Monzaemon looked at Zheng Fan and Leomon and said, "This place used to be bustling." Monzaemon sounded like an old man reminiscing about the past. "Back when Tonkotsu was here, Champion Digimon would come all this way just to eat, and In-Training Digimon would follow them here. That was when Toy Town truly flourished. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but fewer and fewer Digimon seem to be born these days."
Zheng Fan was about to say something when Monzaemon continued, "Adults should handle things like the Darkness Invasion. Why drag children into it? So what if they're Chosen Children? They're only a bunch of kids. Even you, Zheng Fan, are still just a child."
Zheng Fan remembered Buzhou's rule: no one under seventeen was allowed onto the battlefield. Naturally, he had been an exception. Whenever he thought of the battlefield, the heartache was unavoidable.
Monzaemon kept rambling until dawn.
"Leomon, why don't we go take a look at Infinite Mountain?" Zheng Fan suggested. Leomon frowned and said, "Zheng Fan, isn't that too risky? Your true qi can make you immune to most data energy, but you also said Monzaemon's Love Attack could restore your true qi. What if the power on Infinite Mountain can affect it too?"
Zheng Fan smiled, drew the Night Dawn Sword, and said, "Leomon, watch." The Night Dawn Sword floated in midair without any force supporting it. Zheng Fan waved his hand to draw Leomon's attention. As his hand moved forward, backward, left, and right, the sword followed it.
"Zheng Fan, is this the Sword-Controlling Art you mentioned?" Remembering the strange abilities Zheng Fan had described, Leomon realized he was using the Sword-Controlling Art.
While playing his heart out in Toy Town, Zheng Fan had unwittingly made up for the regrets of his childhood, and his mental cultivation had surged into the spirit realm.
"But Zheng Fan, what if a powerful Digimon is causing the destruction on Infinite Mountain?" Leomon went straight to the heart of the matter. "Andromon said the strongest presence on Infinite Mountain was only at the Champion level, but even the sewers had a Black King Sukamon. Who knows what's up on the mountain?"
Zheng Fan chuckled and said, "Leomon, take this." Leomon was about to resist when he suddenly found himself unable to move. A golden ring of light had appeared around his waist. On closer inspection, it was an enlarged Holy Ring, and it had no physical substance. Yet this thing that looked like a projection had trapped him.
"What is this? Is it a Holy Ring?" Leomon had never seen a Holy Ring before.
"That's right. This is Night Dawn's Holy Ring. I'm strong enough now to use some of its effects." Zheng Fan paused, then continued, "This is the Night Dawn Sword's Holy Ring. Its functions are a little different from those of angel Digimon, but it's just as powerful against evil Digimon."
After hearing Zheng Fan's explanation, Leomon said, "Then what are we waiting for? Didn't Andromon say that with a Champion angel Digimon, we'd have a chance of figuring out what's happening on Infinite Mountain? We aren't angel Digimon, but we should be enough."
Everyone was actually very familiar with Infinite Mountain, because it was truly enormous. Even Digimon from the Wind Guardians couldn't fly directly to its summit. However, a winding mountain road laid by some unknown hand spiraled all the way from its foot to the top.
Zheng Fan sent the Night Dawn Sword a hundred meters ahead to scout. At that distance, recalling Night Dawn would take only an instant. A phantom Holy Ring encircled his wrist. On his own, Zheng Fan could only sense data energy, but the Holy Ring's attraction or repulsion allowed him to determine whether that energy belonged to light or darkness.
Although Leomon looked calm, the knuckles of his hand gripping Man Soul had gone white. Infinite Mountain had a fearsome reputation, after all. Merely hearing its name could send ordinary Digimon and their companions into a cold sweat.
"Leomon, do you know what Infinite Mountain was like before it changed?" Zheng Fan asked. "Before? I really don't know. Maybe Elecmon would know. Elderlymon is the oldest Digimon on File Island. By the time I was born, there were already countless terrifying legends about Infinite Mountain."
"I see." Zheng Fan stopped and ran his hand over the ground. "Zheng Fan, is something wrong?" Leomon immediately grew tense at his actions. "Don't worry, Leomon. We're only halfway up. The danger on Infinite Mountain should be at the summit, shouldn't it?" After feeling the ground for a while, Zheng Fan said, "Leomon, I can sense an aura of devotion on Infinite Mountain." "Devotion?" Leomon didn't understand what that meant.
"Put simply, devotion represents the hopes of many people," Zheng Fan explained. "Infinite Mountain clearly contains a terrifying power that corrodes data, but that aura of devotion is incredibly strong." What's more, the power of faith formed from this devotion is the same in every world. In other words, Digimon can also follow the path of faith to godhood. I just don't know what would happen, Zheng Fan added inwardly.
