Douluo Dalu: Sun Gauntlet

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Blazing Academy – Principal's Office

In the quiet office, two men sat across from each other, deep in discussion.

One was a middle-aged man with fiery red hair, his sharp eyes filled with authority. The other was a black-haired man, his posture respectful as he spoke.

The red-haired man's voice was solemn. "How is the quality of this year's freshmen?"

The black-haired man, Xue Yuan, the Dean of the Junior Division, replied respectfully, "Over the past few years, both the number and quality of students have steadily improved. This year, we have two peerless geniuses among our ranks—one of whom is your daughter, Huo Wu."

The red-haired man was none other than Huo Wuxie, the Dean of Blazing Academy and Huo Wu's father.

Huo Wuxie's sharp gaze flickered with interest. "And what about the other student?"

At the mention of the second genius, Xue Yuan's expression shifted to excitement.

"His name is Quan Yi. His Martial Soul, the Sun Gauntlet, is an extremely rare mutation. Moreover, he possesses innate full soul power, something rarely seen in a hundred years."

"Innate full soul power?!"

Huo Wuxie shot up from his seat, his eyes widening in shock. A moment later, he threw his head back and laughed heartily.

"Hahaha! Innate full soul power! The heavens have blessed our Blazing Academy!"

His excitement was well-founded. He had come to the Primary Academy today for two reasons: to visit his daughter and to inspect the progress of a long-term academy plan—one that aimed to redefine the training of fire-attribute soul masters.

For years, the academy had been focused on nurturing different types of fire-attribute specialists:

Firepower attack-type soul masters, Fire-sensitive agility-type soul masters, Fire-based battlefield controllers

However, when people thought of elemental specialists, they often assumed extreme specialization—soul masters who focused entirely on one attribute or ability.

Yet, after observing the trends in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition, it became clear that the purely extreme approach had reached its limits.

More and more teams were emerging that blended specialization with versatility, while purely extreme-style teams were beginning to fall behind.

Recognizing this, Blazing Academy had been working to fundamentally change their training system. Instead of taking in students from other junior and intermediate academies—who had already been molded into the old system—they planned to cultivate a new generation from scratch.

To support this shift, the academy had been gradually recruiting younger teachers who were more open to modern teaching methods. Their long-term vision was finally starting to bear fruit.

And now, with the appearance of Huo Wu—and an even bigger surprise in Quan Yi—Huo Wuxie's confidence in this project soared.

"Do we know Quan Yi's origins?" Huo Wuxie asked.

Xue Yuan nodded. "I don't know much about his background, but you should remember his mother—Su Ling'er. She was once a student of our Blazing Academy."

Huo Wuxie's eyes flashed with recognition.

"Su Ling'er's son?!"

He immediately understood. Su Ling'er had once represented Blazing Academy in the Advanced Soul Master Tournament—of course he remembered her.

Now, knowing Quan Yi's lineage, any lingering doubts vanished.

His gaze turned sharp again as he looked at Xue Yuan. "Xiao Yuan, your responsibility is immense. Especially with this new generation—you must train them well. Perhaps in our time, Blazing Academy can achieve something that no previous generation has ever accomplished."

Xue Yuan's heart burned with passion.

Like Huo Wuxie, he had once been a student of Blazing Academy. He had deep feelings for the school, and this dream of elevating it to new heights had been in his heart for years.

"Rest assured, Dean! The entire academy staff is fully prepared."

Huo Wuxie stepped forward and patted Xue Yuan's shoulder firmly three times.

"Good, good, good."

His heart was filled with anticipation for the future.

Just then, a knock echoed through the quiet room.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in."

Hearing someone at the door, both men quickly regained their composure and sat back in their chairs.

The door opened, revealing none other than Huo Wushuang.

"Dean, Dad, I'm here."

Huo Wuxie glanced behind him and immediately asked, "Wushuang, where's Xiao Wu?"

"She got into a sparring match with a freshman and hurt herself a little, so I told her to go back and rest."

