The tournament was not overdrawn, though it was sufficiently large in scale. Inasmuch as it was slated to be a fair competition for every disciple of the sect, since theoretically, Dalvin, Ling Long, and Yulia could choose anyone to be their personal attendant, it was obviously curated.
Not only for the purpose of time, but for the purpose of efficiency. Yes, any disciple could be a personal attendant, but that position came with voluminous benefits that couldn't be given to just anyone.
It had to be given to those disciples at all levels who displayed the best talent. Background didn't matter for this as the interests and connections within the sect were already extremely complicated and varied, but still transient before the ancestress and the young ancestors' statuses.
