Douluo Dalu: Sun Gauntlet

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"Hey, look over there."

"Wow, that's bold. And right in the middle of the academy, too!"

Students passing by on the road couldn't help but glance at Quan Yi and Huo Wu, their faces filled with teasing curiosity.

It had to be said—children in the Douluo Continent tended to be quite precocious.

Or perhaps, in ancient times, children everywhere matured earlier.

Still, the reactions of the passersby were understandable.

After all, seeing a boy carrying a girl in a princess carry in public was bound to attract attention.

Yet, Quan Yi remained completely oblivious to the whispers and glances around him.

At this moment, his mind was occupied with a thorough review of the battle they had just fought.

While his close-combat talent was undeniable, this fight had exposed several weaknesses he hadn't previously considered.

The first issue—lack of long-range attacks.

Because of this, he had been forced into a purely defensive stance for most of the battle.

The second issue—insufficient mobility.

His footwork simply couldn't keep up with Bai Yan's speed.

These were common weaknesses for power attack-type Soul Masters in the early stages of cultivation.

Generally, Soul Masters could only wait until their next soul ring to acquire abilities that compensated for their shortcomings.

That was the way things had always been.

But Quan Yi thought differently.

He believed that his Martial Soul and existing soul skills still had untapped potential.

Just like how he had imprinted the Seal of Rhinoceros onto a stone, transforming a close-range strike into a long-range attack—

There had to be other ways to refine his abilities.

Deep in thought, Quan Yi sank further into his own world, completely unaware of his surroundings.

Meanwhile, Huo Wu—though her eyes were closed—was very much aware of the whispers from passersby.

Her cheeks slowly turned red.

A feeling of embarrassment crept in.

After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked up at Quan Yi, preparing to ask him to put her down.

"Can you let me down?" she murmured softly.

"Hm?"

Lost in thought, Quan Yi hadn't caught her words.

He turned his head toward her and asked, "What did you say?"

Huo Wu suddenly found herself staring at him up close for the first time.

His eyes were clear and steady, filled with a level of maturity and composure unlike most boys their age.

Her heart skipped a beat.

And just like that—

She forgot what she was about to say.

"It's nothing."

Though still a little shy, she didn't dislike the feeling of being carried by Quan Yi.

Besides, her body was still weak. Walking on her own would be difficult.

So instead of pressing the matter, she simply rested her head against his chest, blocking out the outside world.

Quan Yi, still lost in his own contemplation, fell silent once again.

The two walked without speaking.

After a while—

"What are you thinking about? You're so deep in thought."

Huo Wu's voice broke the silence.

She had noticed that Quan Yi seemed completely disconnected from his surroundings, lost in a world of his own.

"Ah… nothing, really."

He looked up toward the horizon, his expression calm yet resolute.

"I just feel… that there's still a long road ahead."

Huo Wu was momentarily dazed.

Quan Yi's words were vague, yet their meaning was clear.

"Yeah." She replied softly, an undertone of unwillingness in her voice.

This was their first victory, but also their first defeat.

Even after joining forces and giving it their all, the damage they inflicted on their teacher was barely noticeable.

For the first time, both Quan Yi and Huo Wu truly realized—they were still far from being strong.

Among their peers, they stood out as elites, but as Soul Masters, they had only just set foot on the path.

Their journey was just beginning.

Looking toward the distant horizon, Quan Yi suddenly felt a surge of determination. A small smile appeared on his lips as he lowered his head to look at Huo Wu.

"However, we've only just begun."

His voice was calm, but his eyes shone with anticipation for the future.

Huo Wu focused on those eyes—clear and unwavering, filled with a fire that refused to be extinguished.

In that moment, she felt as if she could see directly into Quan Yi's heart.

And there—

She saw a burning flame, strong and unyielding.

"Yeah. We're just getting started."

Quan Yi's resolve ignited something within her as well.

Yes, the future belonged to the young.

Right now, neither of them felt defeat—only a hunger for growth.

Huo Wu looked at Quan Yi, a trace of fascination in her gaze.

He was like the rising sun, shining brilliantly, his presence impossible to ignore.

She suddenly realized—she couldn't imagine a future without him.

Just like a shadow could never be without the sun.

'I wish this moment could last a little longer.'

The thought drifted through her mind.

But all good things were fleeting.

"We're here. Your soul power is depleted—get some rest."

Quan Yi had arrived at the entrance of the girls' dormitory.

With care, he gently set Huo Wu down, but he didn't step forward.

Although he wasn't exhausted, there was a difference between men and women—entering the dormitory would be inappropriate.

"Thanks."

Huo Wu patted his shoulder, gratitude evident in her expression.

"Can you walk on your own?" Quan Yi asked, his tone tinged with concern.

"I'm fine. Thanks to you, I'm already recovering."

To prove her point, Huo Wu lightly bounced on her feet, showing no signs of weakness.

Only then did Quan Yi relax, giving her a slight nod.

"That's good. I'll head out, then."

"Mm."

Quan Yi turned and walked away.

What he didn't notice was that—

Huo Wu stood there, watching his retreating figure, unmoving for a long time.

After leaving the girls' dormitory, Quan Yi didn't return to his own.

Instead, he made his way to the training field where he usually practiced.

It was late, and the grounds were deserted.

Perfect.

No one would be disturbed, and he could train freely.

Though it wasn't his usual training time, there was something he wanted to test.

Reaching into his storage tool, Quan Yi pulled out several small stones.

Each one bore a distinct red-marked rhinoceros horn—

His "grenades."

These had been prepared as a countermeasure against Bai Yan.

Originally, Quan Yi had planned to use them as a trump card. However, he quickly realized—unless Bai Yan was close, he had no way to land a direct hit.

And with Huo Wu's limited soul power, she wouldn't have been able to last the full fifteen minutes.

That was why he had come up with these grenades.

Yet, in the end, because of Huo Wu's unexpected breakthrough, many of them remained unused.

Now, he wanted to see what else they could do.

Quan Yi picked up one of the stones, feeling its weight in his palm.

Then, mimicking the stance of a baseball pitcher, he pulled back and launched the stone with full force.

"Seal of Rhinoceros—Variant: Pitcher Mode!"

Though lighter than a baseball, the stone rocketed forward at over 200 km/h under Quan Yi's immense strength.

Boom!

Exactly 50 meters away, the stone detonated with a sharp explosion.

Quan Yi narrowed his eyes in thought.

Interesting.

This time, he hadn't summoned his Sun Gauntlet.

Without it, he couldn't sense or control the Seal of Rhinoceros—yet, the moment it reached 50 meters, it still exploded.

This was an unexpected discovery.

He filed the information away in his mind.

Taking a deep breath, Quan Yi clenched his fists.

"Sun Gauntlets."

A flash of red light enveloped his hands—

When it faded, his hands were covered in steel-plated gauntlets, glowing faintly with heat.

This time, as soon as his Martial Soul activated—

Every single "Seal of Rhinoceros" lit up in his mind.

Quan Yi closed his eyes, concentrating.

Now, he could feel everything.

Even without sight, he could sense the exact location of every marked stone.

To test his theory, he lifted his foot and kicked a pile of stones into the air.

Still keeping his eyes shut, he reached out and caught every single one.

When he opened his eyes again, a smile spread across his face.

His perception had been right.

He could track every single mark.

Before, he had never dared to make too many grenades at once.

But now?

This discovery had just opened a brand-new door for him.