C18 Step by Step

Wang Xiaohua wept with the poignancy of a pear blossom bathed in rain, yet the four individuals before her exhibited not a trace of compassion. Qin Xiao, in particular, cut to the chase, "After all you've told us, I have just one question: why did he spare you?"

"Based on your story, this Zhang Lieh character could have easily finished you off. So why leave you alive? I need a reason."

As Wang Xiaohua absorbed Qin Xiao's words, she sensed with crystal clarity that things were spiraling towards the worst possible scenario.

"Brother Qin Xiao, the reason is straightforward. He spared me precisely to sow the seeds of doubt you're feeling now, to make me his scapegoat!" Wang Xiaohua's voice was tinged with urgency.

"Me, a scapegoat for him? Anyone who's spent time at Black Iron Base surely knows who I am, Qin Xiao. Does he really think he can fool us?"

"Doesn't he realize that the moment Xiaotian died, he signed his own death warrant?"

"What kind of feeble attempt at deception is this? Does he think we're fools?"

"And another thing, you said you returned with him. So where is he now?"

Qin Xiao's arrogance was unparalleled, and his thought process was anything but ordinary. Deep down, he believed that anyone who crossed the Qin family at Black Iron Base had only one fate: to prepare for their imminent demise.

Moreover, he was convinced that if Zhang Lieh had the cunning to eliminate Qin Xiaotian, he wouldn't resort to such an easily debunked ploy.

Wang Xiaohua's sobs grew more frantic. "Brother Qin Xiao, after Zhang Lieh entered the base, he went off on his own. He's definitely hiding somewhere inside!"

"Please, you must believe me, Xiaohua. I swear on my life that everything I've told you today is the absolute truth. If you have any doubts, Brother Qin Xiao, you can send someone to check the Purple Poison Forest right away!"

"Go? Of course, we'll go. Our Xiaotian doesn't deserve to be left unattended in the wild. I'll lead the way myself. Let's move out!"

Reflecting on Wang Xiaohua's past interactions with Qin Xiaotian, Qin Xiao's doubts about her began to subside. After all, unless Wang Xiaohua was completely senseless, she had no motive to conspire with the enemy.

Therefore, he decided to check it out himself.

Confident that a firsthand look would allow him to deduce most of the truth, he was ready to investigate.

"Brother Qin Xiao, the Purple Poison Forest isn't large, and it's easy to locate. Do I really have to go?"

"Once you enter, you won't have to go more than a kilometer straight before you come across the massive hole that Brother Xiaotian excavated. I've already buried Brother Xiaotian's body there."

"Here are the detailed characteristics of the Soul Suppressing Flower. With this information, you can navigate the Purple Poison Forest. Zhang Lieh mentioned that this flower isn't exclusive to the forest, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find!"

Wang Xiaohua sensed that Qin Xiao didn't fully trust her, which is why she was too afraid to accompany him.

His temper was notoriously volatile.

Once outside of Black Iron Base, her hard-won life would be entirely at his mercy.

Pulling out a data card, Wang Xiaohua placed it on the table before her, looking up at Qin Xiao with eyes filled with fear and pleading.

"Wang Xiaohua, rest assured, I won't lay a finger on you until we've cleared up the situation. But think it over—this could be your opportunity to absolve yourself of suspicion," he said.

Qin Xiao's eyes narrowed, a hint of lethal intent flickering within.

Wang Xiaohua sobbed, "Please, Brother Qin Xiao, don't push me. The place is easy to find. Once you're there, you'll surely realize Xiaohua is innocent."

"Hmph! If I discover you've had any part in wrongdoing, I'll ensure the entire Wang family pays the price!"

After casting a stern glance at Wang Xiaohua's two guardians, Qin Xiao shot her a final glare and stormed off.

As he rose, the heads of the three major consortiums, who had also heard the full story, promptly stood up as well.

Truth be told, they were all relieved they had come to get the scoop firsthand.

Setting aside the sensational aspects of the tale, the untapped potential of the Purple Poison Forest alone made it a worthwhile venture.

Undeveloped land meant endless possibilities and business opportunities—and such places were exactly what the major consortiums coveted for their exclusive domains.

The four individuals approached the entrance almost simultaneously.

Before they could reach the doorway, Qin Xiao asserted himself with authority, "You three better listen up. This so-called Purple Poison Forest was secured at the cost of Xiaotian's life. Don't even think about getting any ideas. From this day forward, this place is under the Qin name!"

Upon hearing this, the leaders of the three major financial groups—Zhou Qian, Lee Jin, and Zhao Jia—couldn't suppress a slight smile.

Zhou Qian spoke softly to Qin Xiao, "Brother Qin Xiao, I must admit, you've got quite the imagination."

"Given the current circumstances, it's not just the Qin family that would struggle. Even if all four of our families joined forces, we likely wouldn't be able to claim this place exclusively."

"You get what I'm saying, right?"

With that, he ceased to speak further and promptly led the way out of the room. The other two leaders followed suit, shaking their heads and quickly catching up, leaving Qin Xiao red-faced with frustration.

But upon reflection, he quickly grasped that in the present situation, every move they made was bound to be under intense scrutiny.

The chances of secretly exploiting the Purple Poison Forest were virtually nil; at best, they could hope for a joint hunting expedition.

With this realization, he wasted no time and dashed out.

At the Dark Shadow Forest's Moonlight Pool, Qin Xiao and his team arrived to find that the other teams from the three consortia had also made it there.

And it wasn't just them—Yun Bing's team, Chu Feng's team, and all the other teams from the Yun and Chu families were present too.

Under the cascade of the Moonlight Pool, the crowd converged.

Qin Xiao's gaze was piercing, directed at Zhou Qian, Lee Jin, and Zhao Jia.

