot absolutely exceeded the limits of ordinary growth period!

Even during normal maturity, this energy level may not be reached.

"Fire!"

Boom!

A massive, golden-white torrent of energy, like a divine spear tearing through the sky, pierced through the void in an instant, accompanied by a deafening roar and an aura of annihilation! The energy shield of the [Heavy Armor Barrier] shattered like fragile glass, failing to hold back for even a second!

The beam of light, still powerful, slammed solidly into the armored beast's thick back armor!

"Roar—!!!" The armored beast let out a painful howl. A charred hole was instantly burned into its back, which was covered by super alloy armor. The edges of the armor twisted and deformed, melting into a crimson liquid that dripped down. The enormous impact slammed its entire massive body away, crashing heavily into the energy wall at the edge of the virtual space. It slid to the ground, struggled a few times, and then completely lost consciousness. Its body turned into a stream of data and slowly dissipated, being sucked into the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The armored beast has lost its fighting ability!

The entire Qingtian Digital Arena fell into a brief silence.

Immediately, like boiling oil being poured into cold water, it exploded with a bang!

"Holy crap! We won?! We really won!"

"A growth phase defying the maturity phase! And he's the main examiner! A textbook example of a breakout performance!"

"Zhao Lu is awesome! Gear Beast X is awesome!"

"It's on fire! I'm going to unleash my full power!"

Kang Zhaodi, Wen Rou, Li Yue, and other members of the school team jumped up excitedly and clapped wildly. Whether the other candidates knew Zhao Lu or not, they were all ignited by this thrilling comeback. Cheers, whistles, and applause swept across the venue like a tsunami, creating an unprecedentedly enthusiastic atmosphere!

The examiner looked at the screen showing his own armored beast's crushing defeat, shook his head helplessly, but his face showed a hint of appreciation and amazement. He raised his hand and heavily stamped "100" on Zhao Lu's score sheet!

Virtual space deactivated.

Zhao Lu practically rushed off the command platform. With a clear goal in mind, she pushed through the excited crowd and ran straight to the observation area where Cheng Yuan was located.

The principal, physical education teacher Cao Jin, and Kang Zhaodi and a group of students all gathered around, offering their congratulations in a flurry of voices.

Zhao Lu stood in front of Cheng Yuan, her chest heaving slightly, her cheeks flushed from excitement and running. Her bright eyes stared unblinkingly at Cheng Yuan, filled with a multitude of emotions—the joy of finding what she had lost, the relief of a heavy burden, and a hint of girlish, hazy feelings that she was trying hard to suppress.

She took a deep breath, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just pursed her lips, raised her clenched fist, and punched Cheng Yuan's chest lightly. Her fist was pressed against his chest, and her fingertips could feel the warmth of his chest and the strong heartbeat under his school uniform.

"You finally decided to come back?" Her voice tried to maintain its usual clarity, but there was a slight, almost imperceptible tremor at the end. "I knew it... you're incredibly resilient; even the King of Hell wouldn't dare take you in." All her words ultimately boiled down to one sentence, tinged with both reproach and certainty—

"I knew it."

Cheng Yuan looked down at the pale fist pressed against his chest, then looked up to meet Zhao Lu's incredibly bright eyes. He grinned, a smile that conveyed the carefree joy of surviving a close call and a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.

He raised his hand and gently patted Zhao Lu's still tightly clenched fist and the back of her hand with his warm palm.

"Hehe," he chuckled carefree, but his eyes were incredibly serious, "I really had a brush with death, and almost didn't make it back. But..."

Before he could finish speaking, his name appeared on the huge battle platform screen in front of him: "Cheng Yuan, please proceed to Examination Platform 7 to prepare."

"It's my turn." Cheng Yuan stretched his neck, and the familiar fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes.

"You little beast!"

A soft beam of data light shot out from the arc light machine and condensed at Cheng Yuan's feet.

When the light faded, what appeared was not Tailmon in its Champion stage, but... Puppymon!

