In truth, during his time alone on Voidyear Mountain, Ning Ke had become much calmer.
He still blamed himself, but he no longer took the Demon's crimes upon himself.
Through the various clues and Xiao Yuan's guidance, he had worked out that the Small World had been formed from a novel.
But above the Small World were three thousand greater worlds, as well as the Divine Realm, all of which truly existed.
That meant the Sun God was the root of every calamity.
For the sake of a divine godhead, he had thrown this continent into chaos.
He had released demon poison and slaughtered the entire Snow Dragon Clan.
This Small World's Heaven's Way merely maintained the world's existence, and ranked below a god.
Thus, he had not known that the Sun God was hiding behind the Demon.
And at the time, Ning Ke himself had believed the Demon had arisen because of him.
He had sunk into guilt, unable to pull himself free.
Only after shedding the burden of the Demon did he realize that his true grief lay in what Lou Yunxiao had suffered, and in the blood staining his own hands.
Because, while carrying out his missions, he had unwittingly developed feelings for Lou Yunxiao.
That had left him aching for Lou Yunxiao from beginning to end.
He ached for the misery this world and its plot had inflicted on Lou Yunxiao.
He ached for Aunt Bai and Lou Yunxiao ten thousand years ago.
They had pursued the Dao all their lives, only to meet tragic ends.
He ached for Jiu Yuan, who had painstakingly tried to save them, only for the Demon to exploit an opening in the end, leaving Aunt Bai and Lou Yunxiao to suffer just as miserably even after reincarnating.
He grieved that