Douluo Dalu: Sun Gauntlet

Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari

----------

The explosion of the final Flame Bullet carried far more force than before.

Bai Yan swiftly assumed a defensive posture, preparing to endure the shockwave head-on. As long as she could stabilize herself mid-air, the impact wouldn't pose a real threat.

Her caution was justified.

In aerial combat, the most dangerous thing wasn't taking damage—it was losing control and plummeting helplessly.

However, what she hadn't anticipated was that hidden within the fireball was a stone.

Under Huo Wu's precise control, the explosion's force propelled the stone directly toward Bai Yan at astonishing speed.

If one slowed down the moment, they would see a faint red imprint of a rhinoceros horn glowing on the stone's surface—

Quan Yi's Seal of Rhinoceros.

This was a hidden weapon that Quan Yi had secretly prepared, a clever alternative use of his first soul skill.

From the ground, Quan Yi shut his eyes, concentrating with unwavering focus.

Because of the blinding light from Huo Wu's explosion, he couldn't rely on sight. Instead, he had to depend entirely on his perception of the Seal of Rhinoceros to determine the exact moment to detonate it.

Huo Wu had fought desperately to carve out this opening—he would not waste it.

Through his heightened senses, Quan Yi tracked the stone's rapid movement. It was hurtling away from him at terrifying speed, locked onto its target.

All he had to do was seize a single moment—

The instant the stone made contact with Bai Yan.

Only then would its movement cease, and only then could he detonate it with absolute precision.

His perception sharpened—

There!

A faint signal from the mark—the stone had paused.

Quan Yi didn't hesitate.

"Now!"

With a decisive thought, he triggered the explosion.

Boom!

A muffled detonation echoed across the sky.

Huo Wu and Quan Yi watched with bated breath, eyes locked on the airborne battlefield.

Had their attack worked?

Huo Wu's soul power was completely depleted—her body was drained, her limbs weak—but she refused to collapse.

She needed to see the outcome with her own eyes.

As the lingering flames in the air began to fade, the scene they had hoped for did not appear.

Bai Yan still hovered high above.

Her pristine white wings were now marked with black scorch stains, but aside from that—

She was completely unharmed.

How?!

An explosion at such close range… yet she had withstood it?

A wave of disappointment washed over them.

Huo Wu, especially, felt a deep sense of frustration. She clenched her fists, unwilling to accept the result.

But then—

Something changed.

Bai Yan was descending.

Slowly, gracefully, she lowered herself to the ground—until both feet touched down.

When she lifted her gaze, admiration shone in her eyes.

Then, to their surprise, she began to clap.

"That was incredible. If I hadn't released soul power beyond level 20 at the last second, my wings might have been broken by that explosion. Your performance far exceeded my expectations."

Huo Wu and Quan Yi exchanged glances—before breaking into tired smiles.

They understood what this meant.

"I officially declare that you have passed this combat training."

Bai Yan's voice rang out clearly, finalizing the battle's outcome.

The moment the words reached Huo Wu's ears, all the tension in her body unraveled.

The overwhelming fatigue she had been suppressing surged through her like a crashing tide.

Her legs gave out.

She fell forward—

And Quan Yi noticed it.

Quan Yi immediately caught the falling Huo Wu, lifting her effortlessly into a princess carry. His voice was soft yet steady as he said, "You did well. Thank you for your hard work."

Looking at the faintly conscious Huo Wu, he couldn't just let her collapse to the ground.

Her final outburst had truly startled him.

Quan Yi had expected her to hold her ground, but her performance had far exceeded his expectations.

Huo Wu, nestled in his arms, felt a wave of heat rush to her face. Fortunately, the paleness of exhaustion masked the flush of shyness spreading across her cheeks.

"Mm..." she murmured weakly.

The usually confident and outspoken Huo Wu showed an uncharacteristically shy side in this moment.

Bai Yan watched the two quietly, allowing them to savor their hard-earned victory.

At the same time, she was replaying the entire battle in her mind.

This combat training hadn't been arranged for mere entertainment. As their teacher, she had a duty to assess and critique their performances.

After a moment of thought, she spoke.

"Quan Yi, in terms of raw strength alone, you are already capable of competing with Soul Masters at the Spirit Grand Master realm. But what I admire most isn't your power—it's your choice to stand by your teammate rather than fight alone."

Bai Yan had faced Quan Yi firsthand and knew how terrifying his strength was. With him on the battlefield, she hadn't been able to get close at all. The speed advantage she prided herself on as an agility-type Soul Master had been completely neutralized.

More than strength, Quan Yi had strategy.

To Bai Yan, he didn't feel like a student at all—he fought with the composure of a seasoned warrior.

Most people in his position would have chosen the easier route: abandoning the burden of Huo Wu to last the required fifteen minutes alone.

After all, there had been no rule that both of them needed to survive until the end.

But Quan Yi never even considered that option.

Instead, he had used his towering frame to become a shield—a fortress protecting Huo Wu.

"This is what I should do," Quan Yi replied calmly. "Because we are a team."

To him, abandoning a comrade was never an option.

Besides, without Huo Wu's assistance, he wouldn't have been able to break through Bai Yan's defenses either.

Bai Yan nodded approvingly, then turned to Huo Wu.

"And as for you, Huo Wu—I admit, I underestimated you."

She sighed lightly, shaking her head.

"I assumed you were the weak link in this team, the easiest target. But you shattered that expectation completely. Especially your final combination attack… even I was caught off guard."

Huo Wu's performance had far surpassed Bai Yan's original predictions.

Her strategy had been simple—wear Huo Wu down with sustained attacks before focusing on Quan Yi, the true threat.

But in the end, it was Huo Wu, the one she had dismissed as an appetizer, who had turned the tide.

"No, Teacher," Huo Wu said weakly, shaking her head. "If it weren't for Quan Yi, I wouldn't have been able to do any of that."

Despite her exhaustion, her expression was serious.

If this had been before, Huo Wu would have basked in the teacher's praise, accepting it with her usual bright confidence.

But this time was different.

Without Quan Yi's protection, she wouldn't have lasted long enough to counterattack. And the final plan—the decisive blow—had been half Quan Yi's doing.

This battle had taught her the true value of teamwork.

Bai Yan saw the depth of realization in Huo Wu's eyes, and a warm sense of satisfaction filled her heart.

Her goal today hadn't just been to train their combat skills.

She wanted them to learn the power of cooperation.

And from the looks of it—

Mission accomplished.

After a moment, Bai Yan smiled and stretched lightly.

"Alright, that's enough for today's training. You both need to rest—especially you, Huo Wu. Tomorrow, same time, same place. I'll be waiting."

With that, Bai Yan released her Martial Soul possession.

In an instant, the tall and imposing warrior transformed back into her usual petite and delicate form.

Without hesitation, she waved a small hand and turned to leave the training ground.

The sudden contrast left Quan Yi momentarily stunned.

This… this strong and commanding presence just became so small and cute?

Seeing his slightly dazed expression, Huo Wu, still in his arms, raised her head and lightly patted his chest.

"The teacher's already gone," she teased. "It's time for us to leave too."

Quan Yi blinked, snapping out of his trance.

"Oh… right."

His gaze shifted to the weakened girl in his arms. Without another word, he adjusted his hold on her and began walking toward the dormitory.