"Woof! I'm ready!" The little dog raised its head, its voice clear and its eyes pure.

The fishy and slender bones of the ...

The students watching, including Kang Zhaodi and others, almost popped their eyes out.

"Where's Gatomon? How come Cheng Yuan's Gatomon devolved into a puppymon?"

"Damn! A growing puppy beast? The opponent is a mature examiner! How am I supposed to fight this?"

"Oh no, oh no, is the double champion going to crash and burn?"

"What's Cheng Yuan up to? He took a leave of absence and now even his partner has deteriorated?"

Whispers of doubt and worry instantly filled the air. Zhao Lu was also stunned, looking at Cheng Yuan with concern. Even Gatomon had regressed to a small dogmon; Zhao Lu truly believed he had narrowly escaped death.

Cheng Yuan seemed oblivious to the surrounding chatter, simply stretching lazily, his bones cracking softly as if dispelling the fatigue of days of travel.

He patted the little dog's head and strode towards examination platform number 7.

On examination platform number 7, the examiner was already prepared. His partner was a centaur, a half-human, half-horse Digimon!

Centaur

[Vaccine Type - Beastman Type]

[Maturity Stage]

[Skills: Hunting Cannon, Spitfire Back Kick, Horn Charge]

[Introduction: A Digimon with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. It is brave, upright, and loyal, possessing both strength and speed, and excels in mid-range charges and long-range artillery attacks.]

The centaur, holding a cannon, stood tall and was covered in light metal armor. Its muscles were bulging, and its four hooves trod on the virtual grassland, exuding the calm and imposing aura unique to mature horses.

Its gaze toward Cheng Yuan and the little dog beast was calm, showing no contempt for its opponents despite their growth period, but also an absolute confidence.

"Candidate Cheng Yuan, please send out your partner Digimon." The examiner's voice came through the loudspeaker.

"BlackGatomon... I'm counting on you this time." He whispered, inserting the core containing the Dark Flower into the slot at the top of the Arc Machine!

"Puppymon evolves into BlackGatomon!" A wave of cold, mysterious, and incredibly pure dark energy swept out, causing those near station 7 to involuntarily shiver.

The black cocoon dissipated, and the one standing in the center was no longer the harmless little white dog.

It has a slender body covered with jet-black fur, and its golden pupils stand upright, flashing with a coldness, arrogance, and wildness that is completely different from the gentle blue of Gatomon.

On its left ear, a red and gold earring swayed slightly with its movements. The most noticeable change was in its tail—the original sacred ring had disappeared, replaced by a deep obsidian-like [Shadow Tail Ring], emanating a faint shadowy ripple.

BlackGatomon

[Virus type? Monster type? Dark theme]

[Maturity Stage]

[Skills: Dark Claws, Shadow Assault, Dark Bubble]

[Introduction: A viral variant of Tailmon, a child of evil, it roams and lives in the chilling darkness. Its entire body is black, with a dark red glow in its eyes. It once inhabited dark regions, and is cunning and extremely aggressive, adept at using shadows to ambush prey. Its claws can tear through defenses made of light energy.]

"Meow." BlackGatomon elegantly flicked its jet-black tail, its golden vertical pupils scanning the entire area with an air of domineering arrogance, finally fixing on the centaur opposite it, its gaze sharp as a knife.

An eerie silence fell over the entire room once again, followed by an even greater uproar!

"A black...black Gatomon?"

"Did they get a new skin? The fur color looks so natural!"

"No! The aura is completely different! It's mature! And it's mature in the dark element!"

"My God! What on earth happened to Cheng Yuan? Gatomon can turn into a black cat?"

"This 'skin' is so cool! I'm totally smitten with this black cat!" Some test takers who like dark-themed Digimon already had their eyes shining.

"His Digimon can even change skins?" a classmate familiar with Cheng Yuan murmured, immediately sparking a discussion of curiosity and envy among those around him.

