When Shaoyan Qianyu had sent igniting an intermediate ranked Qi flame as a qualifying factor as the first prize, she had only done so out of formality. This formality stemmed from an old rule where they were supposed to put an exceptional condition for passing a test like this.
So for this test of Qi flame control, Shaoyan Qianyu had chosen to put an intermediate ranked Qi flame, which basically only the peak masters could use. Even the elders of the sect were unable to do the same.
Thus virtually, there was no chance that a disciple would be able to do the same. Unless… there was a wild exception like the one that had just happened.
Shaoyan Qianyu stood up from her seat in her residence and left behind everything before flying to the location of the test. There she saw that the tests were nearly done and barely anyone was left now.
"Where is he? The results have not appeared on the main notice board yet, which means he has not left the site yet." Shaoyan Qianyu muttered to herself.
But she was also feeling a bit confused about all this. There was a hint of doubt within her heart whether it truly was a disciple or if the formation had malfunctioned. While she would be happy if it truly was a disciple, she knew it was quite unlikely.
Someone like that would be immensely talented and would have already been discovered. The sect patriarch himself would come forward to take that person in as a disciple if it ever so happened.
Quickly combing through the testing sites, she found the one which had sent out the alert.
"There he is!" Shaoyan Qianyu said before flying down.
The rest of the disciples finally noticed her when she descended. Before this, she was far too high for them to see. But now they were all in awe and were wondering why the peak master had come down from her abode.
But before anyone could say anything, they saw the peak master rushing to one of the testing sites. A young man had just walked out of the building and slight fatigue could be observed on his face.
"Halt!" Shaoyan Qianyu commanded.
Lin Mu who had just left the building, looked up at the woman who had just appeared. Upon seeing her he instantly realized what must have happened.
'Time to do as I planned.' Lin Mu thought to himself and took a deep breath.
"THIS UNWORTHY DISCIPLE GREETS THE PEAK MASTER!" Lin Mu greeted with the utmost respect.
Shaoyan Qianyu who had prepared her own string of questions, was stunned by this and almost forgot them.
"State your name, disciple," Shaoyan Qianyu asked.
"Peak master, before I do this would you listen to my request. I assure you it is not overbearing and I mean you no disrespect." Lin Mu hurriedly uttered.
A lot of eyes were currently trained on him, and he was trying his best to pretend to be confident. Upon hearing his words, Shaoyan Qianyu furrowed her brows but then nodded her head.
"Go ahead, ask." She stated.
"I only wish that we speak in private, peak master." Lin Mu replied.
Shaoyan Qianyu had thought of many things that she had expected him to ask, but this was not one of them. Thinking it to be quite reasonable and conducive to her own goals, she decided to agree.
"Alright, come on." Shaoyan Qianyu said before waving her hand.
~Huala~
A few formation runes appeared around Lin Mu and formed a platform below him. It then lifted him into the sky and followed behind Shaoyan Qianyu, who had taken the lead. Lin Mu probed the platform and could tell that it was part of the overall formation array of the herb peak.
It looked simple on its own, but when integrated with the entire array was complex. Its function was similar to that of a spirit tool, to allow a cultivator to fly. Though in this case, it was a temporary construct and would disappear in a bit.
The peak master took Lin Mu to the palace at the very top of the peak. Lin Mu had been here before of course, but still showed a look of interest, just to keep up appearances. Shaoyan Qianyu took a few gazes at him and was satisfied by his reaction.
This was one of her methods to coax Lin Mu into becoming part of the herb peak. It wasn't much, but she reckoned it was worth the effort even if she was unsure of his talent. The two of them landed in the garden of the palace where hundreds of spirit flowers were blooming.
"Sit." Shaoyan Qianyu directed towards a stone table that had stone chairs kept around it.
Lin Mu cupped his hands in ceremony before taking a seat, and Shaoyan did the same.
"Now tell me, why did you ask to speak in private?" Shaoyan Qianyu questioned.
"Forgive me for this insolence peak master, but I did this to keep my identity hidden." Lin Mu said.
"Oh? And why would you want to do something like this? Other disciples would prefer that their name spread across the sect so that they could get recognition." Shaoyan Qianyu asked.
"It is because I have sworn to not let myself be known until my goal has been fulfilled." Lin Mu stated.
"And what goal is this?" Shaoyan Qianyu asked again.
"To kill the killer of my family!" Lin Mu revealed.
Shaoyan Qianyu's face turned serious upon hearing this, and her gaze tensed.
"And this person you want revenge on… they're another disciple?" Shaoyan Qianyu questioned with apprehension.
"Yes, peak master. I cannot afford to let my name be revealed to them and I have already tried to keep a low presence in the sect all these years. I've been cultivating hard so that I can fulfill my goal and pay back the humiliation my family suffered." Lin Mu spoke with determination.
Shaoyan Qianyu could feel the power in his words and realized that there was probably a lot more to this than he let on.