Chapter 421: Spiritual Grinding Wheel

The interior space of the ancestral stone.

Xiao Ling's soul consciousness body seemed particularly illusory at the intersection of the two huge crystal grinding wheels. An invisible and powerful force surrounded him tightly like a net.

Under the pressure of this force, Xiao Ling felt as if he was firmly grasped by an invisible giant hand, and every inch of his body was under the control of this huge force.

He tried to struggle, but found himself unable to move, not even a finger. Then, the force became more violent, as if it was going to tear his soul apart.

Xiao Ling felt cracks beginning to appear in his body, starting from tiny gaps and gradually expanding, like glass hit by a sledgehammer, the cracks quickly spread throughout his body.

Under the influence of this irresistible force, his body began to break apart piece by piece, turning into countless tiny points of light and gradually dissipating into the air.

At the moment when Xiao Ling's consciousness was about to fall apart, a dazzling white light suddenly burst out from between the two crystal grinding wheels, illuminating Xiao Ling's soul that was about to dissipate.

This ball of white light carried a mysterious power, gently and quickly wrapping up those spiritual light spots that were about to dissipate one by one, binding them tightly together.

Under the influence of this strange energy, the faint trace of consciousness in Xiao Ling's body began to fluctuate. It floated in the ocean of light spots, feeling those light spots gradually moving closer to it, as if it was attracted by some irresistible magnetic force.

These spots of light were originally fragments of Xiao Ling's soul, but now under the guidance of the white light, they began to reorganize incredibly.

"Chichi!"

As more and more spiritual light points gathered, they began to make subtle sounds. These light points gradually condensed and formed a vague outline, which was the prototype of Xiao Ling's consciousness.

During this process, Xiao Ling's consciousness seemed to have experienced a rebirth, being pulled back from the edge of destruction and gradually restoring its original form.

After experiencing the shattering and reorganization of his soul, Xiao Ling's soul power quietly changed, allowing his already huge soul power to be further enhanced. Although this improvement was minimal, it was real.

However, just as Xiao Ling's soul body stabilized and before he could feel the slight increase in soul power, the powerful crushing force surged out from the crystal grinding wheel again, ruthlessly impacting his consciousness. In an instant, his soul body collapsed again, falling into another cycle of breaking and reorganizing.

Outside the crystal grinding wheel, the little mink watched Xiao Ling's consciousness being crushed once again, and couldn't help but let out a "tsk tsk" sound. It held its paws to its chest, with a look of shock on its face, muttering to itself: "Tsk tsk, this kid is really a ruthless person, this has been almost forty times..."

Recalling the time when he obtained the stone talisman, he had also tried the test of this mental millstone. The pain that almost tore his soul apart still makes him shudder.

Although this millstone can indeed train one's mental strength, the torture it brings is definitely not something that ordinary people can endure.

Moreover, the endurance of this kind of pain does not depend on the strength of the practitioner's spiritual power. Under the test of the crystal grinding wheel, everyone will face the same tribulation.

Whether they are practitioners with strong mental power or novice who has just started to practice mental power, the pain they feel is the same.

In such a test, perseverance becomes the most critical factor. Only those with a strong will and an indomitable spirit can persevere in such extreme pain.

Every time the consciousness body is broken and reorganized, it is a great test of Xiao Ling's will and an extreme challenge to his perseverance.

The little mink knew this very well, and it felt sincere admiration for Xiao Ling's ability to endure such pain time and time again and constantly try to reorganize his consciousness.

This extraordinary endurance and perseverance is the best motivation for Xiao Ling to keep moving forward on the road of cultivation, and it is also the reason why it is willing to recognize Xiao Ling as the "boss" in its heart.

It was definitely not because Xiao Ling had just created the "Reincarnation Soul-Shaping Pill" not long ago.

At this moment, in the space beside Xiao Diao, specks of white light began to condense and gradually took shape. A figure emerged, it was the spirit of the ancestral stone.

"A Diao, how many times has Xiao Ling experienced his consciousness being shattered and reassembled?"

The spirit of the ancestral stone glanced at Xiao Ling who was in the mental grinding wheel, then retracted his gaze and looked at Xiao Diao to ask.

"It's already the forty-ninth time. No, it's the fiftieth time now." Little Diao retracted his gaze and looked at the Spirit of the Ancestral Stone. "I really don't know how this guy persisted. I, Master Diao, can't even imagine how much pain he must have endured."

“Yes, this kind of willpower is not inferior to that of the Ice Master back then.” After hearing what Xiao Diao said, the spirit of the ancestral stone nodded slightly and spoke in a flat tone, but one could still hear a hint of appreciation in his words.

Immediately, the spirit of the ancestral stone said again: "Someone came to see Xiao Ling outside just now. Tell him later that I am going to deal with the matter of his destiny talisman. It will soon be the final stage, and I can't get away."

After hearing this, Xiao Diao nodded, and then turned his gaze again to Xiao Ling who was in mental distress.

