Compared to others, they knew all too well that the pills produced by Penguin Medicine Pavilion, with its mere two shops, were sufficient for the vast number of cultivators under their employ to retail.
This demonstrated the terrifying strength of their alchemists.
Inferring from this, the forces behind them could not be weak.
This time, the destruction of Penguin Medicine Pavilion's two wholesale shops appeared to be a decisive victory, as if the drug guilds of Qingrao Domain had triumphed.
However, many people understood in their hearts.
What was coming next was likely the true retaliation from Penguin Medicine Pavilion, which had not yet revealed its backing forces.
And after destroying the only two branches of Penguin Medicine Pavilion.
The large group of cultivators with impressive cultivation arrived swiftly and departed just as quickly, with no intention of lingering.
They scoured the ruins of Penguin Medicine Pavilion, which was essentially left with nothing.
But alas, with the decisive self-destruction of the two natal spirit puppets, little remained in the ruins of Penguin Medicine Pavilion.
After all, before the self-destruction, the two natal spirit puppets were perfectly clear.
There would be no opportunity like before for them to escape with resources and await Li Qi.
Let alone the fact that it would take a considerable amount of time for Li Qi to reach Qingrao Domain from his current location in Dixu Realm.
Even if Li Qi were indeed in Qingrao Domain, the combined assault of so many powerful individuals was incomparable to the previous attack by three or four cultivators at the ninth level of Tribulation Passing.
Even if their natal spirit puppets unleashed all their abilities, breaking through their defenses would be a question.
Under such circumstances, the most cost-effective measure was to destroy all existing resources directly, ensuring that those who came to attack would gain nothing.
After all, when Li Qi returned, he would settle accounts one by one, and the compensation owed would only be more than less.
Time also passed incredibly quickly.
In the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.
It had been a month since the two Penguin Medicine Pavilions were utterly destroyed.
During this month, the news of Penguin Medicine Pavilion's destruction had spread throughout countless surrounding void black markets.
Even those guilds not involved in the drug business received news of Penguin Medicine Pavilion's demise.
For no other reason than the fact that Penguin Medicine Pavilion's reputation had grown too great over the past century.
A force that could compete with the eight established drug guilds for profits, and whose modified pills were even more potent than those of the established guilds, was naturally known even to other guilds that did not sell drugs.
It was even possible that many experts within these other guilds had purchased pills from Penguin Medicine Pavilion.
And precisely because of this, many eyes had turned towards the eight drug guilds that had acted, and towards Penguin Medicine Pavilion.
Initially, they had expected Penguin Medicine Pavilion to retaliate immediately after their two shops were destroyed.
But after a month...
There had been no movement whatsoever.
Penguin Medicine Pavilion had not even shown the slightest sign of wanting to fight back.
As a result, many cultivators who had received news of Penguin Medicine Pavilion's destruction were now quietly whispering among their acquaintances.
"Is Penguin Medicine Pavilion afraid? Or did the eight guilds of Modao Commerce Guild join forces, leaving Penguin Medicine Pavilion no choice but to swallow their anger?"
"Indeed, those are eight guilds that essentially control the entire drug trade route in Qingrao Domain. If they join forces, unless a true Mahayana stage cultivator intervenes, few would dare to offend them. Penguin Medicine Pavilion's backing force is still unknown, but it's likely that there are no Mahayana stage cultivators involved."
After all, if there were indeed Mahayana stage cultivators, even foreign Mahayana stage cultivators, it would be difficult for them to cause trouble in Qingrao Domain.
But the mere reputation alone would be enough to make others extremely wary, so why the need for such secrecy?
Simultaneously.
During this month, Modao Commerce Guild and the other eight drug guilds remained vigilant, with the strong individuals at their various branches and headquarters on high alert.
And at this moment, the eight guild leaders were still gathered in Modao Commerce Guild.
"Haha, it's been a month, and Penguin Medicine Pavilion has made no move. I knew it, we were too cautious back then. Penguin Medicine Pavilion's backing is probably just an empty shell, and they just got lucky somewhere to obtain these modified pills."
A month's time. If Penguin Medicine Pavilion truly intended to counterattack, they would have had ample time to gather forces and strike back.
But having suffered no retaliation during this month, they naturally concluded that Penguin Medicine Pavilion lacked the ability to act.
"Hmph! If we had known earlier that Penguin Medicine Pavilion was just a facade, we wouldn't have been so vigilant and allowed it to develop for a hundred years."
"The half-step Mahayana stage cultivator who appeared in Penguin Medicine Pavilion back then was probably their true strongest combat power. We were overly cautious."
A cultivator at the half-step Mahayana stage was indeed quite formidable.
But unfortunately, this time they had the combined might of eight guilds. Each of their guilds had one cultivator at the half-step Mahayana stage, totaling eight.
Eight against one, the disparity was undeniable.
"It's just a pity that Penguin Medicine Pavilion's guilds do not possess the crafting methods for those modified pills. Otherwise, if we could have acquired them for our own use, our respective guilds' strength would have grown even further."
Someone said with regret.
But it was evident that the exchanges among these eight guild leaders now carried a sense of ease, lacking the heavy demeanor from before.
This time, it was akin to a gamble where they had tested Penguin Medicine Pavilion's actual combat strength. Although it was perilous, fortunately, the forces behind Penguin Medicine Pavilion were not strong, and they seemed unwilling to face the combined might of the eight guilds.
Thus, this crisis, which was currently considered the greatest, was largely resolved.
The guild leaders who had traveled from afar did not choose to remain in Modao Commerce Guild any longer.
During this period, they had been on guard against Penguin Medicine Pavilion's retaliation. They had even proactively awakened the half-step Mahayana stage cultivators who normally did not engage in combat to guard their respective guilds, lest Penguin Medicine Pavilion launch a surprise attack.
But in retrospect, they had been too cautious. Penguin Medicine Pavilion had no intention of retaliating.
Subsequently, upon returning to their respective guilds, these leaders would be busy. They would resume their businesses and arrange for the numerous assembled strong individuals to disperse and continue guarding their respective void black market branches.
And at this moment, outside Qingrao Domain, a figure was rapidly approaching.
Li Qi's figure slowly came to a halt, revealing himself.