After all, aside from the color of their fur and pupils and the accessories, the differences in appearance between Gatomon and Black Gatomon are not drastic. To an uninformed person, it looks like they have unlocked a special outfit.

The examiners and the centaur's expressions also turned serious.

This black cat-shaped Digimon exudes a pure and stable dark aura, which is by no means the chaotic and evil kind that has been corrupted. Instead, it carries a cold and powerful pressure that should not be underestimated!

Chapter 153 Fulfilling the Promise

"The examination shall begin!" The examiner dared not delay and immediately gave the order.

"Neigh—!" The centaur neighed, its four hooves pounding the ground, instantly transforming into a streak of silver-white light as it leaned forward and activated the skill [Horn Charge]!

Its speed was so fast that it almost left a trail of afterimages! A barrier that could pierce through everything formed in front of it!

BlackGreymon's golden pupils contracted slightly. Faced with this thunderous charge, it did not choose to confront it head-on, nor did it even turn its head to look at Cheng Yuan!

[Shadow Strike]!

Its figure suddenly blurred, leaving only a faint black afterimage in place. Its true form, like a ghost merging into the shadows, slid sideways at a speed no less than that of a centaur! Its speed was as fast as a purple lightning bolt skimming across the ground!

The centaur charged forward with unwavering determination, only to miss its target!

Just as Centaur's charge was about to end, its old strength exhausted and new strength yet to arise, BlackGatomon's figure appeared like a ghost behind it! Its jet-black claws shot out silently, the tips coiled with a dark purple light that seemed to condense into a tangible substance, and with a sharp whistle that tore through the air, it fiercely grabbed at Centaur's relatively vulnerable belly joint!

【Claws of the Night】!

The frenzied claws lashed out at the centaur like a whirlwind, the ear-piercing sound of metal scraping against metal and sparks flying!

Countless deep claw marks, with eerie purplish-black corrosive edges, were instantly left on the centaur's armor and uncovered skin!

Dark energy, like a maggot clinging to a bone, erodes inward along the claw marks!

"Hiss!" The centaur winced in pain, its massive body twisting violently, its thick hooves kicking backward with a whooshing sound, trying to force BlackGitomon back.

However, BlackGatomon, having landed a successful blow, did not linger in the fight. Its figure once again transformed into a blurry black shadow, like a slippery loach, and with a few light leaps, it created distance.

It landed on a virtual rock not far away, lightly flicking away the metal fragments remaining on its claws. Its golden vertical pupils, carrying a hint of disdain, coldly stared at its opponent.

The entire battle was fluid, swift, and ruthless, entirely executed autonomously by BlackGatomon!

Cheng Yuan stood on the command platform, his hands in his school uniform pockets, looking relaxed. He even yawned, as if he were just a spectator!

There's nothing I can do. Even when I give orders, Black Gatomon mostly does whatever it wants, its beast personality splits, and it's no longer the cute and clingy Gatomon it used to be.

"Such speed! Such a tricky attack!"

"The dark energy attached to those claws is corrosive! The centaur's armor won't withstand many blows!"

"This black cat...it's kind of cool, but also kind of scary!"

Guanqiu Yunchui Meikang Shangui Dian

BlackGatomon's close-combat fighting ability, timing, and independent and arrogant fighting style are completely different from Gatomon's ranged holy light attacks, and are full of the mysterious and deadly beauty unique to Dark Digimon.

The examiner's forehead was already beaded with sweat.

Centaur wasn't seriously injured, but BlackGatomon's speed and the accompanying dark corrosion were too troublesome.

Long-range [Hunter Cannon] coverage strikes? The enemy is too fast; the effect will likely be limited. Defense? Melee? You can't even touch the enemy!

Looking at the black cat wiping its paws with a cold and arrogant gaze, and then at the several glaring, corroded claw marks on his partner's armor, the examiner decisively pressed the communicator: "Stop! Exam terminated! Cheng Yuan, you pass with full marks!"