Douluo Dalu: Sun Gauntlet

Huo Wu glared at Huo Wushuang, her eyes filled with dissatisfaction.

Huo Wushuang suppressed a chuckle and explained to Quan Yi, "Brother, my sister is a freshman this year, not your senior."

Quan Yi widened his eyes in surprise and carefully examined Huo Wu, who was about the same height as Huo Wushuang.

It wasn't entirely his fault for not recognizing her. In his eyes, children under twelve all seemed to be around the same age. The only way he could estimate someone's age was by their height.

However, when he thought about how he himself was much taller than his peers, he felt relieved.

"Sorry, that was my mistake," Quan Yi apologized sincerely.

Huo Wu, who had initially been annoyed, found herself feeling a bit embarrassed when she saw how earnestly he apologized.

Moreover, as she looked at Quan Yi standing before her, she inexplicably felt a sense of calm in her heart.

Hurriedly, she replied, "It's fine, it's not the first time this has happened. Just be more careful next time."

Seeing that she had forgiven him, Quan Yi relaxed.

But at that very moment—

Gurgle~

A loud growl erupted from Quan Yi's stomach.

Embarrassed, he rubbed his belly awkwardly. He had fought another battle after training at noon, and he hadn't had a single bite to eat yet. Now was when he felt the hungriest and most exhausted.

In other words, he had fought his opponent while in his worst condition—yet he had still emerged victorious. This alone was proof of his confidence in his own strength.

Huo Wushuang burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Brother, my sister and I haven't eaten either. Why don't we chat over a meal?"

He had grown curious about Quan Yi and wanted to befriend him.

Quan Yi nodded. "Alright, I'll treat you both to a meal."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you, brother!" Huo Wushuang responded boldly, not bothering with unnecessary politeness.

Huo Wu also nodded in agreement.

The three of them headed toward the cafeteria together. As they entered, the surrounding students all turned to look at Quan Yi with a newfound respect—a silent acknowledgment of his strength.

Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang weren't exceptions. If they hadn't been impressed by Quan Yi's abilities, they wouldn't have accepted his invitation so readily.

Once seated, Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang ate a normal portion of food, with Huo Wu's appetite being similar to her brother's.

The three shared a table, with Huo Wushuang sitting across from Quan Yi, while Huo Wu sat beside her brother.

Quan Yi retrieved a storage jar filled with soul beast meat and began eating.

It was an unusual way of eating, to say the least.

Furthermore, the portion of soul beast meat he prepared for himself was carefully calculated—not out of stinginess, but because sharing it would mean consuming less himself.

For Quan Yi, one less meal meant one less opportunity to strengthen his body. His growth depended on maintaining a strict training and nutrition plan.

Moreover, the soul beast meat played a crucial role in his long-term plans, making it something he couldn't casually give away.

Huo Wushuang, observing Quan Yi's peculiar eating habits, quickly noticed something else—

He hadn't expected this seemingly underdressed young man to be a hidden expert.

Even the fact that he owned a storage-type soul tool hinted at an extraordinary background.

The more Huo Wushuang observed, the more mysterious Quan Yi seemed.

Though Quan Yi ate large portions and chewed thoroughly, his eating speed was surprisingly fast—after all, the sheer amount of food he could fit into his mouth at once was several times that of an ordinary person.

As a result, their eating speed was about the same as that of the Huo siblings.

After finishing most of his meal, Huo Wushuang took the initiative to introduce himself.

"Brother Quan, my name is Huo Wushuang. I'm nine years old this year, and my Martial Soul is the One Horned Fire Dragon. I am currently a Level 21 Spirit Grand Master."

"Next to me is my younger sister, Huo Wu. She's six years old, and her Martial Soul is Fire Shadow—a special beast-type spirit where her own body serves as its core shadow manifestation. Despite her young age, she has already reached Rank 12 as a Spirit Master with her first soul ring."

As he spoke about Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang's face was filled with pride and affection for his younger sister.

Then, shifting his attention back to Quan Yi, he asked the question that had been on his mind.

"I don't recall seeing you around the academy before. What grade are you in?"

