Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

"That's why we need allies." His companion turned his head, his glasses reflecting the distant city lights, hiding his expression in shadow. "I call it the Watch of the 'Outliers'."

"We are all burdened with our own shackles, but if we keep fighting alone, the outcome will only be the same as Li Rui's—completely annihilated after reaching the pinnacle of sublimation, while those lofty things can simply be replaced by a new group of people who can continue to sit in their offices."

The mention of "office" instantly turned Liu Zhen's murderous intent into a burning heat.

"My business isn't over yet." Liu Zhen gritted his teeth, his voice filled with bone-chilling hatred. "Zhao Guangcheng was just the loudest barking dog. He deserved to be electrocuted on stage. But what about the people behind him..."

"Those high-ranking executives at Longteng Power who truly drove me to the brink, those 'social celebrities' who embezzled my assets, are still sitting in their brightly lit offices, discussing social responsibility at various high-end forums. I alone cannot break through their meticulous security network."

His companion didn't speak immediately; he just listened quietly.

He knows that feeling all too well.

"My enemy is more troublesome than yours." His companion pulled a neatly folded newspaper from his pocket, which featured a positive report about a high-ranking provincial official. "He's not in Dawn City; he sits in the heart of the capital of Blazing Sun Province, wearing the guise of 'integrity' while engaging in corrupt dealings with those black money tycoons."

"I collected evidence for seven years, some of which involved murder, and overnight he labeled it 'false accusation.' I was sent to a mental hospital, where I was tied to a bed and given tranquilizers for three whole months..."

"If that 'seed' hadn't suddenly sprouted in my mind one night, I would probably be a drooling madman by now."

Liu Zhen turned around and looked seriously at his seemingly frail companion.

They met a week ago at a shelter from the rain. Two souls, both burning with the flames of revenge, recognized each other's unusual identities after a fight.

"There won't be any new companions for now." Liu Zhen glanced at the empty sky, where the light that once belonged to Li Rui had completely gone out. "I've rested enough. I'm going back to Guangyang City to finish my remaining revenge. I can't keep my wife waiting too long; she's watching over me from heaven."

His companion adjusted his glasses, his tone becoming serious: "I'll help you. In exchange, after you've finished your revenge, I need you to infiltrate the provincial capital. I need someone who can create something that can instantly disable any sophisticated surveillance system."

Without hesitation, Liu Zhen firmly grasped his companion's slightly cool hand with his hands, which were covered in wind and calluses.

"make a deal."

Two seeds corrupted by a seed called "hatred" made a bloody pact on a cold winter rooftop.

The night wind grew increasingly fierce, whipping up dust and scraps of paper from the rooftop and completely obscuring the figures of the two observers in darkness.

While the Special Investigations Bureau was busy clearing the ruins of Cloudrise Mansion and dealing with the fire that had spread throughout the city, the two surviving Avengers had already silently disappeared into the alleys.

……

Three days after Li Rui set himself on fire.

Across the ocean, in a tiny country that is barely noticeable on the world map—the Maro Federation—its parliament passed a bill that shocked the world with lightning speed.

The Law on Punishment of Extremely Heinous Crimes.

The bill itself is not lengthy, but its most crucial clause is like a depth charge dropped into the legal community, creating a massive uproar:

"For criminals who use extremely cruel methods to harm or kill vulnerable groups such as minors and disabled persons, and who show no remorse and openly challenge the dignity of the judiciary during the trial, the Supreme Court may, upon final review, sentence them to... burning at the stake."

The news caused an uproar in international public opinion.

The front pages of major mainstream media outlets were instantly dominated by headlines such as "The Regression of Civilization," "The Barbaric Restoration of the Middle Ages," and "The Ultimate Trampling on Human Rights."

Prominent human rights organizations issued a joint statement strongly condemning the Marro Federation's move as "a shameless provocation against modern civilization led by an authoritarian government" and calling for the most severe international sanctions against it.

Suddenly, this small country, which usually keeps to itself and avoids conflict, was thrust into the eye of the storm of global public opinion.

However, in the undercurrents of power struggles and extraordinary forces unseen by ordinary people and media reporters, only a small group of people truly at the top of the pyramid know the real source of this storm.

The Maro Federation is merely one of many pawns secretly supported by the Five Mountains Society.

This "outrageous action" stemmed from the arrival of a video.

……

Three days ago, in the Maro Federation, at the government office of the national governor.

Chen Zheng, the country's top official who is over sixty years old, is looking at the computer screen in front of him alone.

On the screen, a video is playing on a loop.

The source of that video was the Five Sacred Mountains Gathering.

As a core member of the Five Mountains Alliance, Chen Zheng was among the most radical in his attitude after learning of the existence of extraordinary individuals.

He had seen combat footage of superhumans—Chen Guohua's burning, Han Xiao's annihilation—and studied them repeatedly.

But the video playing on the screen made his fingers freeze on the mouse.

The video quality was poor, filled with violent shaking, and the sound was completely drowned out by gunfire and other noises.

But he still saw it clearly.

He saw clearly the man standing amidst the countless sparks, saw clearly those eyes that still shone with a blinding blood-red light even in the extreme blur, and saw clearly the scene where the man finally transformed into billions of points of light, sweeping everything away like a grand red snowstorm.

That was a... sacrifice.

From that day on, Chen Zheng's dreams were filled with endless flames.

He always dreamed of those blood-red eyes, those eyes that seemed to gaze coldly at him from across half a world.

There was only one pure will in those eyes that made him tremble—judgment.

Judge all injustices and burn all evils.

And what about Chen Zheng, the highest-ranking official of the Maro Federation and a core member of the Five Mountains Society? His hands were certainly not clean either.

How many dirty deals did he condone in order to secure his position?

How many innocent people have been sacrificed in political struggles?

In that instant, an almost obsessive thought seized him—he had to make a change and atone for the filth and sins of his past life.

He wants to restore justice to this country and lead it toward true fairness and order.

This obsession, intertwined with fear and remorse, ultimately led to the creation and rapid implementation of that bill.

……

Marlowe Federal Supreme Court.

Also an important member of the Five Mountains Society, Chief Justice Rhodes of the United States just signed his name on that newly drafted bill.