Yet, they didn't even glance his way, completely disregarding him.

Truth be told, they were no strangers to Qin Xiao's brazenness, and his threats had long since become commonplace to them.

The three families shared a common stance regarding Qin Xiao: avoid conflict when possible, but when significant interests were at stake, they could stand united and fearless against the Qin family.

"Qin Xiao, you're such a glutton, always looking to hog everything for yourself!"

"Let's be clear, you trying to monopolize this time is just not going to happen. It's time for all six families to join forces and take on the challenge together!"

Chu Feng of the Chu family was the first to break the silence. His tone was light and seemingly indifferent, yet it carried an unwavering authority.

Nearby, Yun Bing of the Yun family remained silent, but her expression conveyed the same resolute stance.

"Curse those three major conglomerates!" Qin Xiao muttered under his breath, though outwardly he relented, "Hmph, you make it sound so simple. This sanctuary was bought with Xiaotian's life!"

"One way or another, the Qin family must be the first to enter. Otherwise, nobody sets foot in there today!"

Seeing Qin Xiao's determination, the other five families understood that moderation was key. A brief exchange of glances was all it took for them to reach an unspoken agreement.

Yun Bing's smile was tinged with irony as she said, "If the Qin family is so eager to be the sacrificial pawn, then by all means, lead the way!"

In the entire Black Iron Base, only Yun Bing had the audacity to liken Qin Xiao and his family to cannon fodder.

With Yun Bing as the speaker, verbal sparring was pointless.

"Get the Soul Suppressing Pollen ready. Charge!" Qin Xiao bellowed, and his elite forces, coated with the pollen and wrapped in Origin Power, surged into the waterfall.

However, just as the Black Iron Base's five families were initiating their first hunt in the Purple Poison Forest, the base was thrown into turmoil.

A swarm of Genetic Warriors was sprinting toward the Purple Poison Forest.

The cause of the commotion was a thread titled "The Ultimate Drama of the Purple Poison Forest" in the Black Iron Base's hot zone.

The author, an anonymous mastermind, detailed the exact location of the Purple Poison Forest and the thrilling scenes he witnessed there.

The post recounted how the author, while hunting Gene Creatures near Moonlight Pool, stumbled upon an intense chase between the Zhang and Qin factions. Driven by curiosity, the author, equipped with a stealthy Soul Jade, decided to tail them.

The poster claimed to have followed the group into a remote forest, where he watched Qin Xiaotian's clash with the Scorpion Group. Later, concealed in the branches of a Giant Tree, he succumbed to the poison and slipped into a paralytic state.

Paralyzed from head to toe, he witnessed the ultimate drama unfold atop the Giant Tree.

In his post, he detailed how Wang Xiaohua and Zhang Lieh, the underdogs, cunningly outwitted Qin Xiaotian and his team step by step.

They began by exploiting the environmental advantage, drawing the Scorpion Group to deplete Qin Xiaotian's side's combat strength. Next, Xiaohua covertly assisted, deftly seizing all of Qin's Soul Jade.

Ultimately, the pair divided their ill-gotten gains and plotted their escape, with every detail laid out in the post.

It's fair to say that this post was the damning evidence of Zhang Lieh and Wang Xiaohua's misdeeds.

They had truly stirred up a hornet's nest.

The disgruntled gamblers, already suspicious, couldn't believe Zhang Lieh had the ability to stand up to Qin Xiaotian and his team on his own. It was clear he had resorted to underhanded tactics.

It's no wonder Qin Xiaotian, despite his overwhelming strength, was defeated by the bottom-ranked Xiaohua – it was a combination of betrayal and treachery.

Outside the Black Iron Tavern, a crowd gathered once again, launching a verbal and written onslaught against Xiaohua.

But the saga didn't end there. As the controversy surrounding the post continued to simmer, a new development emerged.

Zhang Lieh, another key player, posted his own explosive thread, setting the Black Iron Base ablaze with gossip.

His post was brimming with accusations of Xiaohua's betrayal, claiming that after their success, he was denied his rightful share of Soul Jade and was even scapegoated for the entire scheme.

According to him, his intention was never to kill Qin Xiaotian; he was merely trying to survive, and all actions were orchestrated by Xiaohua.

The corroborating threads from Zhang Lieh and the original poster solidified Xiaohua's reputation as a traitor within minutes.

Subsequently, eagle-eyed users on the trading board discovered that the Soul Jade of the Golden Armored Beast, which belonged to Qin Xiaotian, was up for anonymous sale.

And soon after, the Soul Jade of other renowned figures, such as Faang Qiong and Zhou Ming, also surfaced on the trading platform.

All the Soul Jade pieces were sold anonymously and through an auction system where the highest bidder would prevail. The entire Black Iron Base was abuzz with excitement.

At that moment, Wang Xiaohua was well aware that Zhang Lieh was the instigator. She quickly took to the forums to clarify the situation and vehemently denounced Zhang Lieh.

However, her skills were no match for Zhang Lieh, and she was quickly silenced, her arguments refuted, causing the situation to spiral further out of control.

Ultimately, Wang Xiaohua had no choice but to play her ace card by revealing the burial location of Qin Xiaotian and others in the Purple Poison Forest to substantiate her claims.

Subsequently, she secluded herself in the Black Iron Tavern, too afraid to venture out or make any further statements.

Despite her efforts, Wang Xiaohua's reputation was irreparably tarnished.

From Zhang Lieh's point of view, he was simply fighting for survival.

But Wang Xiaohua was different; she was accused of playing both sides and of malicious intent to gain wealth at the expense of others' lives.

Such a person would naturally be scorned by everyone in the Void Realm.

The most tragic aspect was that Wang Xiaohua was oblivious to the fact that her so-called trump card was the very thing that would lead to the downfall of both her and the Wang family.