Two solutions to the problem of using jade slips occurred to Benton. The first, easiest answer was to simply use Sect Points to increase his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment realm. Of course, that meant either hiding that act from the kids or coming up with an explanation. It also meant that he’d have to help both of them use the slips every time they wanted to refer back to something.

Worse, it meant using up a precious resource. It was becoming obvious to him that the System was best utilized by running an actual sect with lots of outer sect members who were cultivating methods produced with wide applicability. Waiting on two disciples, no matter how talented, to advance was too slow and didn’t return enough profit to even cover for the method they’d need when reaching the next realm.

Maybe his idea to create a uniquely attuned method for each of them was a bad idea. He’d already committed to Yang Xiu’s though, and it wouldn’t do him much good to change course for Yang Ru.

Besides, those two were the hope and future of the sect. Benton needed to make each of them as powerful as possible, and the way to do that was providing them with an advantage no other sect could possibly give them, a perfectly attuned cultivation method.

No, his plan was valid. He just needed to conserve Sect Points wherever possible until he found the dozens of less talented disciples that he needed. That resolution meant that spending the points needed to increase his cultivation was a subpar idea.

His second solution was better, but it had the downside of putting him personally in danger. Spirit beast cores could be used to power treasures, formations, and all kinds of other items, including jade slips. He just needed to find a beast and kill it.

According to Su’s memories, he should have no problem doing just that, but Benton both was and very much was not the man who had taken down scores of such creatures during his lifetime. Unlike the seven men he’d just faced who had no superpowers, a spirit beast represented a true death threat.

But it also represented an opportunity.

A sect would require resources. Money. Benton had none. Spirit beast cores were valuable. At some point, utilizing Su’s memories to hunt for some made sense. Given the present need, he might as well get started.

By the time he’d finished his internal deliberation, the two kids had finished their discussion and were clearly waiting for him to turn his attention to them. He did so.

Yang Xiu didn’t look happy.

“Senior Brother Chao,” Yang Ru said, “I will take one of the pills.”

“And your sister?”

“After me.”

Ah. She wanted to take it first, but big brother was being protective of her.

“I see,” Benton said. “I am proud of both of you. You have each demonstrated extreme bravery in embracing an opportunity that will probably result in much personal hardship.”

Both siblings looked pleased with the compliment.

“Yang Ru, I respect your courage in facing a complete unknown. It is not easy to take a pill not knowing what the result will be.”

The boy’s chest practically swelled with pride.

“And Yang Xiu, I find your courage in going second to be perhaps even greater.”

“I don’t understand, Senior Brother Chao,” Yang Ru said. “Why would going second require greater bravery?”

Benton peered at him in a way that hopefully made him seem wiser than his current body’s years. “Is it braver to step first knowing that you might experience pain or to step second after witnessing the agony of another? I think the latter.”

Yang Xiu grinned, her initial anger at going second obviously mollified by the explanation.

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“I must be off on a hunting trip, and I don’t know how long it will be until I return. Hopefully prior to nightfall but definitely before morning.” Benton handed one of the Spiritual Root Refinement Pills to each of the kids before pulling one of the mortal spears he’d taken from Fang’s party from his spiritual ring and handing it to Yang Xiu.

“My spiritual sense shows that the area is clear, so you should encounter no difficulties while I am gone. There exist, however, spirit beasts who may be able to evade my senses,” he told Yang Xiu. “Your brother will probably be vulnerable for a time. It is your duty to stay vigilant and to guard him. Understood?”

She cupped her hands and bowed.

“Good,” Benton said. “Do not, under any circumstances, consume your pill until after either I return or your brother has fully recovered from his.”

“Yes, Senior Brother Chao. I understand.”

Both of them seemed like really good kids. Benton was beginning to feel true affection for each of them and felt bad that he was leaving them to fend for themselves. Even the two of them fighting together would stand no chance against a spirit beast.

