As soon as Li Jian saw me, he greeted me with a composed smile.
"Lord Consort," he said respectfully, "it's an honor to finally meet you."
I returned the gesture politely.
"The honor is mine. Meeting someone as accomplished as you—an elite imperial knight—feels like a privilege."
He smiled modestly and said,
"Hearing such praise from you, I find myself a little humbled. I was informed that you'd be joining the monster training session alongside the knights."
"Yes," I confirmed. "Just for two days."
He nodded.
"We were just about to begin. We were waiting for your arrival."
"I apologize for being late," I said, giving a small bow.
Li Jian quickly waved it off.
"No, no, sir. Don't apologize. We're just getting things started."
He then glanced at Selene.
"And how is Lady Selene today?"
Before she could respond, I noticed her expression shift slightly. She seemed ready to say something.
"I'll be joining them as well," she said in her calm, composed voice.
I looked at her. I had originally planned to go alone. But after everything that had happened recently—weakening two powerful families and making enemies in the process—I knew it was unwise to go without protection.
If those families decided to strike back, they wouldn't hesitate to use underhanded means.
It was safer to have Selene with me. She wasn't just a maid—she was my personal guard, appointed by the Empress herself.
Li Jian noted her decision with a nod.
"Understood. We'll be dividing into groups of three anyway. Three by three—it helps with coordination and teamwork."
He gestured ahead. "We'll begin now."
Then, turning back to me, he asked respectfully,
"Lord Consort, would you like to go first?"
I gave a slight shake of my head, glancing toward Selene.
"No. I'll go later—with her."
"As you wish, sir." He nodded once and stepped away, heading toward one of the glowing teleportation circles inscribed with ancient, swirling runes. As he approached, the runes began to pulse faintly, as if responding to his presence.
He extended his hand, placing it gently atop a small embedded crest at the edge of the circle. Immediately, a luminous symbol flared to life beneath his palm. It flickered for a heartbeat before stabilizing into a steady glow, casting a silvery sheen over his fingers.
"Training knights," he called out, his voice crisp and authoritative, "step forward."
Three of the knights broke formation, their boots echoing softly across the stone floor as they moved toward the first teleportation circle. Without hesitation, they entered the formation's bounds and stood at attention.
Then, a pillar of radiant white light shot upward from the circle, surrounding the three figures. Their outlines blurred, glowing faintly, until they dissolved completely into the brilliance.
A few heartbeats passed.
They were gone.
"Next," Li Jian said firmly.
Three more trainees stepped forward. This time, Li Jian moved to a second circle and repeated the process. Again, his hand glowed as he channeled his mana through the crest, invoking the power of the spirit.
Another surge of light—another flash—and the next trio vanished into thin air.
It was impressive.
No lag. No instability. The teleportation was perfectly calibrated. The runes weren't just decorative—they were functional, alive with spirit energy. The technique being used here wasn't crude magic or makeshift formations; it was a blend of Spirit Arts and raw, refined power.
He was using his contracted spirit—an Advanced Spirit, no less—to carry out these teleportations in exact, balanced groups. I had only read of such things in fantasy novels. Seeing it firsthand… was something else.
I turned slightly toward Li Xuanshuang and asked in a low voice,
"So, would you like to come with us?"
"It's my pleasure," she said.
"What about your sister?" I asked.
"She's strong enough to handle herself. Even though she's only level 7, she can defeat a level 10 with ease. So there's no need to worry. And the area we're going to only contains E-rank monsters in their rampant stage or below."
She said that with confidence, but I still caught the worried look in her eyes when she mentioned her sister.
"When using Spirit Arts like this—or the power of a contracted spirit—it consumes your mana, doesn't it?" I asked Li Xuanshuang.
She didn't take her eyes off the teleportation circle as she replied, her voice as composed and even as ever.
"Yes, Lord Consort. That's correct. The spirit's power doesn't come freely. We draw from our mana core to activate and sustain their abilities. The stronger the spirit—and the more refined the effect—the heavier the cost."
I nodded thoughtfully.
"Makes sense. Precision always demands something in return."
Beside me, Selene stood in complete silence, her arms folded behind her back. But I could see the way her eyes flicked from one glowing circle to the next, tracking each burst of light, each flicker of runes, each motion from Li Jian's hand.
She wasn't just watching.
She was analyzing.
The faint furrow in her brow, the subtle tilt of her head—she was mapping everything, calculating risks, searching for patterns.
"Is something wrong?" I asked her gently, lowering my voice.
She didn't flinch. Just a slight shake of her head, her gaze still fixed on the light.
"No. Don't worry."
But I knew her well enough to sense the shift in her energy. Her voice was steady, but there was tension in her shoulders—a subtle unease she hadn't quite masked.
Next, it was the turn of Li Xuanshuang's sister. Li Qianying stepped into the teleportation circle alongside two other trainee knights. As before, Li Jian activated the circle. It glowed softly, and a white pillar of light surged upward. In an instant, the three trainee knights vanished in a flash of teleportation.
One group after another entered the circle and disappeared. Eventually, it was our turn. By now, we had reached the sixth round.
Selene, Li Xuanshuang, and I stepped into the teleportation circle together.
Li Jian smiled at us. His lips curved into a faint grin, and his slightly exposed fangs made him look eerily vampiric. The glint in his eyes was calm—too calm.
"Good journey, Lord Consort," he said with an unsettlingly polite tone.
As the teleportation circle began to glow and the white pillar of light rose around us, I suddenly felt Selene's hand clamp tightly around my arm. Her grip was firm, almost desperate.
"Lord Consort, I'll protect you," she said quickly.
The next moment, she tried to pull me back—away from the circle—as if trying to get me out of there before it activated fully.
But it was too late.
The light engulfed us, and we were teleported.
My vision blurred, as if the world had twisted and turned upside down. A rushing sensation filled my body—then stillness.
When I opened my eyes again, everything had changed.
Massive trees surrounded me, stretching high into the sky. Their dense branches intertwined above, allowing only slivers of blue to peek through. The air was thick with the scent of wild earth and damp moss. Shadows clung to the forest floor, shifting with the sway of leaves far above.
The trunks of the trees were enormous—some so thick they could hide an entire carriage behind them.
I turned, searching.
But Selene was gone.
Only Li Xuanshuang stood beside me.
"Selene?" I called out, my voice cutting through the quiet forest. It echoed faintly, swallowed by the vastness of the woods.
There was no answer.
"Selene!" I shouted again, louder this time.
Still nothing.
Li Xuanshuang turned to me with a calm expression, but I noticed the faint tension in her posture.
"Don't shout," she said in a low voice. "If a monster hears you, it might come for us."
I frowned, my gaze darting through the trees. "Where is Selene?"
"I don't know," Xuanshuang replied, her voice steady. "She entered the circle with us, but after the teleportation… only the two of us arrived here."
Despite her composed tone, I could see unease flicker in her eyes.
Then it struck me.
Selene's strange behavior just before we were teleported—her sudden panic, the way she grabbed my arm, her whispered words:
'Lord Consort, I'll protect you.'
And then there was Li Jian's unsettling smile… "Good journey."
Had Selene sensed something?
Was there a malfunction in the teleportation?
Or... was this intentional?
Was someone targeting me?
I clenched my fists, a slow tension building in my chest.
Something was very wrong.
And I needed to find Selene—fast.