The next morning, it was clear that it was time to depart. Tang Yin and Xiao Wu hugged each other, tears welling up in Wu's eyes as she choked out a goodbye.

Yin promised her to inform her about everything that went on before she and Jiang ended up in the sky together.

They ended up flying when Yin felt her breath choking. The energy that tore through her body with vicious energy as she tumbled from the sky like a rock, her wings handing limp at her sides.

Her sight was blurry as Jiang caught her in her downward spiral before landing hard on the ground, ripping trees with him. As he ended up growling and hissing as Yin's body convulsed. Her blue eyes were pupilless as she tore them open. The silvery moon on her temple shines bright like a beacon.

Like a warning. A warning that she was taking too much time. Too much liberty from the Moon God.

Then she was lying calmly in his claws as she panted, her body sweaty. "I thought I had a bit of time remaining. The limit was five years for my fourth exam." She panted, and Jiang, next to her, turned to his human form.

"So did I. We might have to postpone your meet-up with Tang San."

"But I don't want to." She said her voice was breaking. "It's been so long I haven't been able to see him. He is my Brother."

"He will understand," Jiang said, and she almost cried before nodding. "Your life is more important."

"He will. But I don't want to." She repeated again. " I want to see my brother."

"I know," Jiang said, and Yin curled up.

"Why do I need to kill someone for these exams?"

She wrenched out, and Jiang leaned down as Yin sobbed. Her fourth Sea God exam.

She had conquered the white devil sharks in the deep sea, endured 666 waves crushing against her body with vicious force and stood tall.

Told everyone to fuck off. She had survived it when everyone thought she was too weak, when she had been feverish with a cold and pressed through it on determination alone.

The fourth exam, though, was nothing she carried any desire for. The fourth sea and moon god exam was as simple as it was cruel to her.

Kill a Titled Douluo. A spirit master beyond level 90.

She took a deep breath before rolling over and getting back on her feet. She shook out her wings as she spread them.

While her wings were spirit bones, they had become a part of her body more than anything. She used them so often and frequently that they had become a part of her daily routine, the freedom of the sky a privilege and a freedom she enjoyed with all her heart. She occasionally wore them outward, even though it was unnecessary, from pure habit.

"I fly you," Jiang said. "To the Moon Pavilion. We meet up with your brother. But then we do need to handle the sea god exam."

"You mean he might know someone I will not have nightmares over if I kill them?" She said her voice chocking. "I don't want that. I told you before Jiang, I never wanted this inheritance. I'd rather gie it up then kill for power alone." And he shrugged before picking her up in a bridal carry, pressing her body close to him as she folded her wings and had them vanish.

"You don't kill for power, you do it to survive, the same way as a spirit beast hunts another for food."

Then they rose vertically into the sky. He rode the wind as he flew high into the sky, touching the clouds before he headed towards the city at full throttle until they were a streak of colour into the sky.

Yin clothed close to him. Curling together, she leaned against his loose shirt and sighed, closing her eyes as she felt a tremor run through her body.

"I'd be hunting a spirit master, to kill them, to pass a test." She muttered. "Not to eat and survive...not even for...revenge."

The sky shot past them, and the forest vanished as they ended up high above fields belonging to farmers. Never had Jinag been so fast in the sky.

He clutched her closer. "Jiang." She said, looking at him as she noted the anger rolling off him in waves.

"I can't help it, Yin. You will die if you don't do it. God's know no mercy." He said. "I will never come to terms with you being their plaything. We have five years for that kill; there was no reason to remind you like this of it."

"Maybe not, but..." She sighed. "It was expected that it would happen. I mean, I did allow myself a break more than I maybe should have."

"Still." He growled. "I don't like it."

"I adore you, too, Jiang." She said and leaned upwards to kiss his cheek. He glanced down at her. His eyes were a liquid storm as he bent down, his temple touching hers, and he closed.

"I love you, Yin." He said his voice choked. "I won't risk losing you."

"I have utterly no intention of dying." She said, and then unleashed her wings. "I will find a way to defy it. I would rather die as myself then a shadow of myself. Fuck Destiny and Fate and whatever someone wishes to force upon me. I will not kill for power. I might do it to protect someone, you, San or the others at Shreck, I will do it to keep my promise to millenium but for no other reason I will even consider it."

Jiang let her go, and she soared into the air, hovering in front of his face, face to face, and kissed him. He was stunned and then huffed as he did a risque manoeuvre circling around her. As she shoved down her worry and the bad feeling that came with the thought of murder when going after him, she tried to find the joy in the distraction.

As useless as it may ultimately prove to be if she wasn't able to defy fate again.