Chapter 391: Outer Pill
Dusk.
Bai Mo brought Ah Er to Silkworm Valley.
Silkworm Valley was a treasured land within the sect, a place of remarkable beauty and rich Spiritual Qi, which made Ah Er frequently peer inside.
However, the valley was largely off-limits to outside Cultivators, so it was destined to never get a look inside.
Before long, the female disciple who had announced them led An Caiwei out.
Bai Mo smiled and slipped the disciple a Pill, sending her off in high spirits.
An Caiwei’s face was etched with fatigue, still showing the dust of her travels. She shot him a glare.
"Was all that really necessary just to pass a message?"
Bai Mo walked with her to a simple stall on the side and ordered three cups of honey water, a local product of Silkworm Valley.
"It’s nothing, just something I whipped up. One batch is enough for me to give away for half a year."
The honey water was served in bamboo tubes. The portions were generous, and it was rich in Spiritual Qi.
Each of them got a cup, even Ah Er, who hugged its portion and sipped it happily.
"Senior Sister, did you just get back?"
An Caiwei waved her hand in frustration.
"I’ve been back for days. I thought I’d finally get a day or two of rest, but I haven’t stopped since I got here. It’s all because of..."
She hesitated, then abruptly stopped talking.
"Forget it. It’s an internal affair of the valley. You wouldn’t know about it, so there’s no point in talking."
Bai Mo just smiled.
"Alright, then we won’t talk about it."
"I heard you were looking for me, Senior Sister. Is there some benefit in it for me? On my way from Medicine Peak, I ran into a disciple from Silkworm Valley..."
At the mention of this, An Caiwei’s expression brightened slightly. She looked around, then pulled Bai Mo to a deserted corner.
"Have your Alchemy skills improved?"
This was a difficult question to answer.
Bai Mo simply said, "I went out a while ago and officially obtained the status of a Grandmaster of the Alchemy Dao."
"These days, I can refine ordinary Tier Three Pills with ease."
An Caiwei took a sip of her honey water.
"That’s good. Here’s the thing. You know how I was assigned to the Celestial Barrier Mountain range?"
"I followed the senior brothers and sisters leading the team to some ruins on the other side of the mountains. From the looks of it, it was some kind of palace..."
Bai Mo had long been curious about what she could possibly be doing at the Celestial Barrier Mountain, so he took the opportunity to ask.
"What could you do there, Senior Sister?"
An Caiwei’s eyes immediately turned dangerous.
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
"Are you looking down on me?"
Bai Mo shook his head. "Well, you’re not exactly skilled in combat..."
"Hmph!"
An Caiwei snorted coldly before explaining:
"The place was full of miasma. We disciples from Silkworm Valley were sent to clear it."
"In those palace ruins, I found a recipe. The Pill, when combined with a corresponding method, might be able to improve a Cultivator’s aptitude for cultivation..."
She carefully took out a copy of the recipe she had painstakingly transcribed and handed it to Bai Mo.
Bai Mo, however, was not particularly excited.
After reading the recipe, he felt it was just as he had expected.
"Improving one’s aptitude is never that easy. It usually requires rare treasures to supplement the process."
"The Pill in your recipe isn’t anything special. The key is the ritual of divine sacrifice mentioned on it."
"What a coincidence. I have a mortal in my jail who preaches a method called the *Sacrificial Ceremony* every day..."
At this, Bai Mo looked at An Caiwei and saw her face fall, as if doused with cold water.
"But what about the Dragon Marrow Jade? Isn’t it said to be priceless and nearly impossible to find?"
She had thought that was the key ingredient.
Bai Mo just said, "How long ago was that?"
"To put it bluntly, this stuff is just a type of petrified Spirit Stone. Cultivators figured out how to create it artificially a long time ago."
Bai Mo opened his palm.
"The market price is fifty Spirit Stones per tael."
"Huh?" An Caiwei instantly deflated.
"Then... then forget about it..."
Seeing her listless expression, Bai Mo sighed.
"Senior Sister, you’re getting desperate, aren’t you?"
