The morning was silent until it was suddenly interrupted by a torrent of terrible whispers. The sound was so intense that it felt like a dark cloud had descended over the area. Wang Wenshu was in a state of panic as he frantically looked for Ye Suyin. 

After running around for what felt like hours, he finally spotted the young girl walking back to her assigned area. Wang Wenshu's heart leaped with joy as he ran up to her and said, "Ye girl! I was looking for you everywhere."

Ye Suyin looked up, surprised to see Wang Wenshu. "What's going on? Why are you so worried?" she asked. 

Wang Wenshu tried to catch his breath before he replied, "We need to leave now. Something has happened to your family back in Crystal Lake City."

Ye Suyin's eyes widened in shock, and she felt her heart race. "What happened?" she asked, her voice trembling. 

Wang Wenshu shook his head. "I don't know. I just received a message from your father, and he sounded worried. We need to go back as soon as possible."

Ye Suyin quickly gathered her things and followed Wang Wenshu out of the place. As they made their way to the nearest exit, the terrible whispers grew louder and more intense.

Ye Suyin couldn't help but feel anxious and scared. She had never heard anything like it before. "Su family is destroyed, how?"

Wang Wenshu looked at her with concern. "I don't know, but I have a feeling something terrible happened last night."

---

....

As Bai Xue stood near the exit gate in her human form, she gazed at the pair before her and let out a deep sigh of frustration.

"Why do I have to do this? Can't you handle it?" she grumbled at the dragon loli beside her.

Zhou Zhixuan simply shrugged, wearing a wry smile on her face. "I don't want to go there again," she muttered.

Bai Xue let out another sigh, her eyes scanning the area until they landed on Wang Wenshu and Ye Suyin approaching her.

With a roll of her eyes, she shook her head in annoyance. "Don't expect me to carry you back," she snorted before transforming into her qilin form.

The violet feathers on her body crackled with lightning, and even Wang Wenshu, who had seen incredible things before, was mesmerized by the sight.

As Wang Wenshu watched Bai Xue's transformation, her mind wandered to Xia Tian.

"He keeps them as pets?" she muttered to herself, the image of his face still fresh in her mind.

It was hard to believe that legendary beasts would serve as human pets.

Xia Tian, meanwhile, remained asleep, blissfully unaware of the chaos he had caused.

There were only a handful of people who could carry Ye Suyin back to Crystal Lake City quickly, and with Evelynn and Nyx by Xia Tian's side, the only ones left were Bai Xue and Zhou Zhixuan.

The dragon loli was already mentally exhausted from the chaos and knew she couldn't handle it again. She had tricked Bai Xue into tackling this trouble on her own.

....

As the group arrived at the scene, they were struck with a sense of devastation. Other than Zhou Zhixuan, no one here knew exactly what had happened. All they knew was that there was news of something terrible happening to the Ye and Su family overnight.

When the qilin finally hovered above the grounds of Crystal Lake City, the sight that greeted Wang Wenshu and Ye Suyin was nothing short of horrifying. Bodies were strewn everywhere, and it was evident that a fierce battle had taken place. 

The palace that once stood tall was now half-broken, with only a few rooms shielded from the destruction. Outside, the training arena, alchemy hall, and all the other buildings had been demolished. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, making it hard for them to breathe.

The few survivors present were walking around aimlessly, their eyes cast down, and their bodies hunched with regret. They carried the limp corpses of their loved ones, hoping to give them a proper burial. In the midst of it all stood one man, tall and imposing, his eyes reflecting the sorrow and devastation that surrounded him.

Wang Wenshu couldn't help but gasp, "Heavens! What exactly happened in this place?"

Ye Suyin shook her head with eyes of disbelief, "I-I don't know," her voice slightly shaky.

....

Ye Suyin and the rest of her group landed in the middle of a gruesome scene, surrounded by a mountain of lifeless bodies. The stench of death was overwhelming, making it almost impossible to breathe.

A man with a wrinkled face and disheveled appearance stumbled towards them and recognized Ye Suyin. "Suyin?" he whispered, his eyes filled with disbelief and hope.

Ye Suyin was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the old man, but she quickly realized who he was and whispered back, "Father, is it really you?"

The old man stopped in his tracks, hearing her voice that slightly resembled his beloved wife. Tears streamed down his face as he struggled to keep himself composed.

Ye Suyin watched in shock as her father broke down in front of her. As a cultivator, she had never seen her father show any sign of weakness before. This was a man who had led countless troops into brutal battles and emerged victorious. This was a man who had always shown her nothing but a stern and strict demeanor. But now, he was reduced to tears in her presence.

As Ye Suyin looked at her father's tear-streaked face, she felt a complex mix of emotions welling up in her heart.

She hated him for his past actions and the way he had stopped trusting his own daughter after she obtained the eyes of truth, yet she couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy for the man who was now before her.

She desperately wanted to console him and ask him what had happened, but the words caught in her throat. All she could do was stand there, watching as her father wept in anguish.

...

Taking a deep breath, she let out a heavy sigh before glancing around frantically for any signs of her mother.

Her heart raced with a million different emotions as she tried to keep her thoughts from spiraling out of control.

Ye Suyin remembered how her mother was the only woman who had the power to keep Ye Zhao in line.

As she approached a nearby person whom she had never seen before, Ye Suyin unconsciously felt her palms grow clammy and her throat grew tight. 

Slowly, she asked for Qing Shi Lian's whereabouts, and her heart sank when the person recoiled in shock.

After pointing in a certain direction, the man mentioned that he was one of the rare survivors of the conflict.

Ye Suyin slowly walked in the direction he had pointed, her eyes scanning the area for any sign of her mother.

As she got closer, the stench of death grew stronger.

Her stomach churned in disgust as she struggled to keep her composure.

Her eyes fell on one body lying separately from the others above a white cloth, and her breath hitched when she recognized her mother's dress.

'N-No it can't be...'

With a wave of panic spreading through her veins, Ye Suyin started running as fast as she could.

When she reached the body lying on the ground, her steps halted, and she felt her face freeze with sudden fear and shock.

"M-Mother?" she whispered in disbelief while crouching down to stare at her mother's lifeless body lying above the white sheet.

Even without any breath, her mother's figure still radiated with a softness that made her look peaceful.

Her hair reflected off the shine that emanated from her body.

But the body lay there without movement, signaling that it had been dead for a long time.

Her eyes widened with shock, and unconsciously a few tears swelled up on Ye Suyin's face.

She didn't like her parents that much, but she never wished for them to die.

Suddenly, a chillingly cold hand was placed on her shoulder, belonging to Wang Wenshu. "It is not the time to grieve now, we first need to find out who caused it," she said with grave authority, not wanting Ye Suyin to break down there and then.

Her words were like a ray of light in the darkness, as the sadness in Ye Suyin's eyes was quickly replaced with a look of steely resolve. She pledged to take revenge, her voice ringing with a fierce determination.

Walking back to Ye Zhao, she demanded in a voice that brooked no argument, "Father, tell me what happened here!"

However, as the words were about to leave Ye Suyin's lips, Ye Zhao's face showed a look of horror as he remembered what he had seen. The abomination he had been up against... it was too much to bear.

Suddenly, two more people appeared out of nowhere, laughing and chatting. "Oh, you guys arrived here already. Did I miss something?" one of them quipped, oblivious to the tension in the air.