Then I Shall Deepen Your Fear

"Thank you Buddha Son Faxiang."

After bowing to the Buddhist monk with their hands clasped together, everyone sat down.

After the Dharma-image Buddha disciple landed on the high platform, the lotus flower beneath his feet also disappeared. He turned his head and glanced at the seated King Baoxiang.

One of the King and Marquis rose, bowed to the Buddhist disciple, and then landed on the altar. After glancing around, he said, "Lay Buddhist Moluo greets fellow practitioners. This Water and Land Dharma Assembly will be presided over by me..."

After a moment, Dharma King Moluo paused and said, "Let's begin the first item of the ceremony—the purification and boundary setting."

After he finished speaking, dozens of monks took clean water and sprinkled it all over the temple grounds, symbolizing the purification of the space, the severing of worldly ties, and the creation of a quiet space for the entire Dharma assembly.

One hour later, the first item was completed.

"Send envoys to raise banners."

The second item on the agenda of the Dharma assembly continued.

The third item – Inviting the Saint.

Three days later, the Dharma assembly reached its sixth item—the request for a pardon.

During these three days, none of the cultivators present left the site of the Dharma assembly. For these cultivators, three days was merely a blink of an eye.

Dharma King Moluo proclaimed loudly, "Please invite the Buddha Son Faxiang to read the edict of pardon."

After he finished speaking, all the cultivators present shouted, "We respectfully request the Buddha Son Faxiang to read the edict of amnesty."

Amid cheers from the crowd, the Buddhist disciple descended from his seat on the high platform, received the pardon from a monk, and began to read it aloud, absolving all the deceased of their sins.

Several hours later, after the sixth item was completed, the main event of this Dharma assembly was about to begin.

"Next, we invite all the Buddhas to descend from the shrine."

Dharma King Moluo paused for a moment, then continued, "Before inviting the gods, Buddhas, and monks to preach, our Precious Elephant Kingdom has another important matter for which we would like to ask all of you present to bear witness."

Upon hearing this, the guests who came to attend the Dharma assembly immediately perked up.

Even Nie Xiuyuan, who was sitting in the corner, slowly opened his eyes, thinking: It's finally here.

A guest sitting at the front of the Dharma assembly stood up and said, "Amitabha, may I ask what the layperson would like us to witness?"

This was a rhetorical question, but no one present seemed inclined to point it out.

Dharma King Moluo said with a smile, "Next, the new king of my Precious Elephant Kingdom will be crowned in the presence of all the Buddhas in the heavens."

After saying this, he respectfully addressed the Buddhist disciple who had just returned to his seat, saying, "Please, Buddhist disciple, bestow the crown upon me on behalf of the Buddha."

"Can."

After Faxiang rose again and landed on the altar.

Golden Wheel King and his wife, Five Rosy Clouds King, also landed on the altar and stood respectfully behind the Buddha's disciple.

A high-ranking monk from Buddha Hidden Temple handed a scroll of imperial edict to Faxiang, who then slowly opened it and read aloud, "Jin Miao, of the Baoxiang royal family, also known as the Golden Wheel King, is of noble character, humble, and compassionate towards the world..."

"I hereby bestow upon him the title of the Precious Elephant Kingdom. Do any of you have any objections?"

After speaking, Faxiang did not immediately hand the imperial edict to Golden Wheel King, but instead scanned everyone present.

This is the established rule in the Precious Elephant Kingdom for King Conferment; in the Precious Elephant Kingdom, the Buddha is superior to the king.

Of course, the position of any ruler of the Precious Elephant Kingdom is determined by the Buddha Hidden Temple. Most of the time, the Buddha Hidden Temple selects one person from among its direct descendants.

Cases like the Golden Wheel King, where a collateral branch replaces the legitimate heir, are rare.

"We have no objection!"

Upon hearing this sound, Faxiang and Golden Wheel couldn't help but slightly raise the corners of their mouths.

Just as Faxiang was about to hand the imperial edict to Golden Wheel, a very untimely voice rang out.

I object!

hiss...

Upon hearing this, everyone present secretly gasped. Just as they were about to see which reckless individual dared to jump out and cause trouble at this crucial moment...

A terrifying pressure enveloped the entire Dharma assembly site, followed by the appearance of a huge phantom. This terrifying pressure caused many people present to tremble.

Before anyone could react or understand what was going on, the same voice that had just rang out came again.

"Buddha Son Faxiang, the Golden Wheel King conspired with another man's wife and murdered his entire family. How can such a person be considered to have noble character?"

"The Five Rosy Clouds King is already married, yet she seduced her lover and caused the deaths of thousands of her husband's family members. Does such a woman deserve to be the Precious Elephant Kingdom?"

Just two questions were enough to cause an uproar in the audience.

What's going on?

"Is what that horrible guy said true?"

"It's true. I remember hearing my master mention it a hundred years ago."

"..."

Golden Wheel King's face was ashen. As the person involved, he naturally knew about this matter. It could be said that this matter was a great opportunity for him to rise from a collateral branch of the royal family to become the ruler of the Precious Elephant Kingdom.

Even after a century, he was still incredibly grateful for the choice he had made back then.

Otherwise, he would have had to wait another hundred years to even achieve Nirvana, let alone become King Conferment.

However, he did not regret it, even though for decades after his success, people talked behind his back.

But all of this vanished after he crossed the threshold of the Nirvana Realm.

Golden Wheel King originally thought that this matter had long been forgotten by the world, and even if someone knew about it, they would not dare to mention it in front of him.

Now that someone had brought this up on his joyous day, he was naturally furious.

"Who dares to disrupt the Water and Land Dharma Assembly of my Precious Elephant Kingdom!"

"Snort!"

Nie Xiuyuan sneered, "What, you two adulterers don't dare to admit it?"

As he spoke, his aura became even more terrifying, and the original phantom began to solidify, with a giant formed from True Intent standing at the Dharma assembly.

The giant held a sword in his left hand and a wine jug in his right, giving off a sense of freedom and ease.

"True Intent takes form; this is the True Intent Great Perfection!"

"I wonder what kind of terrifying being the Golden Wheel King of the Precious Elephant Kingdom has provoked?"

"..."

The crowd gasped and scattered, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

"Who... who are you?"

When the Golden Wheel King saw the giant formed from the True Intent, his anger vanished instantly. If he hadn't known that the Buddha's disciple was protected by Great Sage, he would have fled long ago and dared not continue to question him.

"You're scared."

The giant paused for a moment, then continued, "Since that's the case, then I'll intensify your fear and show you my true colors."

As soon as he finished speaking, the giant vanished, and a figure slowly appeared, stepping into the air.

"It's you, Nie Xiuyuan!"

"Impossible, you piece of trash, aren't you already dead?"

The moment Golden Wheel King and Five Rosy Clouds King, who was standing beside him, saw the figure clearly, they spoke at the same time.

Although their words were different, the surprise in their tone and the horror in their eyes were exactly the same.

Even the Buddha Son Faxiang standing beside the two showed a look of astonishment in his eyes the moment he saw Nie Xiuyuan.

The previously noisy venue fell completely silent at their exclamations, everyone staring blankly at Nie Xiuyuan in the sky...