Facing this, Chen Zheng simply waved his hand dismissively; he had no need for such things. He was already protected by his Cultivation Technique, so even the deadliest poison couldn't get near him.

The trio moved quickly over the mountaintop. Chen Zheng paused for a moment, his ears twitched, and then he vanished.

Long Tianyun's face filled with surprise, as if he had seen a deity. Could such speed really belong to a human?

A slight smile touched the corners of Zhao Feng's mouth as he followed closely behind.

"You two... you're too much!" Long Tianyun shouted angrily, trying to catch up but losing them anyway. "Wait for me! Don't run so fast!"

Meanwhile, Chen Zheng had already appeared on a mountain more than ten kilometers away. The area was exceptionally beautiful, like a paradise hidden from the world.

"Do you feel anything unusual here?" Chen Zheng suddenly asked. A figure flickered beside him as Zhao Feng arrived.

Hearing the question, Zhao Feng was stunned for a moment. He then squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, and sniffed it vigorously.

"Is this... cultivation soil?"

Although the scent was faint, Zhao Feng's senses were keen enough to perceive it.

Chen Zheng's eyes flickered. He sensed the aura of the Ji Qing Technique within this soil. He had never imagined he would find a trace of the technique's original master here.

"It looks like... the secret realm is about to appear!" Chen Zheng's brow furrowed slightly as he shared his analysis. "That Earth Demon must have been influenced by him and entered the secret realm!"

He then ran further into the mountains. The two searched the surrounding area for a while but found no other traces. This was the characteristic of a secret realm: one could exhaust all efforts searching and find nothing, yet stumble right into it by wandering aimlessly.

Chen Zheng let out a helpless sigh and decided to give up for the time being.

"Have the men temporarily tighten the encirclement," he commanded after a moment's thought. "A ten-kilometer radius will suffice."

After they returned, the two didn't say a word about their analysis of the secret realm. This was undoubtedly Zhongyuan territory, so it was best not to let the other party know. It was enough that the two of them knew.

In Chen Zheng's estimation, the realm wouldn't open for at least several more days, so there was no need to rush. He still had time to attend his old squad leader's wedding.

Li Dali's home was in the county town not far from the foot of the mountain. The next afternoon, after a phone call, Chen Zheng finally found him. Inside a courtyard house at the edge of town, Chen Zheng finally saw Li Dali again.

"Well, I'll be... After all these years, you look even stronger!"

Li Dali, who appeared to be in his early forties, was shirtless, revealing his dark skin and giving off an honest and simple-hearted vibe. Before Chen Zheng could even enter the courtyard, Li Dali limped out and gave him an enthusiastic hug.

"You rascal, I've really missed you!"

After letting go, he playfully punched Chen Zheng in the chest. Chen Zheng pretended to be hurt, making Li Dali roar with laughter.

"Old Squad Leader, your strength is as incredible as ever! You haven't lost a step!"

"Cut the crap. Still acting with me?" Li Dali snorted. "Back when you were on the team, you were famous for your strength. You think I could actually hurt you?"

"By the way, Old Squad Leader, has the bride arrived yet?"

"Something came up last minute, so I..." Chen Zheng began, suddenly remembering something.

But Li Dali cut him off. "Don't worry about it. There's no need for such formalities between us. Of course, I trust you!"

He waved his hand dismissively, then leaned in with a mysterious expression. "Tell me the truth," he asked in a low voice, "are you here to catch the Earth Demon this time? I heard the troops have already sealed off the entire area!"

"You know about the Earth Demon?" Chen Zheng was surprised, not expecting him to be aware of the situation.

"It's hardly a secret anymore," Li Dali said earnestly. "With this crazy weather in the middle of winter, what else could it be? The old-timers in town say this thing comes out every few decades. Some have even seen it with their own eyes!

"

"It just leaps and disappears. It's insane!" As he spoke, Li Dali mimicked the creature's jump, looking rather comical.

"I'm telling you, in a village in the next town over, all their livestock just died mysteriously. Now no one dares to go outside. I've been locking myself in the house, too scared to even come out!"

Chen Zheng nodded seriously, not bothering to hide the purpose of his mission.

"The commotion this thing is causing is huge. It's the dead of winter, but it feels as hot as the dog days of summer. All the factories have shut down!" Li Dali wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking helpless. "I started a brick factory myself, but in this situation, who knows when I'll be able to open for business."

When two old comrades-in-arms meet, they ought to share a good drink, but with the wedding tomorrow, there were still things to prepare. Friends and relatives were already there helping set things up, so Chen Zheng naturally pitched in. Because of the Earth Demon, everyone's mood was a bit down, so they kept the decorations simple and didn't make a big fuss.

The Wang Rui family had already checked into a hotel in the county and were just waiting for the wedding cars to pick them up. After that, a banquet in the courtyard would conclude the festivities.

"Old Squad Leader, I never got the chance to ask, how did you and your fiancée meet?"

That evening, Li Dali had Chen Zheng stay over. As they drank, Chen Zheng finally took the opportunity to ask the question that had been on his mind.

Hearing the question, Li Dali looked a little embarrassed. "Well... we actually met on... a phone app!"

Chen Zheng was completely taken aback by the answer. He never thought his old squad leader would be into that sort of thing. An online romance on a phone app?

As they continued to talk, Chen Zheng learned something even more astonishing. The two had only met casually a few times and hadn't really developed a deep relationship before they were already discussing marriage.

Isn't that a bit too fast?

"That's just how matters of the heart are. It all comes down to fate," Li Dali said with a sigh. "She's so beautiful... the fact that she's willing to marry me is a blessing in itself."

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