Seeing that Huo Wushuang had misunderstood his age, Quan Yi quickly corrected him.

"Senior Huo, there's been a misunderstanding. I'm actually a freshman as well. Like your sister, I'm only six years old this year."

"What?!"

Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu exclaimed in unison.

"You're a freshman?" Huo Wushuang stared at Quan Yi in disbelief. The boy in front of him was obviously a full head taller than him—how could he possibly be only six years old?

"Yes." Quan Yi scratched his head awkwardly. He was well aware that he didn't look like a six-year-old. Even when he looked in the mirror, he sometimes found it hard to believe himself.

Mentally, he felt like someone in his twenties, but physically, he was only six—yet his appearance made him seem like a young teenager.

"You're really six years old?" Huo Wushuang asked again, just to confirm.

"Yes."

Only then did Huo Wushuang realize something even more astonishing.

"You… reached Level 15 at just six years old?"

Quan Yi nodded.

Huo Wushuang prided himself on his own talent and had seen many gifted soul masters before. But standing before this "outlier" of a boy, he couldn't help but feel shaken.

Huo Wu, on the other hand, felt an even deeper impact.

She had always been regarded as a genius—a prodigious soul master who had awakened a powerful and unique Martial Soul. Her innate soul power was incredibly high, making her the pride of their family.

Yet, when compared to Quan Yi, not only was her soul power lower, but her physical capabilities were also inferior. An unsettling gap emerged in her heart.

Trying to suppress her emotions, Huo Wu asked eagerly, "What soul beast did you absorb for your first soul ring?"

Huo Wushuang had never seen his sister act so impulsively before. Without hesitation, he placed a firm hand on Huo Wu's shoulder, signaling her to calm down.

Then, he turned back to Quan Yi and quickly apologized.

"Sorry, she didn't mean any offense."

Realizing that her tone had been a bit too aggressive, Huo Wu immediately followed suit.

"…I'm sorry."

Despite her apology, her eyes remained locked on Quan Yi, as if trying to see through the mystery behind his strength.

Quan Yi, however, remained unfazed. He casually replied, "It's nothing special. About four months ago, I absorbed a 400-year-old Explosive Rhino soul ring. That's why my soul power has been growing so rapidly."

His tone was nonchalant, as if he had simply stated a minor fact. After all, it wasn't exactly a secret.

"Explosive Rhino?!"

Huo Wushuang's eyes widened.

"A rare and powerful soul beast! Its soul power quality and absorption difficulty far exceed those of ordinary soul beasts of the same age… No wonder!"

Although Huo Wushuang was surprised, his emotions quickly turned into admiration and envy.

Not only did he envy Quan Yi's talent, but he also envied his luck.

The Explosive Rhino was a soul beast Huo Wushuang had always dreamed of obtaining. It perfectly matched his One Horned Fire Dragon, both in element and combat style. If he had managed to acquire it as a soul ring, it would have granted him an extremely powerful ability.

"You're really lucky. I searched for an Explosive Rhino myself, but I never managed to find one."

Huo Wu, who had never heard of the Explosive Rhino before, noticed how excited her brother was. From his reaction, she could tell that it must be an exceptionally strong soul beast.

However, unlike her brother, Huo Wu had caught onto a different detail in Quan Yi's words—"four months ago."

The Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony conducted by Spirit Hall was usually held around three or four months before the start of the Primary Soul Master Academy term. This allowed newly awakened soul masters to prepare and obtain their first soul ring before classes began.

Even if Quan Yi had been born early in the year, say in January, that would still only amount to three or four months since his awakening.

To go from awakening his Martial Soul to obtaining his first soul ring in such a short period meant only one thing—

'His innate soul power must be equal to or higher than mine.'

Huo Wu clenched her fists slightly. She had always been proud of her Innate Rank 9 Soul Power—a level that placed her among the most talented prodigies.

But if her theory was correct…

Could Quan Yi have been born with full innate soul power?

Huo Wu's gaze locked onto Quan Yi once again, a newfound sense of surprise flickering in her eyes.