Chapter 2004 — Li Jinxi’s True Feelings

"Come at me whenever you’re ready." Li Jinxi said as she unleashed her full cultivation and as much Immortal Qi as she could muster without going out of control.

However, despite her seemingly confident expression, Li Jinxi already knew that she wouldn’t be able to defeat Yuan, who could fight on par with God Ascension cultivators.

In response, Yuan retrieved Number One Under Heaven and activated God of War’s Astral Arts from the get-go.

"Here I come," Yuan warned her before speeding toward her.

Li Jinxi raised her sword high and swung with all her might, unleashing a powerful technique that made the very air around them tremble with its force.

Yet with a single, effortless motion, Yuan swung his sword, shattering her technique completely, as though it were no more than a breeze before a storm.

Li Jinxi gritted her teeth and unleashed one technique after another in rapid succession, each strike fueled by relentless determination.

But Yuan didn’t even bother to defend. He continued to approach her, allowing every attack to land directly on his body, unflinching, as if her efforts couldn’t even reach him.

"Damn it!"

Li Jinxi roared as she unleashed her strongest technique.

[Golden Empress’ Absolute Decree!]

Suddenly, a golden energy surged around the Golden Empress in Li Jinxi’s grasp, radiating a powerful pressure that rippled through the air.

Had she unleashed this technique during her spar with the sect elder the day before, there was no doubt she would have claimed victory with ease.

However, Li Jinxi didn’t stop there and infused the energy with Immortal Qi and Enhanced Sword Aura.

Seeing this, Yuan tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to meet her strike head-on.

In the next moment, Yuan swung his sword, channeling Immortal Qi through the blade and layering it with Enhanced Sword Aura.

A split second later, their swords collided, unleashing a shockwave so powerful it sent ripples through the air and carved fractures into the very fabric of space around them.

Li Jinxi had expected to hold her ground for at least a few seconds, but the instant their swords collided, the overwhelming force behind Yuan’s strike shattered her balance. Before she could react, her body was hurled through the air, utterly powerless to resist.

Li Jinxi coughed up a mouthful of blood, her body trembling as she struggled to rise to her feet.

’So I couldn’t even withstand a single strike from him, huh?’

Li Jinxi let out a quiet breath and stopped trying to stand. Instead, she remained on the ground, her gaze drifting upward as she stared into the endless white space, her expression dazed.

Seeing this, Yuan withdrew his sword and approached her.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

"No, I’m not," she replied without hesitation. "No matter how hard I try, no matter how much effort I put in... I still can’t seem to catch up to you."

"Why are you so hung up on catching up? It’s not like I will leave you behind or anything," Yuan said. "In fact, you’re soaring when compared to the others."

She glared at him and said, "How else am I supposed to get you to accept me?"

"What?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, puzzled by her words.

"If it isn’t obvious by now, I have regained my memories as Jin Xi," she said. "And with them came everything she carried, such as her experiences... and her feelings for you."

"I’m well aware of that... but those memories belong to your previous life."

"So what?" she snapped, her voice trembling with frustration. "Are you saying I should just cast aside everything I felt and experienced back then? Even if that life ended and we’ve been reborn, we’re still the same soul—still the same people."

She took a breath, her eyes locked onto his.

"What about Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang? You accepted them in this life. So why can’t you accept me?"

Yuan let out a quiet sigh and said, "While it’s true that my feelings for them have strengthened after regaining my memories, I’ve known and loved them long before my memories returned. Their feelings for me... they were already there, even before they began recalling anything from their past lives."

He paused for a moment, his gaze steady as he continued.

"But you..."

He stopped there—not because he didn’t want to continue, but because he couldn’t. Yuan didn’t know Li Jinxi’s feelings well enough to say more.

When they had first met, she had seemed like nothing more than a battle fanatic. Their relationship had never felt like anything deeper than companionship, similar to how he viewed the other members of the Demon Sealing Faction, though perhaps... just slightly more.

If Li Jinxi’s feelings for him had only awakened after regaining Jin Xi’s memories, then to Yuan, it felt less like love born naturally, and more like something inherited, even forced, and he wasn’t sure how to respond to it.

Li Jinxi quickly understood what he was trying to say.

"So you think I only feel this way because of my past life?" she asked, her voice tight with emotion.

She clenched her fists before shouting, "That’s not true! I’ve had these feelings for you long before my memories as Jin Xi returned! I just... I’ve never been good with words—or expressing my feelings."

Her voice softened, and her face flushed with redness as she continued.

"Yes, Jin Xi’s memories helped me understand my emotions better, and they strengthened what I already felt—but don’t think for a second that I didn’t already love you before then..."

Li Jinxi’s mind drifted back to their first encounter on the stage at the Jaded Garden.

At the time, she hadn’t recognized it for what it was, but she eventually realized that she had started falling for him in he middle of that very battle, and that feeling would only continue to grow as they continued to spar and spend more time with each other.

Unfortunately, fighting was the only thing she excelled at. To others, it may have seemed like she viewed Yuan as nothing more than a rival, someone to challenge and chase. But in truth, it had always been more than that, and she just never knew how to show it.