The Nine Sages of the Sky Desert Divine Hall had been so furious at being extorted for a full fifty Eternal Divine Medicines that they could practically cough blood. Then Li Yun's parting words left them utterly baffled.
"What does he mean by that?"
"Is he saying he doesn't belong to another faction?"
"And that we could pay him to go cause trouble for the other factions?"
"That... does seem to be what he means."
"Damn it!!!"
"Where the hell did this thief come from? How dare he be so brazen?"
"Come on, back we go!"
"Find someone to investigate his background immediately! He took fifty Eternal Divine Medicines from us. We'll make him cough them back up tenfold, a hundredfold!"
The furious Nine Sages returned to the Sky Desert Divine Hall at once.
Meanwhile,
word quickly spread throughout the Azure Abyss Domain that the Sky Desert Divine Hall's Nine Sages had been wounded and then extorted for a great many Eternal Divine Medicines.
For a time, everyone was talking about it.
The other seven of the Eight Great Factions,
the Sage Great Houses and other Sage Factions—
all took notice.
They sent messages to the Sky Desert Divine Hall, hoping to learn what had happened.
Perhaps the Sky Desert Divine Hall still suspected the other factions and believed Li Yun's appearance had something to do with them. Or perhaps, as one of the mighty Eight Great Factions of the Azure Abyss Domain, they found it too humiliating to admit someone had attacked them so openly.
Whatever the reason, they answered none of the inquiries.
Their lips stayed sealed.
They explained neither the details nor the course of events. They would not even confirm whether an unknown Sage had really extorted them.
The Azure Abyss Domain's major factions were left