While Gungun was in seclusion in the Heavenly Emperor Palace, forcing out the Demonic Qi, elsewhere, at the Responsive Immortal Lord of Following the World's residence...
That was close. I almost fell for the Ancestral Bear's treacherous scheme. He proposed gathering the fortune of the Ten Thousand Clans at court, but it was actually to lure out the Devil Ancestor's incarnation. If I'd rushed to act earlier and approached the clan chiefs about joining forces to resist him, someone would probably have informed on me by now, and he'd have used the Investiture of the Gods List to destroy me, wouldn't he? Haotian paced through his residence with his hands behind his back, thinking as he walked.
"Zhang Bairen!" Suddenly, a thunderous shout came from behind him.
"What is it?" Haotian answered instinctively. As soon as the words left his mouth, he jolted in alarm and turned toward the rapidly opening spatial passage behind him, his pupils contracting. What... was inside that thing?
Whoosh! As he was wondering, a deathly white hand reached out of the passage. With a few bangs, it knocked aside Haotian's counterattacks and seized him by the throat.
"You lost your physical body, and your primordial spirit was put on the Investiture of the Gods List. You're furious, unwilling to accept it, aren't you? In that case, why not join my Demon Teaching? In the future, I will give you a chance to ascend once more to the position of Jade Emperor!" A voice full of temptation came from the passage.
Haotian grabbed the hand around his throat and struggled desperately, gritting his teeth. "You're... the Devil Ancestor!"
"Correct. Come with me!"
Whoosh! With that, the hand dragged Haotian into the passage. The passage then closed, leaving only the now-empty Immortal Lord's Residence behind.
Inside