Mu Yanling shapes wind and water for movement and combat. Travelling with Yanggu and Mowu was one part of her life, but she also sought her own missing mentor, Li Shan. Searching across Shenmeng and other planes had not brought him back.
She chose a different tactic: become visible enough that Li Shan might find her. Yanling entered GP Aspire alone, without a racing team, relying on her elemental magic. Her search had moved onto a public stage rather than reached its conclusion.
GP Aspire is a lower division within the wider Grand Prix festival, not the headline contest for its ten teams. Entering it says neither that Yanling won the Aetherspark nor that her mentor returned. The act that matters here is her change of approach.