Disciple, Don't Get Cocky

In his previous life, he killed the one he loved for the sake of all living beings.

In this life, he returns to the very beginning and vows to bring his beloved back.

That person wants the Five Divine Artifacts, so he will stay by his side and stop him from getting them.

But at the start, he is punished and sent down to the mortal realm to undergo trials for secretly bringing the Demon Venerable into the sect.

He becomes the ruler of a kingdom. Just then, a general with command of the army returns from battle, and a struggle of open and covert schemes begins. Yet fate plays its cruel hand: his one act of willfulness becomes a debt he can never repay in this lifetime.

When his punishment ends, he follows the path to the demon realm. There, he goes through a process of redemption.

Once again, he doggedly stays by the Demon Venerable's side. But for the sake of peace in the kingdom, his junior leaves him with these words: "Senior Brother, this is what you taught me."

The divine realm

As he fights over the Mirror of Rebirth, he is drawn into an illusion by the divine artifact.

The Demon Venerable becomes a fox demon with little spiritual power. When a Taoist priest injures him, he meets the man who is the supreme ruler of the land.

In the end, a red robe brings the illusion to a close. It holds the love he had hidden in his heart for him, just as it did in the mortal realm.

This time...

I'll be the one to protect you.

But in the end, even though the person before him is no longer that man, he still walks toward...

That person has never once said, "I love you," yet everywhere there are traces of his love.

(A quick note: the earlier plot differs a little from the blurb, but it joins up later. You can skim the beginning, but don't skip it entirely. Don't overthink it as you read.)

Theme: There is always a way out.