An Caiwei didn’t say a word.
After entering the inner sect, she had cultivated diligently, with just as little free time as before.
However, her cultivation progress was not as good as she had hoped. When she inquired, she learned it was because her foundation during the Qi Refining stage was unstable.
No one could help her with this.
Bai Mo held the recipe and pondered for a moment.
"We definitely can’t try this method. We don’t even know which god is being sacrificed to in this ritual."
After all, this was left behind by a great Cultivator who pursued immortality. It couldn’t be simple. If something went wrong, no one could guarantee their safety.
But Bai Mo noticed something else.
"The Pill Book records that in ancient times, the Outer Pill was prevalent. A Cultivator’s entire cultivation was tied to their Outer Pill."
"This type of Pill does not dissolve in the body. It is instead nurtured within the abdomen and has many wondrous uses."
Looking at An Caiwei’s recipe and seeing its various intricacies, Bai Mo knew that the Cultivators from across the mountain range might possess the corresponding legacy.
The way of the Outer Pill was now quite obscure, with few lineages remaining.
But that didn’t stop it from being an exceptionally profound Pill Method.
After explaining the key points to An Caiwei, Bai Mo said softly:
"If you can find any related notes or journals, Senior Sister, I might be able to derive a method to assist cultivation from them."
"It’s just that the Celestial Barrier Mountain is treacherous..."
"I’ll go!"
An Caiwei took a deep breath.
"Junior Brother, are you really confident?"
Bai Mo nodded.
"You know, Senior Sister, I’ve been studying ancient Pill Books for a long time. I know a thing or two."
...
An Caiwei returned full of vigor and determination.
Going back to the Celestial Barrier Mountain would not be an easy task.
After all, An Caiwei was not a combatant. The sect would not deploy her unless absolutely necessary.
This gave her time to prepare.
Bai Mo watched her return to the valley before gently patting Ah Er on the head.
"Let’s go."
The badger, lost in its sipping, was startled. It quickly chugged the rest of the honey water in the bamboo tube and followed Bai Mo onto the Flying Ship.
The Flying Ship moved slowly, making its way back to Mi Mountain.
The journey was uneventful.
However, upon returning to Mi Mountain, he saw Li Wuji receiving a group of disciples.
Seeing Bai Mo’s return, Li Wuji quickly stepped aside.
"This is Junior Brother Bai, the head of the Black Jail."
"Junior Brother, these few are from the Foreign Affairs Hall. They were sent specifically to check on the physical condition of that prisoner from the Celestial Barrier Mountain."
That crazed Cultivator was always causing a scene, acting like he was about to die one moment and perfectly fine the next.
Bai Mo was long fed up with his antics, so having someone come to check on him was more than welcome.
After verifying their tokens, Bai Mo led the group into the Black Jail.
The two disciples in the lead entered the cell and performed some actions, causing the crazed Cultivator to fall down stiffly.
They immediately got to work, inserting needles and taking his pulse, busying themselves for quite a while.
But the other disciples just stood to the side and watched, their eyes gleaming as if they were investigating something, and they said nothing.
After half a day’s work, night fell, and the group finally took their leave.
Ah Er was sitting on the threshold, looking at its notes and pondering when it should go to Medicine Peak to collect herbs.
Li Wuji waited for the people to leave before pulling his gaze away from its notes.
"What was that all about? I noticed a few of them didn’t seem like medical Cultivators."
Bai Mo closed the door.
"The calluses on their fists were thicker than their faces. Of course they weren’t here to heal anyone."
"He is, after all, a prisoner who obtained a legacy of immortality. It’s perfectly normal for people to come and see him."
’Although the source of that legacy, the great master himself, never actually succeeded in the end.’
Having been out and about, Bai Mo also felt quite tired. He gave Ah Er a gentle nudge with his foot.
"Go make a couple of side dishes. Senior Brother and I are going to have a drink."
Ah Er got up and scurried off to the task.
Only then did Bai Mo turn to the surprised Li Wuji.
"Don’t go yet, Senior Brother. It learned a new skill a few days ago. You should give it a try..."