Douluo Dalu: Sun Gauntlet

All eyes were on Quan Yi.

Everyone wanted to see how he would respond.

The weight of their gazes could have created an invisible pressure, forcing most people into submission. But Quan Yi remained unfazed.

Calmly, he spoke.

"First of all, I am not angry because of your accusation. You're right—there was indeed something inappropriate about my attire, and I accept that criticism humbly."

"But that's not what truly offends me." His tone sharpened. "What disgusts me is your discrimination against so-called country bumpkins."

"What you really care about isn't my clothes—it's the fact that someone from the countryside dared to eat on the second floor."

"If your concern was really about hygiene, you would have told me to leave the cafeteria entirely. Instead, you told me to go downstairs. You don't care about the students on the first floor—you only care about yourself."

"A selfish, arrogant, hypocritical villain like you dares to spout nonsense in public? I've never seen someone so shameless."

The moment the words left his mouth, Quan Yi felt an unexpected sense of relief.

He wasn't someone who enjoyed arguing, but Sun Jie's behavior had thoroughly ignited his anger. Yet, strangely enough, instead of clouding his mind, the fury had sharpened his thoughts, making his words precise and powerful.

Suddenly, a clear voice rang out from the crowd.

"Well said! It's obviously Sun Jie's fault—why is he trying to act innocent? So hypocritical!"

Quan Yi turned in surprise.

It was the dark red-haired girl from this morning.

At this moment, she stood there, furiously calling out Sun Jie's behavior, standing firmly on Quan Yi's side.

His impression of her shifted.

It wasn't easy to be the first to speak out in front of a crowd. That took courage.

The girl was Huo Wu.

She had always despised self-righteous, sanctimonious hypocrites, and after hearing Quan Yi's words, she couldn't hold back.

Huo Wushuang, standing beside her, sighed helplessly. It was already too late to stop her.

Quan Yi's logical defense, combined with Huo Wu's passionate rebuke, completely turned the tide.

The expressions of the surrounding students changed.

They no longer looked at Sun Jie with admiration or agreement—instead, their eyes were filled with disgust.

Sun Jie's face twisted with anger. His gaze flickered toward Huo Wu, but the moment he noticed Huo Wushuang standing beside her, the fire in his eyes dimmed instantly.

Huo Wushuang is here?

That meant the girl had to be his younger sister—the genius of the Huo family.

Even if she was younger than him, she wasn't someone he could afford to offend.

Realizing that the situation was slipping out of his control, Sun Jie swallowed his frustration and redirected all his anger toward Quan Yi.

With a cold snort, he spat, "Hmph, I was being kind enough to remind you, yet you repay me with slander? It seems I need to teach you a lesson—so you understand what gratitude means!"

Unable to win through words, he chose to settle things with force.

"Flame Sparrow, Martial Soul Possession!"

Sun Jie's body glowed red. His hands morphed into sharp talons, and reddish-brown feathers sprouted from his skin.

A single yellow soul ring shimmered beneath his feet.

"Sun Jie, Martial Soul: Flame Sparrow, nineteenth-level Beast Soul Master."

Seeing that Sun Jie was finally getting to the point, Quan Yi wasted no time.

With a thought, he summoned his own Martial Soul.

A pair of intricately designed gauntlets materialized over his hands, their black and red hues gleaming under the sunlight.

The craftsmanship was exquisite, but what truly captured everyone's attention was the sun emblem faintly pulsing on the back of his hand—radiating an aura of danger.

"Quan Yi, Martial Soul: Sun Gauntlets, fifteenth-level Weapon Soul Master."

Though the students in the crowd wanted to believe in Quan Yi's victory, they knew the reality.

His chances were slim.

Sun Jie wasted no time.

With fury burning in his eyes, he lunged at Quan Yi with full force.

"First Soul Skill—Flame Claw!"

The yellow soul ring beneath Sun Jie flared brilliantly, and as his soul power surged, flames ignited around his clawed hands.

With explosive speed, he lunged toward Quan Yi.

The Flame Sparrow Martial Soul granted Sun Jie an agile and lightweight body, and with fire blazing from his hands, he tore through the air like twin burning meteors.

This attack combined his speed, the sharpness of his talons, and the intense heat of his flames—few could withstand such an assault.

Especially not someone four levels lower than him.

At this moment, Sun Jie was certain of his victory.

Just as he was about to reach Quan Yi, he leaped high into the air—his jumping ability was astonishing, propelling him more than two meters above the ground.

From above, his body twisted downward, his claws aimed straight at Quan Yi. By focusing all his weight into his descent, he planned to deliver a devastating impact.

It's over.

Or so he thought.

Quan Yi remained unmoved.

Compared to the meteor-like charge of an Exploding Rhinoceros, this was nothing more than raindrops.

Soul power instantly gathered in Quan Yi's right hand, forming a hardened layer of Gang energy.

Then, in a flash—

He pivoted his body at an astonishing speed.

Sun Jie's flaming claws barely grazed past his chest.

Sun Jie's pupils shrank. How is he this fast?!

Though he could still see Quan Yi, his body had already committed to the attack. Midair, he had no way to adjust.

Quan Yi didn't miss this golden opportunity.

With precise timing, his right fist shot out—

Boom!

A single, devastating punch landed squarely on Sun Jie's jaw.

The force sent him spinning in the air before he crashed hard onto the ground several meters away.

Silence.

Not a single person spoke.

No one could believe what they had just witnessed.

Sun Jie had lost.

Not only had he lost—he had been knocked unconscious in a single blow.

"Boss!"

Sun Jie's followers rushed to his side in panic.

They crouched beside him, checking his condition.

The left side of his face was swollen badly, and a bit of drool trickled from his mouth.

One of them anxiously patted his cheek, trying to wake him up. "Boss! Wake up!"

Sun Jie's eyes fluttered open slightly, but his body wouldn't respond.

A moment later, he slumped back down, completely unconscious.

"Boss! Don't die on us!"

One of them nearly burst into tears.

"Stop shouting," Quan Yi's calm voice cut through the chaos. "He's fine. Just passed out. Can't you see he's still breathing?"

He had controlled his strength perfectly.

He didn't even use his full power.

In fact, he hadn't even used a soul skill.

Sun Jie had collapsed because Quan Yi had struck his jaw with pinpoint accuracy—a direct hit to the nerve, forcing an instant knockout.

Realizing their leader was merely unconscious, the followers let out sighs of relief.

Still, they couldn't bear to stay any longer.

Embarrassed and humiliated, they lifted Sun Jie and quickly carried him away.

Only when their figures disappeared did Quan Yi retract his gauntlets.

The moment he did—

The crowd erupted.

"That was insane!"

"He took him out in one hit!"

"And he didn't even use a soul skill!"

Excited chatter filled the air.

Quan Yi turned his attention toward the first person who had spoken up for him.

The dark red-haired girl from earlier was still watching him—her gaze filled with admiration and excitement.

Deciding to properly thank her, Quan Yi walked up to her, cupped his fists, and said,

"Thank you, senior, for standing up for me."

The girl's previously cheerful expression instantly dropped.

"Senior?!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "What kind of eyes do you have? Do I look that old?"

Quan Yi blinked in confusion.

Beside her, Huo Wushuang burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha! Senior sister? Xiao Wu, I never knew you had such a young junior!"

Quan Yi was utterly lost.