About ten minutes later, an almost transparent figure slowly floated out from the spiritual millstone and finally stopped in front of Xiao Diao. The extremely weak face was undoubtedly Xiao Ling.

Although Xiao Ling had escaped from the mental grinding wheel at this moment, he could still clearly feel the severe pain lingering deep in his consciousness.

Although the process is somewhat painful, the effect of improving soul power is still very good. If Xiao Ling continues to practice step by step, breaking through the heavenly soul realm is just around the corner.

Seeing Xiao Ling finish his training, Xiao Diao quickly said, "Okay, don't continue to train your spiritual power. The spirit of the ancestral stone just said that someone is looking for you outside. Go out and see what's going on."

"Someone came to see me? He should be preparing to go to Shengdan City, right? I see." Xiao Ling nodded and muttered a few words to himself. Then he didn't waste any more time. With a thought, this consciousness body broke away from the ancestral stone space.

……

Inside the room, Xiao Ling, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, slowly opened his eyes. Then, a feeling of dizziness suddenly came from his mind. For a moment, he could not control his body well. If he didn't pay attention, his body would shake and he was about to roll off the bed sideways.

Just as Xiao Ling was about to face an embarrassing end, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Xiao Ling. The figure quickly stretched out his slender arms and held Xiao Ling firmly in his arms.

Xiao Ling felt the world spinning in his vision, and subconsciously closed his eyes. Then, his face was deeply buried in the two soft "peaks" like clouds, and at the same time, a light and charming female body fragrance drifted into his nose.

The fragrance was almost imperceptible, but like a soft silk ribbon, it quietly wrapped around his senses, making his heart flutter in an instant.

His cheek felt the soft touch, as if he was trapped in a warm cloud, which made him a little dazed for a moment, forgetting the dizziness and thrill just now, and his brain went blank.

"How long do you want to lie in my arms before you are satisfied?" At this time, Xiao Ling heard a voice with a hint of shame and anger entering his ears, which instantly brought his somewhat dazed consciousness back to reality.

Xiao Ling opened his eyes quickly, and what he saw was a smear of white. He subconsciously looked deeper, but he saw that the black underwear covered the thing that was about to come out tightly, making it impossible to peek inside.

Although Xiao Ling felt a little regretful that he was unable to witness the scene, he quickly retracted his gaze. He looked up and saw Medusa's beautiful face staring at him. Her skin was as white as snow, and her beautiful eyes revealed a complex and inexplicable expression.

Medusa's temperament was as cold as ice, but at this moment it was mixed with a bit of shyness and anger. This contradictory emotion made her beauty even more charming.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she was trying to suppress the turmoil in her heart, but this effort made her beauty more vivid and more fascinating.

Seeing Xiao Ling staring at her, Medusa's fair face turned red. She said unhappily, "Get out of here, you bastard!"

"You know, I was cultivating my soul power before, so my soul was a little tired and I couldn't control my body well. It's not my fault." Xiao Ling kept a calm expression on his face and spoke in a calm tone. Then, he slowly stood up from Medusa's arms and straightened his clothes, as if what happened before had never happened.

When Medusa saw Xiao Ling leaving, she carefully straightened the collar of her clothes. Seeing Xiao Ling's calm expression as if nothing had happened, she couldn't help but secretly complain a few words in her heart.

However, Medusa still said calmly: "The people from the Ye family came to you earlier and said that the assessment of the five major families will begin soon. They have already arranged the relevant procedures. We should set off for Shengdan City next."

"Is it time to leave? That's just in time. There's nothing interesting to do in the Ye family. It's been a long time since I last went to Shengdan City. Now that the Dan Conference is coming soon, Shengdan City should be quite lively now."

Xiao Ling nodded slightly, and then said: "Let's go without further delay. Don't let them wait too long."

Medusa nodded slightly, and then followed Xiao Ling out of the room.

……

As soon as he stepped out of the door, Xiao Ling saw from afar a girl in blue standing in the yard. It was Ye Xinlan.

Xiao Ling smiled and said, "Haha, Xinlan, I've been waiting for a long time."

Ye Xinlan heaved a sigh of relief when she heard Xiao Ling speak. After all, she had been afraid of disturbing Xiao Ling rashly. Now that Xiao Ling finally came out by himself, the worry in her heart also dissipated a little.

"Senior, Grandpa has already prepared the formalities. We have to go to Shengdan City today, otherwise we will miss the internal test."

Seeing Xiao Ling's warm smile, Ye Xinlan's face subconsciously blushed. She lowered her head slightly, took small steps and trotted to Xiao Ling, and said this softly.

Zi Yan and Qing Lin, who were talking, stopped talking when they saw Xiao Ling and his friends were getting ready to set off, and followed them.

Zi Yan came to Xiao Ling very naturally, stretched out her hand and held Xiao Ling's hand.

Xiao Ling smiled slightly when he saw this, and also held Zi Yan's small hand tightly in his own.

Seeing this, Ye Xinlan, who was walking in front, couldn't help but say, "Senior Xiao Ling and Senior Zi Yan have a really good relationship. I saw them together at Canaan College before."

