Chu Qiguang looked over the water-powered spinning machine and loom he had drawn, and he knew he would need experts in the trade to turn them into reality.

The problem was that in this world, the accumulation of knowledge increased one's chances of demonification. As a result, technological and cultural developments here were far slower than on Earth, and there were far fewer researchers in every field.

I have to find some people with extensive experience working in the textile industry if I want to pull this off.

Chu Qiguang decided that he would use the Wu Clan's connections to search for some skilled artisans the next day. After that, he turned his mind to another matter.

Once trade relations are established with the northern fiends, there'll be a massive spike in demand for cotton and silk. Textiles are just about the easiest thing to expand in terms of production scale, so this is a golden opportunity! However, as cotton prices soar, more and more farmers will start growing cotton, and that'll lead to a grain shortage. As a result, grain prices will rise. Once large amounts of silver begin flowing into the market from the northern fiends, the value of silver will depreciate, causing inflation...

After considering all the economic impacts that establishing trade relations would have on the Great Han Empire, Chu Qiguang quickly settled on a plan.

It's all for the sake of money! I need to earn more money if I want to grow stronger!

With that in mind, Chu Qiguang opened the Sumeru King Scripture.

The first dozen or so pages of the scripture contained only a series of diagrams, depicting a bald man in many different poses. The diagrams were crude and rough around the edges, yet the poses displayed by the man were very profound and mysterious.

As Chu Qiguang's gaze moved over the diagrams, an indescribable feeling began to well up in his heart. It was a strange form of reverence.

The more he looked at the diagrams, the more entranced he became. He felt as if he could see countless holy flames igniting all over the man's body. The man roared in excitement and agony within the flames, and it was all simultaneously holy yet profane, savage yet sophisticated.

Chu Qiguang felt as if he were bathing in those same holy flames. His qi and blood began to circulate uncontrollably, and his chest and abdomen started to heat up.

At the same time, a deep understanding began to dawn on him. It was purely a strange and mysterious sensation of enlightenment, one that didn't contain any words or anything articulable...

Chu Qiguang's mind was tried to make sense of this sensation through words.

All animals have their own physical advantages, and the advantage of the human body is endurance. The human body may not be as fast or strong as many of its other animal counterparts, but its ability to dissipate heat is almost unmatched. The Sumeru King Scripture uses this quality to raise the temperature of one's qi and blood, then enhances the brain through finger movements to increase the speed of circulation...

As Chu Qiguang stared blankly at the diagrams in the Sumeru King Scripture, his body temperature began to rise, and his fingers started flailing wildly around without his awareness.

Just as his body temperature reached a dangerous threshold, Qiao Zhi slapped his paw down and closed the Sumeru King Scripture. Only then did the strange changes in Chu Qiguang's body gradually subside.

However, his mind was still filled with an inexplicable curiosity. It was as if the scripture were gently scratching at his chest, urging him to reopen it and continue his observation.

Qiao Zhi had once told him that the secrets contained in the orthodox arts were too profound to be conveyed through words, so it was impossible to cultivate any of the orthodox arts without the corresponding scripture.

"The twenty-five orthodox arts represent supernatural power," Qiao Zhi explained. "Each time you observe one, there is an element of risk and danger. At your current cultivation base, that was your limit. Only when you've reached the fifth state will you be able to truly cultivate the Sumeru King Scripture. I've heard stories of people becoming so absorbed by the Sumeru King Scripture that they burst into flames and burned to death, yet even then, they still couldn't bear to look away.

"These supernatural powers always carry an otherworldly allure that can lead to your destruction if you're not careful. Cultivation to reach the Dao Comprehension state is a process of constantly fighting against your innermost desires, so you must always be on guard."

A wary look appeared on Chu Qiguang's face after he heard Qiao Zhi's warning. There was a man sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed on the cover of the Sumeru King Scripture, but when Chu Qiguang glanced down at him, the man seemed to open his eyes and look right back at him.

Chu Qiguang's eyes widened in alarm, and he immediately examined the man more closely, only to discover that his eyes had been closed the entire time. Feeling rather unsettled, Chu Qiguang averted his gaze from the Sumeru King Scripture.

The Sumeru King Scripture was beyond Chu Qiguang's understanding. It was something truly supernatural and otherworldly. After that ordeal, his entire body was drenched in sweat, and he felt as if he had been roasted over a flame from the inside out.

"Cultivating the Sumeru King Scripture is very risky, but it'll also bring immense benefits," Qiao Zhi said. "If you read the Sumeru King Scripture every day, your heat tolerance will steadily improve, allowing you to endure hotter and hotter qi and blood. The upper limit of the power of your qi and blood will also continue to rise, giving you an advantage over other martial artists with the same cultivation base. Your body will gradually change until it takes on supernatural qualities.

"Of course, you'll have to reach the fifth state first before you can complete your physical evolution through cultivation of the Sumeru King Scripture. Only then will you reach the Dao Comprehension state. For now, cultivating the Sumeru King Scripture will be another way for you to enhance your physical constitution."

"I need more money and pills," Chu Qiguang sighed. "Each Qi Enhancement Pill costs eighty taels of silver, and I'm going to need dozens of them in order to quickly reach the fourth state. That's already several thousand taels of silver down the drain, and I only received ten thousand taels of silver from Wu Wei. I have to invest the remaining money somehow to give me sustainable, long-term profits. Right now, I have no consistent source of income, and that has to change."