Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

The ruby ​​flames flickered even faster.

With each throbbing, the dark red light illuminated Li Rui's palm, turning it into a translucent crimson.

He could see the winding veins beneath his skin, and he could see the blood carrying some newly awakened power, surging into his limbs and bones.

Like magma that has been surging underground for thousands of years, it finally tore open its door to the outside world at the thinnest point of the earth's crust.

Like a sleeping demonic sword, it awakens when it senses the wielder finally loosening their bloodied grip on the blade—

Unsheathed on its own!

[Judgment of Karmic Inferno]

[Using the holder's pure understanding and unwavering judgment of "evil" as a catalyst, this karmic fire ignites the traces of sin deep within the target's soul. The karmic fire will scorch the body and force the target to relive the fear and pain of the crime scene from the perspective of a victim. The deeper the sin, the fiercer the flame, never extinguishing itself until the sin is completely burned away. The holder can attach the karmic fire to a physical medium, causing physical burns proportional to the depth of the sin, leaving an indelible mark after healing. This fire can only ignite the guilty; it cannot be ignited if the target is innocent or has already atoned. The holder must have a clear and unwavering understanding of the sin to ignite it; if the understanding is flawed, vague, or wavering, and ignition is forcibly attempted, the karmic fire will backfire with equal intensity, burning away their transgression of justice. —"You asked me what right I have to judge? By your own sins, you ignited this fire!"]

Li Rui slowly raised his head.

The luster of human emotion that once belonged to the depths of his pupils had faded, replaced by two dark red dots that seemed capable of swallowing light.

His gaze passed through the chaotic hearing room, over the still empty defendant's dock, and over Zhou Shouzhen's long-gone figure.

Finally, his gaze fell on the door on the side of the hearing room.

That was the place Zhang Ziqian had just left.

The door was closed, and the person was gone. In everyone's eyes, it was just an ordinary wooden door.

But in Li Rui's eyes, the world has changed.

He "saw" it.

He saw evil.

What were Zhang Ziqian's crimes?

It's that smile.

It was the smile I had when I first escaped from the courthouse.

It was the smile that appeared during this second escape.

It's a laugh that says, "I know you can't do anything."

It's a laugh that says, "The rules are my armor."

These evils have all materialized.

In the void behind that door, along the path Zhang Ziqian had walked, a black mark remained.

Those are the burn marks that sin itself leaves on the soul.

The black mark twisted in the air, eventually outlining an extremely abstract shape on the door panel—

It was a smiling face.

It was exactly the same smile that only Zhang Ziqian could see when he turned around.

That is contempt for life, mockery of rules, and the embodiment of extreme malice.

Li Rui stared at the black mark, and his tightly pursed lips slowly relaxed.

"I see."

He said this to Zhang Ziqian in his heart.

"I can see your sins."

This is enough.

No chain of evidence, no expert report, no judge's gavel are needed.

These eyes are the courtroom.

This fire will be the punishment!

……

At the same time, in Room 101, Fifth District, Chenxi City.

In the room with the curtains tightly drawn, Wen Yan suddenly opened his eyes.

His pupils were not yet fully focused, and his right hand had already instinctively pressed against his heart.

Just now, from the depths of the "Seed of Souls" network, an unprecedented and violent tremor came.

Unlike Chen Guohua's volcanic eruption-like rage, and unlike Xu Suyuan's mercury-like mystery.

This is a seed that had been dormant for a long time, and after being suppressed by the host's powerful willpower, it finally awakened completely and irresistibly in the ashes of despair.

Wen Yan did not laugh.

He simply lay there quietly, feeling that burning will surge into his consciousness from the other side of the city.

We've finally come to this point.

As expected, it couldn't be suppressed.

The purer a person is, the more terrifying the rebound after suppression will be.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sank into the void, and quickly read the newly generated ability.

"Judgment"... "Fire of Judgment"... "Sin as Fire"...

"Only the guilty can be ignited... a misjudgment will result in self-immolation..."

He was silent for a moment.

Li Rui, you've chosen a very difficult path for yourself.

This is not just power, but also a shackle.

It requires users to have absolutely objective insight and an absolutely firm mind.

This is a kind of justice that walks on the edge of a knife; if one is not careful, one will be burned to ashes first.

But perhaps, this is exactly what Li Rui wanted.

Since the laws of the world cannot judge demons, he transforms into a demon, using his body as firewood and his soul as fuel.

Wen Yan opened his eyes and looked out the window.

As dusk settles, the light gradually sinks below the horizon, and night is about to envelop the city.

He spoke softly to the empty void:

"Burn it."

"This city... should have been set on fire a long time ago."

……

Inside the hearing room.

Li Rui stood up from his seat, turned around, and walked towards the door.

He gripped the still-hot brooch tightly in his palm, letting the sharp edges dig into the still-unhealed wound, the pain and burning sensation constantly reminding him of the reality of the moment.

"Li Rui..."

Zheng Guofeng's voice came from behind.

The old bureau chief seemed to want to call him back, to say something comforting, or to make some promises.

But the short syllable got stuck in his throat as soon as it came out.

Looking at Li Rui's straight and silent back, Zheng Guofeng felt very uncomfortable.

The promise was not kept.

What else can be said now?

It's too late to say anything now.

Li Rui did not stop or look back.

He walked to the door and pushed open the heavy door.

The light in the corridor was cold, a tired, dim yellow hue like that of late afternoon.

Li Rui stepped into the twilight.

Behind him was the courtroom, a symbol of order, compromise, calculation, and performance.

Before him lay endless cold winds and darkness.

But he didn't care anymore.

Since the light can't reach every corner, then let yourself become the fire.

"Bang."

The door slammed shut behind him.

He completely shut out that world that had utterly disappointed him.

------

By 8 p.m., it was completely dark.

This location is on the only road leading to the Anning Mental Health Prevention and Treatment Center in Chenxi City.

This area is currently in a period of abandonment awaiting demolition, with rows of abandoned factory buildings with their doors and windows wide open on both sides of the road.

A mandatory medical escort vehicle is speeding along.

In the passenger seat, Dean Sun Weimin heard Zhang Zhaoqing's instructions from that afternoon again:

"Keep an eye on Ziqian and don't let him do anything foolish again."

However, the "patient" in the back seat clearly had no intention of cooperating.