03: The Changing Sky Organization

At that moment, the surface of the lake began to churn.

Qin Xiaofan’s head emerged from the water.

Along with him came a great swath of bright red blood, but it wasn’t his own—it belonged to a strange creature coiled around his body.

The thing resembled a giant python.

Two long whiskers sprouted from its head, and a butcher’s knife was lodged in its skull, making for a gruesome sight.

Only when Qin Xiaofan dragged the thing ashore did Xiaoyan realize what it was—a giant eel!

A mutated eel...

“This thing should be edible.”

Qin Xiaofan pulled the butcher’s knife from the eel’s head.

He grinned, jokingly, “First a giant worm, now a giant eel. We’d better hide this—no way we can let the streamer girl see it.”

Xiaoyan had no idea what Qin Xiaofan was rambling about.

“Wait for me just a little longer,” Qin Xiaofan said to Xiaoyan. Then, under Xiaoyan’s incredulous gaze, he plunged back into the lake.

“One of those would be more than enough to eat...” Xiaoyan muttered, but bit his tongue before finishing.

After a short wait, Qin Xiaofan’s head reappeared at the surface.

But this time, he wasn’t dragging out another monstrous eel.

Instead...

It was a human-shaped statue.

Qin Xiaofan hauled the statue onto the bank and set it upright.

It depicted a young man.

Xiaoyan noticed a single line etched on the back of the statue’s head and immediately beamed with delight. “He’s a human from the Era of Abilities! Did you spend so long underwater because you found this statue?”

Qin Xiaofan nodded.

But that wasn’t the whole story.

With the power of the Floating Light now within him, Qin Xiaofan could feel his body growing steadily stronger.

He had stayed underwater so long just to test his own limits.

A full half hour...

The result shocked even Qin Xiaofan.

He’d once struggled to hold his breath for three minutes, but now his physical endurance had increased tenfold—and was still climbing.

Xiaoyan asked, “Shall we try to revive this statue now?”

He was itching to see if Qin Xiaofan’s blood could really bring statues back to life.

Qin Xiaofan hesitated. “I’m not sure if it’s only my blood that can revive statues. Why not try yours first?”

Xiaoyan was taken aback, but then nodded.

With the butcher’s knife, he nicked his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the statue.

They waited.

Nothing happened.

Xiaoyan’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.

Qin Xiaofan used his Titanium Eye to examine the statue, but gained no information.

It seemed the Titanium Eye could only appraise the living.

After pondering for a moment, Qin Xiaofan sliced his own finger with the knife and let his blood drip onto the statue before him.

A dazzling burst of white light flared!

Xiaoyan, beside him, squinted as if the brilliance would blind him, incredulity written all over his face.

Gradually, the white light faded.

A stunned young man stood before them.

His hair was cropped short and dyed yellow.

He wore a blue denim outfit—tattered and torn in places—a clear sign of a trendy youth.

Xiaoyan was utterly astonished.

Qin Xiaofan’s blood really could revive humans!

Witnessing it firsthand, every last shred of doubt vanished from his mind, and he now looked at Qin Xiaofan with awe.

“Ding: Ten points acquired.”

The system prompt echoed in Qin Xiaofan’s mind.

At the same time, the Titanium Eye revealed the revived youth’s details: Name, Huang Ming; Gender, Male; Ability Rank, C-level; Danger Rating, Moderate.

Qin Xiaofan regarded the dazed yellow-haired youth and asked, “What’s your name?”

The youth stood in a stupor for a long moment before replying,

“My name is Xuming. I’m a D-level ability user.”

“What’s going on here?” he said, “I remember being petrified. Was it you who revived me?”

Xiaoyan, eager and excited, was about to speak but a sharp look from Qin Xiaofan silenced him. Xiaoyan glanced at Qin Xiaofan and saw his brows were tightly knit.

Asymmetrical information...

Was it the Titanium Eye that made a mistake, or was this youth lying?

Qin Xiaofan fixed the youth with a keen gaze. “Do you remember what happened before you were petrified?”

Xuming thought for a moment. “I remember walking down the street when my body suddenly began turning to stone. Some others on the road experienced it too, and then I lost consciousness...”

Qin Xiaofan was silent for a while, then spoke.

“We used a special method to revive you. But we only just woke up ourselves, so we don’t really know what’s happened to this world.”

Hearing this, Xiaoyan frowned, but said nothing.

He chose to trust Qin Xiaofan.

“Oh, is that so...”

By now, the yellow-haired youth had shaken off his initial disorientation.

He even gave them a relaxed smile, speaking with a natural, unhurried confidence.

This shift unsettled Xiaoyan.

But Qin Xiaofan remained unperturbed.

He returned the smile. “Is there something else you want to know?”

The youth glanced around.

All around was a fusion of primeval forest and man-made structures—as if a millennium had passed without human hands to tend it.

Everywhere, petrified human statues stood amid the ruins—no sign of life or activity.

“It seems... everyone’s become a statue. And you two possess the means to bring them back...”

His tone grew warmer, the smile on his face inviting trust, as if he could make people lower their guard without even trying.

“Would you tell me how you revive the statues?”

As he spoke, the yellow-haired youth slowly edged closer to Qin Xiaofan.

Qin Xiaofan took Xiaoyan with him and retreated several steps, saying, “Of course, that’s not a problem. But... before that, could you roll up your sleeve for me?”

At those words, the youth halted, his face instantly changing.

His tone stiffened. “What do you mean by that?”

Xiaoyan was at a loss.

Qin Xiaofan’s eyes were sharp as blades.

“From the very first moment you woke, you tugged your left sleeve down—when it was already rolled up.”

“An odd reflex, don’t you think?”

“I’m just curious. What secret are you trying to hide?”

The youth froze.

Then, slowly, he smiled.

Like a wolf whose disguise had been seen through, he revealed his fangs—dangerous and menacing.

“Your powers of observation are truly impressive...”

In that instant, Qin Xiaofan yanked Xiaoyan three or four meters backward.

He sensed danger.

Qin Xiaofan was no fool—he simply didn’t always bother to think things through. But when he did, he often noticed what others missed.

After all, he’d grown up on detective stories.

More importantly, the Titanium Eye had shown the youth’s name as Huang Ming, C-level ability user, yet the youth claimed his name was Xuming, D-level.

Such an obvious lie had instantly put Qin Xiaofan on guard.

Xiaoyan, meanwhile, was dumbfounded.

He had no idea what was going on.

Not far away, the youth spoke, still smiling, “You want to see? Then I’ll show you.”

He slowly rolled up his left sleeve.

On his forearm was a black tattoo.

A dark cloud.

Xiaoyan’s eyes widened in horror. “That’s... a Dark Cloud tattoo! He’s a member of the Skyshifter Organization!”

News reports about the Skyshifter Organization flashed through Xiaoyan’s mind, filling him with dread.

How could they be so unlucky?

They’d revived a member of that organization...

Xiaoyan whispered to Qin Xiaofan, “Maybe we should just run...”

“Thinking of running?” the youth sneered, overwhelming confidence in his voice. “I think we’d better sit down and talk this out. Otherwise—”

“Wait!” Qin Xiaofan raised his hand, cutting him off.

He scratched his head, looking as harmless as a lamb.

“Could you tell me what on earth the Skyshifter Organization is?”