Douluo Dalu: Sun Gauntlet

Quan Yi hadn't expected Huo Wu to suddenly lift her head. He was slightly startled but remained composed.

He gave her a small nod as a greeting, intending not to disturb her, and continued walking to another seat with his food tray.

However, just as he was about to leave, Huo Wu suddenly stopped him.

"Ah."

She didn't say much—just pointed to the seat across from her, signaling for him to sit down.

Quan Yi assumed she wanted to talk about something, so he took the seat opposite her.

As she observed him, Huo Wu noticed that his hair was slightly damp. Recalling their previous encounters, a thought crossed her mind.

"Do you always train before eating?" she asked. "Every time I see you in the cafeteria, you look like this."

At the moment, Quan Yi appeared exhausted. Though he concealed it well, a keen eye could still notice the subtle signs of fatigue.

"Yeah, just my daily training," he replied casually.

Huo Wu's lips parted slightly in surprise.

She hadn't expected Quan Yi to be working this hard. She didn't know exactly what kind of training he did, but judging from his current state, it was clearly intense.

She already knew that Quan Yi was strong—after all, he had sent Sun Jie flying with a single punch yesterday.

Yet, to see someone of his caliber still push himself to exhaustion… No matter how talented he was, his strength was built on relentless effort.

Originally, Huo Wu had called Quan Yi over to brag about her training progress.

After all, after meditating all night, she had successfully broken through to Level 13.

Despite feeling sluggish in the morning, the breakthrough had excited her. And when she saw Quan Yi, her first instinct had been to show off.

However, that feeling vanished instantly.

Because Quan Yi was also working hard—every single day.

"Is there a problem?"

Snapped out of her thoughts by his question, Huo Wu felt slightly embarrassed.

But her expression quickly shifted—her gaze turning firm, even a little righteous.

"What, am I not allowed to call you over if I don't have a reason?" she said. "Didn't we become friends yesterday? Or am I the only one who thinks so?"

Quan Yi had assumed she had something urgent to discuss—he hadn't expected such a simple reason.

That's right… Huo Wu is only six years old.

Perhaps he had been overthinking things.

"No, no," he reassured her. "I just didn't want to disturb you."

With that, he casually pulled out his jar of soul beast meat and began eating in front of Huo Wu, completely unbothered.

Watching him eat, Huo Wu found his mannerisms a little amusing.

Just yesterday, she had considered him her biggest rival.

Yet now, seeing him like this, she suddenly felt like she had been too childish.

"Hey," she said, crossing her arms. "I broke through to Level 13 today. Just wait, I'll catch up to you soon!"

This time, Huo Wu wasn't boasting—she was simply sharing her happiness.

In truth, she had already acknowledged Quan Yi as her friend.

Otherwise, with her proud personality, she wouldn't have been the one to bring up the word "friend" first.

Huo Wu had never had friends her age.

Her height, noble background, and exceptional talent made other children unconsciously distance themselves from her.

But Quan Yi was different.

He was her equal—or perhaps even stronger than her.

For the first time, Huo Wu had met someone who could stand at the same level as her and look her in the eye.

And surprisingly, she was happy about it.

Excited to share her progress, Huo Wu eagerly told Quan Yi the good news.

Hearing that she had broken through to Level 13, Quan Yi wanted to congratulate her, but his mouth was still full.

So, he simply put down his bowl and chopsticks, stretched out both hands, and gave her a double thumbs-up, silently praising her strength.

Seeing Quan Yi trying to congratulate her while still chewing, Huo Wu couldn't hold back her laughter anymore.

"Hahaha! I can't take it—you look so weird, like a squirrel stuffing its cheeks! Hahaha!"

Huo Wu's laughter was as unrestrained as ever, just like yesterday. Her movements were so animated that her long, wavy dark-red hair flowed freely behind her, creating a strikingly beautiful sight.

At that moment, Quan Yi finally understood why Huo Wu had laughed so wildly at him the day before.

Though he admitted his actions probably looked strange, was it really necessary to laugh this hard?

He glanced at Huo Wu, speechless.

"Sorry—hahaha—I didn't mean it!" Huo Wu quickly apologized when she noticed his look, but she still couldn't stop smiling.

Quan Yi simply waved a hand dismissively and continued eating as if nothing had happened.

After laughing so much, Huo Wu felt her fatigue disappear. She was in an excellent mood and happily joined Quan Yi, eating in big mouthfuls.

Seeing her like this, Quan Yi also felt his mood lighten.

At that moment, the distance between them seemed to shrink just a little more.

After finishing their meal, Huo Wu turned to Quan Yi and asked,

"What are you doing after this? Going back to the dormitory?"

"Yeah. I'll take a shower first, then I'm planning to check out the Mimicry Training Ground at our academy."

Quan Yi had been interested in visiting the fire-attribute mimicry environment since morning.

"The Mimicry Training Ground?" Huo Wu's eyes lit up. "I want to see it too—let's go together later!"

She made the decision so naturally that she didn't even think twice.

"Huh?" Quan Yi was momentarily caught off guard.

"Alright, it's settled! Meet me at the dormitory entrance in an hour!"

Before he could even respond, Huo Wu had already left the cafeteria happily.

She hadn't even given him a chance to refuse.

Quan Yi sighed helplessly.

He had actually wanted to go alone.

But seeing how excited Huo Wu was, he didn't have the heart to ruin her enthusiasm.

"Ahh~."

All he could do was accept his fate.

Back in his dormitory, Quan Yi quickly finished showering.

With about ten minutes left before their meeting time, he took out his academy guidebook and reviewed the section on the Mimicry Training Grounds.

At the Volcano Academy, the Mimicry Training Field was actually an extension of Blazing Academy's main facility.

Its core environment consisted of an underground magma field, a natural flame vein originating from Blazing Academy.

These flame veins were like underground rivers, flowing deep beneath the surface. Long ago, the founder of Blazing Academy discovered and harnessed them, turning them into an unparalleled training resource for fire-attribute soul masters.

When Quan Yi first heard about this from his mother, Su Ling'er, he had been amazed.

As expected of an academy that represents the fire element—it truly lived up to its name.

When he saw that the meeting time was near, he closed the guidebook and left the dormitory.

At the dormitory entrance, Quan Yi arrived 15 minutes early, yet the time was already almost up.

He was dressed in a white short-sleeve shirt and black shorts, though it wasn't the same set he had worn earlier that morning.

Quan Yi owned multiple identical outfits, including larger-sized versions for future use.

Though they looked simple, there was a hidden mystery behind them.

These clothes were custom-made by the Quan family, designed using the finest materials and expert craftsmanship.

Soft, breathable, and incredibly comfortable, they were tailor-made to fit him perfectly, ensuring that even intense training wouldn't hinder his movements.

For Quan Yi, this was the ideal training attire.

Just as the meeting time approached, a familiar voice called out.

"Quan Yi!"

Turning his head, he saw Huo Wu running toward him.

This time, Huo Wu had changed outfits.

Gone were the casual clothes from earlier.

Instead, she now wore a fiery-red dress adorned with intricate golden patterns, the embroidery woven in perfect balance—neither excessive nor too simple.

Her long crimson hair flowed freely behind her as she ran, her skirt dancing with each step.

At that moment, she looked like a noble flame spirit, moving with an elegance that was both graceful and full of energy.

'So cute.'

The thought flashed through Quan Yi's mind before he could stop it.

When Huo Wu finally reached him, she was slightly out of breath. Nervously, she asked,

"I'm not late, am I?"