"Hehe, that's right. When Xiao Ling was still a great fighting master, I was the one who protected him. Otherwise, this guy would have been bullied a lot in Canaan College."

Before Xiao Ling could answer, Zi Yan hummed and said proudly.

Hearing Zi Yan's words, Xiao Ling couldn't help but twitch his lips, his face full of helplessness, and then he shook his head gently. However, he didn't refute anything, and just let Zi Yan speak so proudly.

The group chatted and laughed along the way, and soon they walked out of the courtyard. Looking up, they saw many elders of the Ye family gathered here. When they saw Xiao Ling and the others coming out, they all cast expectant glances at them. The figure in the lead was Ye Chong, the eldest elder of the Ye family.

"Elder Ye Zhong, looking at your state, I must have kept you waiting for a long time. I was practicing earlier, I am really sorry." Xiao Ling nodded slightly, smiled faintly at Ye Zhong who was in the lead, and spoke in a calm tone. "I heard from Xin Lan earlier that there is not much time left for the internal test. I didn't delay too long this time, did I?"

"Haha, Master Xiao Ling, your cultivation is naturally the most important thing. It won't be a problem." Ye Zhong forced a smile on his face. The wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen a little because of this. He said with a smile.

"Although there is indeed not much time left before the test begins. However, with Master Xiao Ling's alchemy skills, as long as you are willing to help, this test will definitely be a piece of cake. We are just waiting for you, Master. We can set off at any time."

Xiao Ling nodded slightly and said, "In that case, let's set off quickly. I haven't been to Shengdan City for a long time. There are also acquaintances there, but I haven't seen them for a long time..."

……

Outside the Ye family manor.

Almost all the members of the Ye family, regardless of gender, age or status, gathered here, looking at Xiao Ling and others in front of them with burning eyes.

It turned out that the relevant news had already spread in the Ye family, and everyone knew that Xiao Ling would act on behalf of the Ye family and go to participate in the test of the five major families.

They all knew the significance of this matter. With the help of Master Xiao Ling, their Ye family would be able to pass the test smoothly.

In this way, in the many years to come, the Ye family can still enjoy the honorable status of the five major families of Danta and continue to enjoy the various privileges from Danta.

The Ye family had suffered provocations and suppression from other families before, but only after this test could they truly hold their heads high.

With Danta's protection, they can develop with peace of mind. Although they will certainly not surpass the Cao family and other families in a short period of time, at least they have the ability to protect themselves.

Maybe in the future the Ye family will have a talented younger generation who can be compared to the enchantress Cao Ying from the Cao family. Only then will the Ye family be able to gradually rise again and restore its former glory.

Although no one spoke to break the solemn atmosphere, they all bowed in unison in the direction of Xiao Ling to express the Ye family's inner gratitude and deep respect to Xiao Ling.

When Xiao Ling saw this scene, his eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly nodded at them and signaled everyone to stand up.

Ye Chong had a smile in his eyes, and he obviously knew this would happen. At this moment, he no longer had the anxiety, entanglement, and uneasiness he had when he was about to go to Shengdan City. He only had full confidence in Xiao Ling.

He waved his sleeves elegantly, glanced at Xiao Ling, and then said to the clan members who came to see him off: "With the help of Master Xiao Ling this time, the seat of the elder of the Ye family will definitely be retained. After returning, all clan members must concentrate on studying the art of alchemy and must not slack off. In the future assessments of the Ye family, Master Xiao Ling will not continue to help, so you young people need to work hard to fight for it."

"Yes."

Many members of the Ye family responded loudly in unison again.

Especially those young disciples, each of them had an excited look on their faces, as if they were injected with infinite power. They wished they could immediately devote themselves to studying alchemy in order to win glory for the Ye family and restore its honor.

“Second brother, third brother, this time I will follow Master Xiao Ling and others to Shengdan City, so the Ye family will be fully handed over to you…” Ye Zhong then said solemnly to the two old men standing at the front of the Ye family.

"Well, Boss, just focus on handling related matters in Shengdan City. Although our Ye family is gradually declining now, we still have some connections in Danta..."

An elder of the Ye family said solemnly, and several elders of the Ye family beside him nodded in agreement.

After hearing this, Ye Chong couldn't help but sigh and nodded. With the Ye family now in a state of continuous decline, many of their previous relationships have indeed been severed.

Fortunately, not everyone is as ungrateful as the Cao family. It is precisely because of these existing relationships that the Ye family can barely keep this reputation and the only remaining glimmer of hope after failing two consecutive assessments.

Xiao Ling, who was standing aside, looked up at the sky, and then said softly: "It's almost time, Elder Ye Zhong, let's go..."

Hearing Xiao Ling's voice, Ye Zhong smiled and nodded. Without staying any longer, he turned around and walked quickly towards a square slightly north of Yecheng.

There is a space wormhole in Ye City, which is the one Xiao Ling used before. However, it is not very large and cannot directly reach Shengdan City. Instead, it must change routes several times in the middle before it can finally reach its destination... (End of this chapter)