"What? Xiao Wu is injured?!"

Huo Wuxie's face darkened instantly, his temper flaring like an uncontrollable blaze. "Who dares to bully my daughter?! I'll teach them a lesson!"

His reaction was just as fiery as his son's—both short-tempered and equally protective of Huo Wu.

Huo Wushuang, seeing his father's explosive reaction, felt like he was looking at a mirror image of himself. He quickly stepped forward to calm him down.

"Wait, wait! You misunderstood!"

He hurriedly explained the situation, detailing how Huo Wu had challenged Quan Yi out of competitiveness rather than any actual conflict.

Once Huo Wuxie understood the full story, his anger dissipated, replaced by a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha! So that's how it is. It looks like our Xiao Wu has met her match."

The news that Huo Wu and Quan Yi had become friends surprised him, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense.

The world of soul masters was harsh, where the strong only acknowledged the strong.

At first, Huo Wuxie had been slightly concerned that Huo Wu might struggle to find like-minded friends at the academy. But now, it seemed that concern was unnecessary.

Still, as her father, he wanted to be sure.

His expression turned serious as he asked, "Wushuang, what do you think of Quan Yi?"

Huo Wushuang took a moment to recall his interactions with Quan Yi—from their first meeting, where Quan Yi effortlessly defeated Sun Jie, to their recent encounter in the cafeteria. Though they hadn't known each other long, his impression was clear.

"I think he's simple and straightforward," Huo Wushuang replied honestly.

Huo Wuxie pondered this.

"Simple and direct, huh? Interesting."

After a brief pause, he gave his final instruction. "Let them go with the flow. There's no need to interfere. But Wushuang—make sure to keep an eye on her."

For now, Huo Wuxie chose to observe from a distance. There was still plenty of time ahead, and it was better to let things develop naturally.

Meanwhile, Huo Wu had no idea her father had visited

That night marked a shift in Huo Wu's daily routine—she began following Quan Yi everywhere.

But she wasn't bothering him. Instead, she was quietly observing.

She watched how he trained, how he moved, how he disciplined himself.

She wasn't just blindly imitating—she was learning and thinking.

This pleased Quan Yi.

He appreciated that Huo Wu wasn't simply copying his methods, but rather, trying to carve her own path.

He didn't chase her away. Even when she practiced nearby while he trained, he allowed her to stay.

The two never spoke about their cultivation. They trained in silence, neither disturbing the other.

It was a strange but comfortable dynamic—one of rivalry and friendship.

Two Days Later, Huo Wu Had Developed Her Own Training Plan

Unlike Quan Yi, whose Sun Gauntlet required intense physical conditioning, Huo Wu's Fire Shadow did not demand the same level of brute strength.

Instead, she focused her training on speed and endurance.

Her schedule was different:

Morning and noon: Running and burpees for endurance and agility. Afternoon and evening: Meditation, martial arts, and soul skill practice.

Seeing that Huo Wu had found her own rhythm, Quan Yi stopped paying attention to her training.

His focus returned to his own improvement.

For Quan Yi, mornings and afternoons were rare moments of rest. During these hours, he often stayed in his dormitory reading.

He devoured books at an astonishing pace—usually finishing one per day.

He had even read Yu Xiaogang's research on martial souls multiple times.

The various data, theories, and logical inferences in it fascinated him, providing him with endless inspiration.

However, unlike others who might blindly believe every theory, Quan Yi remained critical.

He studied multiple sources, cross-referencing information instead of accepting conclusions at face value.

When he encountered something he didn't fully understand, he noted it down and conducted his own analysis later.

The more he studied, the more his curiosity grew.

The world of soul masters was vast and boundless.

There were countless martial souls, countless soul beasts, and endless combinations of the two.

Each interaction, each mutation, each ability—it all led to infinite possibilities.

As he delved deeper into his research, he felt as if he was stepping into an entirely new realm—

A world waiting to be explored.