I Can Only Cultivate In A Game-Chapter 80: Falling In

Victor muttered. "Which means the pond will appear here soon."

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Qin Lan finally let out a low chuckle while shaking his head. "Heh… and now the real fun begins."

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The days in the Devil Forest were long, filled with trepidation as Victor, Lady Li Yang, and their group waited near the artifact's final location.

Lady Li Yang's pacing eyes occasionally flickered toward the artefact compass, which had remained inactive ever since they arrived.

"The pond hasn't manifested yet…" she muttered with arms folded beneath her flowing red robes.

Victor's hand rested on the hilt of the sword he had received from the poison cultivator as he sat nearby.

His eyes kept drifting toward the foggy surroundings.

His Qi-enhanced senses suddenly sensed something off.

From the mist, silhouettes emerged.

A lone figure dressed in deep blue robes with silver embroidery and a sword hanging loosely at his side was at the forefront.

They had arrived together but they didn't seem to be together.

He looked to be in his mid-twenties, tall, with sharp cheekbones and a deep gaze. His expression was neutral, yet there was a hint of tension beneath his calm demeanor.

Behind him, a small group of other cultivators followed, clad in robes that had no clear sect markings.

The moment he stepped into their camp's perimeter, he halted and spoke.

"I assume you all are waiting for the same thing we came here to find," he voiced with a composed tone. "The Pond of Dragon Tears."

Lady Li Yang's expression remained wary. "Who are you?"

The man exhaled slowly before placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"My name is Liu Feng, and I am here… to make sure that my cousin does not get his hands on the pond's water."

Victor's brow furrowed. "Your cousin?"

Liu Feng nodded.

"I don't know how many of you are familiar with him," he continued. "But my cousin Shen Mu is a vile man. If he gains the pond's water, he will use it for something far worse than healing. He's traveling with three women—all deadly cultivators. I do not know their goal, but whatever it is, it cannot be good."

Lady Li Yang exchanged a glance with Victor.

None of the Jade Serpent Sect cultivators bore the name Shen Mu's, so it wasn't familiar to them.

The others also introduced themselves as well and soon they were over eleven waiting for the appearance of the pond and definitely many more still looking for the precise location.

A day and a half passed, and more groups arrived.

Pressure in the area grew, with various cultivators watching each other with suspicion.

Everyone knew that the moment the pond revealed itself, it would become a battle of skill, power, and survival.

Then, when the second day reached its peak, the forest trembled.

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A low vibration swept through the air, and suddenly—

The artifact compass shattered.

Lady Li Yang gasped while stepping back as a powerful surge of energy erupted from the ground beneath them.

The air grew dense, infused with an overwhelming spiritual energy. The twisted trees of the Devil Forest bent backward, as though bowing to the ancient force that was awakening.

The earth rumbled causing cracks to form along the moss-covered stone path that led deeper into the mysterious space.

A deep blue radiance surged upward, illuminating the hidden pond before them.

The Pond of Dragon Tears had finally revealed itself.

And with it—a new arrival.

A loud clap of laughter echoed through the clearing.

Victor turned sharply to see a man standing on a nearby rock formation. His long black hair flowed freely, exuding an arrogant and untouchable presence.

Beside him stood three striking women—each with a deadly aura, all wearing unique robes and wielding weapons suited for combat.

Shen Mu smirked as he glanced at the massive blue pond that now sat in the middle of the clearing.

"How poetic," he mused with his arms spread wide. "After two thousand years, the pond reappears… and I get to claim it."

Liu Feng stepped forward with a cold look. "Shen Mu."

Shen Mu's smirk widened as his gaze shifted toward his cousin. "Ah, dear Liu Feng. I had a feeling you'd be here."

Liu Feng clenched his fists. "I will not allow you to take the pond's water."

Shen Mu chuckled while shaking his head. "You act as though this was ever yours to allow or deny." His gaze flickered toward Lady Li Yang and Victor. "And these must be your new friends."

Victor could already feel the hostility building.

Shen Mu tilted his head and sighed. "Let's get something straight before this turns into unnecessary bloodshed."

He raised a single finger.

"After three people scoop from its waters, the pond will vanish again for another two thousand years."

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire atmosphere changed.

Allies instantly became enemies.

Silence shattered.

Chaos erupted.

Cultivators turned on one another, blades clashing as the desperation to whittle down the numbers took over.

Victor dodged a wild strike from a rogue cultivator and retaliated with a swift wind-infused slash, sending his opponent crashing against a nearby tree.

A cultivator suddenly lunged at Shen Mu's cousin, slashing his sword toward his throat—only for the attack to be parried effortlessly.

Lady Li Yang instantly grabbed Victor's wrist. "We have to move! NOW!"

In mere moments, the entire area transformed into a battlefield.

People were cutting each other down, trying to reduce the number of competitors before any of them could reach the pond's surface.

The ground itself wasn't safe either.

Traps hidden beneath the mossy floor activated, releasing spiritual spears, impaling the unsuspecting.

Victor barely dodged one as it shot up mere inches from his leg, embedding itself into the chest of an unlucky cultivator and destroying his heart instantly.

A bright flash suddenly illuminated the area as a cultivator was hit with a technique that sent him flying into the pond.

He laughed upon crashing into it with a splash and dipped his fingers deeper into the waters to scoop up a bit.

The moment he raised his hands, he noticed a trail of frost spreading up his fingertips as his entire body began to freeze.

He hurriedly tried to get out in sheer terror as his limbs turned rigid while frost rapidly spread across his body.

But it was too late... before he knew it, he couldn't move.

His body froze completely and shattered into thousands of frozen fragments.

A chilling realization dawned on everyone.

Falling into the pond was certain death.

Yet that didn't stop cultivators from pushing forward, desperate to claim the treasure.

Victor was already dealing with three attackers at once when something unexpected happened.

A sharp impact slammed into his back, sending him staggering forward.

One of the Jade Serpent Sect cultivators—the same ones who had pretended to be allies—had just kicked him with full force.

Victor's vision blurred as he stumbled forward—toward the pond.