When it came to faith, the Light Domain and the Dark Domain were actually more tolerant than Buzhou. They worshipped pantheons headed by the God of Light and the God of Darkness respectively. Warriors could choose to serve the God of War, the God of Knights, and so on. Those of other faiths wouldn't face persecution either, provided they acknowledged that their gods served under the God of Light or the God of Darkness. In Buzhou, by contrast, Nuwa alone reigned supreme. The cloud-piercing Sacred Statue of Nuwa was a hundred times more imposing than the Statue of the God of Light and the Statue of the God of Darkness in their respective domains. Although Buzhou had no explicit decree requiring people to worship Nuwa as those domains did their gods, how could anyone who saw her sacred statue fail to be awed into submission? Of course, for Zheng Fan and the people of Buzhou, worshipping Nuwa was only natural, just as the people of the Light Domain and the Dark Domain worshipped the God of Light and the God of Darkness.
"Long ago, Infinite Mountain must have been the place all Digimon loved most," Zheng Fan said with certainty.
"Leomon, let's head back down for now," Zheng Fan said. A glint flashed in Leomon's eyes. "Zheng Fan, if what you said is true, then we have even more reason to uncover the truth behind Infinite Mountain's transformation." He continued, "You aren't a Digimon, so I won't ask you to come up with me. But I have to find out why Infinite Mountain changed." His voice was firm.
"Oh, come on, Leomon. You've accompanied me to so many places. What's wrong with me going to the summit with you? Besides, this was my idea." Zheng Fan simply thought of how the people of Buzhou would willingly give their lives to protect the Sacred Statue of Nuwa. Digimon were no different.
"Stop! You aren't allowed to go any farther." Zheng Fan had only sensed data energy approaching. Night Dawn hadn't reacted, and the Holy Ring hadn't detected anything. As it turned out, the enemy had appeared from above. Infinite Mountain was a mountain, after all. Zheng Fan inwardly vowed to consider every angle before acting next time.
The Digimon blocking their path was quite a beauty: the Wings of Hope, Pegasusmon. No, that was wrong. It was indeed a winged horse, but it wasn't the Armor-level Pegasusmon. It was the Champion-level Unimon.
Unimon was snow-white, with a golden mane and black wings. A red mask covered his face, and he had a pointed horn. He was exactly the sort little girls loved. Naturally, Zheng Fan and Leomon didn't like him. Nobody liked a troublemaker.
"Leomon, and you, unknown Digimon, you cannot go any farther." "Unimon, why are you stopping us?" Leomon asked.
"Leomon, don't you know how terrifying Infinite Mountain is? Why have you come here anyway?" Unimon then added, "Elderlymon said back then that brainless Digimon like you would definitely want to test just how frightening Infinite Mountain is."
"I don't care what you say. I'm climbing Infinite Mountain today!" Leomon roared, "Beast King Fist!"
Unimon opened his mouth wide, gathered data energy inside it, and spat it out, shouting, "Holy Shot!" Then Leomon and Unimon became locked in battle.
At this point, how could Zheng Fan possibly stand aside and watch? He would have to help Leomon defeat Unimon first. They could talk things over afterward.
"One Sword Slashes the Heavenly Dipper!" He separated the two battling Digimon. "Sword of Faith!" As the Sword of Faith took shape, the unique power of faith on Infinite Mountain poured into its sword light. A ray of faith was drawn out of Leomon's body as well. With nowhere to dodge, Unimon was struck squarely in the head.
"Zheng Fan, did you kill Unimon?" Leomon looked rather sorrowful. Zheng Fan explained, "The Sword of Faith has no killing power. It mainly influences the heart. If someone struck by it isn't resolute enough, they'll start feeling that what they're doing is wrong. Infinite Mountain's environment happens to be perfectly suited to using it. But this is my first time using a spirit realm Sword Art, so I don't know how well it'll work."
Sword styles and Sword Arts had different cultivation requirements. Styles like the Blazing Fire Sword Style and the Flowing Water Sword Style could be practiced from the mortal realm onward, and became more effective as one's cultivation rose. The Ice Sword Art was most useful in the mortal realm; at higher levels, it instead became unnecessary. A few moves of the Azure Dragon Sword could be learned in the mortal realm, a few more in the art realm, and another few in the immortal realm. Although the Sword of Faith was named like a sword move, it was actually a pure art, so it could only be used upon reaching the art realm.
Looking at Unimon's statue-like pose, Zheng Fan felt a headache coming on. He said again, "Leomon, why don't we head down for now? We really should prepare properly before exploring Infinite Mountain."
This time, Leomon didn't object. He turned to head down, but Zheng Fan called him back. "Leomon, what about Unimon? Are we just going to leave him here on Infinite Mountain?" Leomon said, "Then please help carry Unimon down, Zheng Fan." With that, he walked away without looking back.
Before you continue