He hesitated for a moment. If he waited until they were both cultivators, they’d be much safer.

No. That wouldn’t work. He needed the cores in order for them to learn a method.

Ugh. It was a whole chicken and the egg type of situation.

He was probably being too much of a worrywart. The kids had survived on their own up until meeting him, and the forest seemed safe. Their camp was far from where he sensed any danger, and Su’s memories doubted that any beasts powerful enough to evade his perception would have ranged so far.

Best to just get it over with and return as quickly as he could.

Manipulating qi in microbursts to his leg muscles, he sped off. Miles passed like he was driving a car down the interstate as he weaved in between trees and bushes. After a half hour, he’d used about a quarter of his qi pool and still wasn’t even breathing hard. Benton thanked his body’s previous owner from keeping it in such good shape.

He needed to be careful to keep a large qi reserve, though. If it ran out in the middle of a battle, he’d be dead.

Luckily, he sensed a spirit beast nearby less than five minutes later. A rank one. Perfect.

The way Benton understood beast rankings from Su’s memory was that rank one’s corresponded roughly to the low realm of Qi Gathering, so minor realms one, two, and three. Rank two encompassed the mid realm, four through six, and rank three the high realm, seven through nine. Ranks four, five, and six followed a similar pattern for the Foundation Establishment realm and so on.

Su’s instincts told him that, with his experience using qi, rank one beasts should present no challenge and rank two beasts would be doable. For rank three, it depended on the beast in question. Any higher than that was almost guaranteed to result in Benton’s defeat. He also needed to watch out for beasts that fought in packs, like wolves.

The target near him was exactly what he needed. Its signature was about as weak as a rank one could possibly get. Time to act.

Trees and bushes crowded close to him. Unless the beast happened to be in the middle of a clearing when he found it, he’d likely end up being quite close to it before laying eyes on it, so his bow was unlikely to be the best weapon for the task. He pulled his System-bought spear from his spatial ring.

After ensuring that his own qi signature was completely concealed, Benton circled around the location where he’d sensed the rank one spirit beast’s qi so that he could approach it from upwind. Using Su’s memories of moving stealthily, Benton crept forward without making a sound.

His heart thudded hard against his chest.

He stopped for a moment to calm himself. By approaching through dense foliage, it was unlikely that the beast would see him before he got close enough to it to strike fast, and his other countermeasures had eliminated the creature sensing him by qi, smell, or sound.

According to Su’s memories, Benton was powerful enough to take on even a peak rank one beast straight on. Considering that he was doing his utmost to give himself the advantage of surprise, the battle should be easy-peasy.

No matter how much he tried to assure himself of his supremacy, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of trepidation. Fighting animals with just a pointy stick was no joke. Fighting superpowered animals with just a pointy stick seemed like a monumentally bad idea.

Benton had superpowers, too, though. He remembered the speed and accuracy of each of his strikes against the two men he’d killed. His spear penetrated bone like a hot knife through butter.

He was powerful and competent. He could do it. He had to do it.

Quickly and silently, he advanced. Per his senses, the beast was close. Ten yards. He advanced further. Five.

Benton heard leaves rustle on the other side of a tree. He peeked his head around.

There on the ground was … a squirrel. A rank one spirit beast squirrel but still a squirrel.

Before he even had a chance to think about it, he charged full speed around the tree. The squirrel barely had a chance to see him before he was upon it.

His spear darted forward. The squirrel tried to dodge. It failed.

And just like that, the great hunt was complete.

Benton burst out laughing. “I am the mighty killer of squirrels. Fear me!”

Between his enhanced spiritual senses and Su’s memories, finding the beast's core was trivial, and he deftly cut into the tiny body and removed the pea-sized sphere.

“One down. It would be nice if I could give each of the kids their own, though. And maybe one for myself just in case.”

He hadn’t been gone for long. Surely, the kids were okay. They could wait long enough for him to continue his hunt.