A Millionfold Return: My Children Cultivate Immortality, I Become a God - Chapter 406

Chapter 406: Smooth Apprenticeship, New System Function

“Hmm, where am I? How come all my wounds are completely healed?” Zhang Tianhao woke up slowly, but the very first thing he noticed upon awakening was that his injuries were gone—not even a scar remained.

He knew that even the best imperial doctors of the Tianling Dynasty couldn’t heal an arrow wound without leaving any trace.

Just as Zhang Tianhao lifted his head, he found Wu Hao standing before him with a half-smiling, half-serious expression.

“You’re the one who saved me, right? Thank you, benefactor. I wonder if you would accept me as your disciple?”

With just one glance, Zhang Tianhao realized that Wu Hao was definitely the reclusive master he had been seeking—an Immortal. Only an Immortal possessed such profound power, able to heal him so swiftly. After all, Zhang Tianhao could still feel the bloodstains beneath him, warm to the touch.

Seeing Zhang Tianhao immediately offer to become his disciple caught Wu Hao—who had been planning how to convince Zhang Tianhao to apprentice under him—by surprise.

But after regaining his composure, Wu Hao cleared his throat and then said seriously:”My requirements for taking on disciples are very high. There is a trial period—if you cannot reach the Spirit Sea Stage within one month of training, then I will have to expel you from the sect.”

Hearing this, Zhang Tianhao’s expression brightened, but he soon asked with some puzzlement, “Senior, what is the Spirit Sea Stage?”

Wu Hao… nearly forgot that Zhang Tianhao had never been exposed to cultivation before. After a brief pause, he began to explain, “In cultivation, the first realm is the Qi Refining Stage. After Qi Refining comes Foundation Establishment, then Spirit Sea, followed by Golden Core Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, Soul Transformation Stage, Void Refining Stage, Integration Stage, and finally, the Tribulation Crossing Stage.”

After hearing the explanation, Zhang Tianhao’s expression grew serious. Not knowing how long it normally took to reach the Spirit Sea Stage, he hesitated before asking, “Benefactor, how long did it take you to reach the Spirit Sea Stage?”

“Me? About seven days, I’d say.”Hearing this, Wu Hao carefully recalled that it had been less than a thousand years since he began cultivating Immortality himself, so he was still just a centenarian—an immortal who wasn’t very old yet.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tianhao took a deep breath and then knelt down.

“Disciple Zhang Tianhao pays respects to Master!”

“Good. From today onward, you are my Head Disciple!”

With a wave of his large hand, Wu Hao effortlessly lifted Zhang Tianhao off the ground without touching him. This single gesture convinced Zhang Tianhao beyond doubt that Wu Hao was truly an Immortal.

At the same time, Wu Hao was stunned because the System, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly activated again.

[Beep, congratulations, Host, you have unlocked a new task. The System is launching sub-functions: the Billionfold Disciple Feedback Cultivation function is now active.]

[Beep, please seek out individuals with whom you share fate and take them as disciples. For each disciple you accept, you will receive cultivation feedback multiplied by a billion.]

Upon hearing the System’s words, Wu Hao inhaled sharply. A billionfold multiplier—that was extraordinary. Even as a descendant of the Child of Destiny in his clan, the maximum feedback he could get was only a millionfold. By comparison, if his disciples could provide cultivation feedback a billion times over, wouldn’t that make his disciples far stronger than the Children of Destiny?

For a moment, Wu Hao considered taking on many more disciples, but then he remembered the System had instructed him to only accept those with whom he was fated. So, he resigned himself to the limit and let the thought go.”Master, when will we begin cultivating?” Zhang Tianhao looked at Wu Hao eagerly, his tone full of anticipation.

Hearing this, Wu Hao finally came back to his senses. He gazed at Zhang Tianhao and began to use the Law of Time to observe Zhang Tianhao’s future.

What he saw was a multitude of endlessly shifting futures—billions upon billions of possibilities. After all, since Zhang Tianhao was his disciple, Wu Hao himself would exist within Zhang Tianhao’s future. Every action Wu Hao took would change Zhang Tianhao’s future.

Unless Wu Hao separated himself from Zhang Tianhao’s destiny, the future he observed would always be ever-changing.

Still, what caught Wu Hao’s eye the most in Zhang Tianhao’s futures was his strong affinity for the way of the sword. Zhang Tianhao held his sword in hand, and so Wu Hao simply pointed with one finger and pressed it onto Zhang Tianhao’s forehead.

“This is the cultivation technique I have chosen specifically for you. Take it and begin cultivating.”

This technique was the one Wu Hao had crafted to best fit Zhang Tianhao’s situation, and he named it the Nine Cycles Dao Technique.

As the name suggests, it is a method that requires nine cycles of cultivation. After reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment Qi Refinement, one must return to the initial stage and cultivate again up to the peak. Each time yields a transformative, earth-shaking increase in strength.

By the time of the first return to the initial stage, the strength will already surpass that of a normal intermediate Qi Refinement cultivator. By the second cycle, it will exceed the late Qi Refinement stage. The third cycle reaches the Qi Refinement peak again, and by the ninth cycle, the power will surpass that of a typical Foundation Establishment peak cultivator.Reaching the peak of Qi Refining Stage alone would be enough to break through to Foundation Establishment. After breaking through to Foundation Establishment, one must undergo a similar process as in Qi Refining: break through to the peak of Foundation Establishment and then return to the initial stage, repeating this cycle nine times before advancing to the next major realm.

This method was originally intended by Wu Hao for his descendants, the Children of Destiny. After all, every time the Nine Cycles Dao Technique loops from peak back to initial stage, the physical body endures tremendous pain.

Now that he had found a disciple, Wu Hao would entrust this cultivation to him.

The Nine Cycles Dao Technique chosen by Wu Hao required great perseverance to succeed. In Wu Hao’s eyes, Zhang Tianhao was clearly a person of great determination who would definitely succeed.

In fact, Wu Hao had planned to develop a cultivation method beyond the Nine Cycles, such as the Hundred Cycles Dao Technique, but unfortunately, the future Wu Hao saw showed that nine cycles were the limit. Attempting a tenth cycle would cause one’s body to explode and die, something even Wu Hao could not achieve through reincarnation and retraining.

It was as if some mysterious force was preventing it.

Soon, Zhang Tianhao absorbed the Nine Cycles Dao Technique completely, deeply sensing its essence and terrifying power. His expression grew extremely grave.

He understood that this cultivation technique was extremely difficult. To reach the Spirit Sea Stage within just one month meant he would have to endure nine cycles of Qi Refining and nine cycles of Foundation Establishment.

But he believed that Master must have entrusted him with this technique precisely because he believed Zhang Tianhao could accomplish it.

With this in mind, Zhang Tianhao looked seriously at Wu Hao and said,”Master, I will train diligently and won’t let you down.”

“Good, that’s the spirit. Now, go train immediately.”

Wu Hao looked at Zhang Tianhao with a beaming smile and then hurried him off to begin his training, not even allowing him a moment to rest.

But Zhang Tianhao had no complaints or regrets—after all, being able to cultivate immortality was already a rare opportunity; how could he afford to complain?

Meanwhile, the situation inside the Tianling Dynasty at this moment was completely different from what Zhang Tianhao was experiencing.