Douluo Dalu: Sun Gauntlet

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"I've adjusted my strength to the level of a Rank 20 Spirit Master. This is the difficulty you'll be facing." Bai Yan explained calmly.

Her Flame Feather Strike was incredibly fast—at least twice the speed of Huo Wu's Flame Bullet—but Quan Yi's sharp eyes could still track its trajectory.

Moreover, unlike fire-based attacks that relied on explosive force, Bai Yan's feathers focused on piercing power, capable of penetrating defenses with precision.

From the moment he witnessed her soul skill, Quan Yi's mind had already begun analyzing how to counter it.

"I'll give you fifteen minutes. The countdown starts now."

Bai Yan reached into her robes, took out a stick of incense, and lit it. She then stood still, closing her eyes in silent meditation.

There was no time for Quan Yi and Huo Wu to prepare.

Reacting instantly, Quan Yi grabbed the still-dazed Huo Wu and pulled her toward the large tree where they had rested earlier.

There, they crouched low and began whispering urgently.

"What do we do? Our chances of winning are way too low! And Teacher Bai Yan is an Agility Attack System soul master—she can fly. Even if we try to run, we won't be able to escape her!"

Facing such a vast power gap, Huo Wu felt a wave of panic and helplessness.

But when she looked at Quan Yi, she found that his eyes weren't filled with fear—but with excitement.

He was eager to fight.

Quan Yi took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement and forcing himself to remain calm.

"So... are you giving up already?"

His piercing gaze struck straight into Huo Wu's heart.

What kind of expression was that?

Why was there not even a hint of fear—only a burning fighting spirit?

Her heart suddenly pounded violently.

He's right.

This was a rare opportunity to fight against a true expert—yet here she was, overwhelmed by negative thoughts.

Was this how she was supposed to catch up to Quan Yi?

Was this how she was supposed to become the strongest?

Then, a memory flashed through her mind—the vow she had once made with Quan Yi, that fiery determination they had shared.

At that moment, something ignited inside her.

Her gaze sharpened, and the flames in her heart roared back to life.

"No! I refuse to give up unless I'm dead!"

She would not back down.

She would stand and fight.

She would chase after him—no matter how far ahead he was.

"What's the plan?" she asked firmly, her fighting spirit fully awakened.

Quan Yi smirked, pleased by her resolve.

"Huo Wu, how many more times can you use your soul skill?"

"Twelve."

"Can you fire continuously?"

"Yes, but I need a moment to gather my soul power. There's about a one-second delay between shots."

"Can you control the fireball's trajectory?"

Huo Wu hesitated, then shook her head. "Not yet."

"It's fine." Quan Yi reassured her.

He fell into deep thought, quickly analyzing the differences in their strengths, weaknesses, and possible advantages.

Then, as if struck by inspiration, he suddenly leaned in close to Huo Wu's ear and whispered:

"Here's what we'll do…"

The incense burned down, marking the end of their discussion time.

Bai Yan's eyes fluttered open as she sensed the shift in the air.

In front of her, Quan Yi and Huo Wu stood together—one behind the other—standing firm like a united front.

Quan Yi's gaze locked onto Bai Yan, blazing with defiance and fighting spirit.

"It looks like you're ready."

A faint smile played on Bai Yan's lips as she took a step forward.

"Then I declare—the battle officially begins."

However, she didn't rush in immediately.

Instead, she studied the two of them carefully, her sharp eyes sweeping over their stance.

Quan Yi stood in front of Huo Wu, his tall figure completely shielding her.

Bai Yan, an experienced fighter, instantly understood their plan.

Their strategy was simple yet effective:

By leveraging the absolute dominance of Quan Yi's first soul skill in close combat, they forced Bai Yan to avoid direct confrontation.

If she wanted to attack Huo Wu, whose defenses were weak, she would first have to bypass Quan Yi.

However, with Huo Wu positioned directly behind Quan Yi, any attempt to target her would leave Bai Yan vulnerable to Quan Yi's counterattack.

A strong shield before a fierce flame.

Bai Yan couldn't help but admire their approach.

What impressed her most was that they hadn't chosen to fight individually but had instead opted for cooperation—a rare trait among young soul masters.

If they could continue honing this teamwork, her combat training would already be half a success.

But that didn't mean she would go easy on them.

On the contrary—

She would push them even harder.

"Flame Feather Strike."

Three crimson feather arrows shot toward Quan Yi at high speed.

Quan Yi's gaze sharpened, carefully tracking their trajectory.

His right hand clenched into a defensive stance from the Quan Family's martial arts style—a technique designed to deflect incoming attacks rather than absorb them head-on.

His movement was precise.

As the first feather reached him, he subtly adjusted his forearm angle, causing the attack to glance off his gauntlet rather than colliding directly.

With just a small movement, he redirected the attack's force, ensuring neither he nor Huo Wu was harmed.

Bai Yan's eyes flickered with admiration.

"Smart. He's not blocking—he's redirecting the force. He has an incredible battle instinct for his age."

But she wouldn't stop there.

Bai Yan's wings flared open.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Six more flaming feathers shot toward Quan Yi in rapid succession.

But Quan Yi remained composed.

This time, he raised his left hand, quietly gathering strength while maintaining control over his right.

The two sets of attacks came with less than a one-second gap between them—forcing Quan Yi to react instantly and adjust both hands simultaneously.

Despite the overwhelming difficulty, he successfully deflected each feather, subtly altering their trajectories to prevent harm.

Bai Yan narrowed her eyes.

"Splitting his focus? He's executing two different defensive maneuvers at once… His multitasking ability is incredible."

Even so—she had no intention of stopping.

Bai Yan's long legs flexed, and in an instant, she darted around them in a rapid circular motion, using her speed to disrupt Quan Yi's rhythm.

Her goal was clear:

Create an opening. Wait for a mistake. Strike at Huo Wu.

But—

They were ready.

Quan Yi adjusted his footwork, moving in perfect sync with Huo Wu, ensuring that she remained behind him at all times.

Huo Wu, instead of panicking, rotated with him, maintaining her position without hesitation.

It was seamless.

Bai Yan's eyes gleamed with approval.

"A shield full of thorns—not only impenetrable but also capable of counterattacking if I get too close."

She could no longer attack Huo Wu directly.

So—

She looked upward.

"If I can't get past Quan Yi on the ground… I'll strike from the sky."

With a powerful flap of her wings, Bai Yan ascended into the sky.

Quan Yi's height could shield Huo Wu from ground-level attacks, but from above?

She was exposed.

The moment Bai Yan gained air superiority, she immediately locked onto Huo Wu.

She prepared to strike—

Then her pupils shrank.

"First Soul Skill—Flame Bullet!"

An orange fireball shot toward her like a meteor, its heat distorting the air around it.

Huo Wu had been waiting for this exact moment.

From the very start, her attention had been on the sky.

Quan Yi's role was to defend and prevent Bai Yan from approaching.

Huo Wu's role was to counterattack from below the moment Bai Yan took flight.

This was their plan.

But in order for it to work—

Huo Wu had to completely entrust her defense to Quan Yi.

That meant—

She had to completely abandon any offensive action on the ground.

Her only focus was preparing for Bai Yan's aerial assault.

No one would have expected such absolute trust to exist between two teammates who had only been working together for less than a day.