Oops, the princess is surrounded by the male protagonists

Chapter 589 Indeed, only the heart-fluttering old lady could tame this reckless old man.

The next day, as the sun rose, the foot of the mountain was already bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.

Martial artists from all over the martial arts alliance gathered here, their voices mingling with the clash of weapons and conversations.

The martial arts tournament thus officially began.

As is customary, the martial arts arena for a small, unremarkable sect like the "Protectors of the People Alliance" founded by Bai Yue was set up in an open area at the foot of the mountain, far away from the exclusive areas of those famous sects, which clearly showed a sense of disdain.

Bai Yue, dressed in a smart and practical outfit, led the group from the Civil Protection Alliance to the designated area.

She immediately felt gazes coming from all directions.

That gaze held a mixture of contempt, jealousy, and curiosity, but above all, undisguised hostility.

Standing next to Bai Yue, Ming Jingxing felt the unfriendly gazes and immediately puffed out his chest as if protecting his own.

"Dazhuang, don't be afraid! Grandpa will go and take care of those guys who dare to glare at you, one by one..."

Before Ming Jingxing could finish speaking, Bai Yue grabbed his arm and whispered a dissuasion.

"Grandpa Ming! Calm down! Please don't make things worse!"

She complained silently in her mind.

"Ninety percent of the hatred I have is probably due to what you did yesterday!"

"No, these little brats, they all look at me like they want to eat me alive, I have to..."

Ming Jingxing wanted to break free from Bai Yue's hand, but the next moment, a gentle voice rang in his ear.

"Brother Ming, this is my first time watching a martial arts tournament. It's really exciting! Could you explain the rules to me?"

"it is good!"

The irritation on Ming Jingxing's face immediately vanished, replaced by a fawning smile. He took Shen Xingmian's hand in return and then began to introduce her to her with exaggerated gestures.

"Phew, as expected, only the heart-fluttering old lady can handle this reckless old man!"

Just as Bai Yue finished complaining, a commotion arose, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Surrounded by a group of distinguished disciples from the three upper sects, Yuwen Cheng slowly ascended the temporarily erected platform.

The opponent's gaze swept over the dark mass of people below, and he channeled his inner strength, his voice clearly echoing throughout the entire martial arts arena at the foot of the mountain.

"Fellow martial artists, please quiet down! I hereby announce that the preliminary rounds of today's martial arts tournament have officially begun!"

The noisy crowd quieted down, and everyone's eyes were focused on Yuwen Cheng on the high platform.

The other person coughed and continued.

"Please look, everyone!"

Yuwen Cheng raised his hand, gesturing for everyone to look down at the ten square arenas built of hard white stones.

"There are ten arenas in total for this competition. The judges for this preliminary selection are all senior disciples from the three upper sects who are not participating in the competition. They will supervise the entire process to ensure fairness and impartiality, and there will be absolutely no favoritism or cheating!"

"As for the method of the competition—"

He paused deliberately, whetting everyone's appetite, before slowly speaking.

"The competition will be a free-for-all with a draw system! Each sect that is called upon in each round must send one representative to participate, with twenty people forming a group!"

"Each group will draw a number, which corresponds to a fighting platform number one through ten. The group will go to the platform number they draw to compete!"

"The winner will advance to the next round! The loser will be eliminated! But the most important thing is that we are here to make friends through martial arts. If you kill your opponent, you will be disqualified!"

Seeing the murderous intent in some people's eyes, Yuwen Cheng immediately shouted a warning.

"Once the final winner is chosen from among you, he/she will compete in the final showdown with the winners from the Upper Three Sects, the Middle Six Sects, and the Lower Nine Gangs! May you all demonstrate your skills and have good fortune in your martial arts!"

As soon as Yuwen Cheng finished speaking, he nodded to the disciple standing beside him, who immediately presented him with a wooden box covered with a red cloth.

Another disciple of Zixiao Temple, holding a thick roster, strode to the front of the stage, cleared his throat, and began to call out the names in order according to the roster.

"Qingshan Sect! Please send a representative to draw lots!"

"Dragon Tiger Gang! Please send a representative to draw lots!"

The sects whose names were called sent out their chosen disciples. One by one, these disciples reached into the wooden box, carefully drew out the tokens, and then quickly walked to the corresponding arena according to the token number.

The atmosphere at the martial arts arena at the foot of the mountain grew increasingly tense as the names of the fighters were announced.

Countless gazes swept over the representatives of each sect, assessing each other's strength and secretly calculating their own chances of winning.

Those sects whose names hadn't been called yet held their breath, waiting nervously, fearing they might draw a powerful opponent.

Just then, the disciple of Zixiao Temple shouted.

"The Democratic Alliance, please send a representative to draw lots!"

Now, countless eyes were once again focused on the direction where the "People's Protection League" was located.

Everyone started rubbing their hands together, clearly waiting to teach this "lucky" pretty boy a lesson in the ring.

"Young master, I will go first in the first round of the preliminary selection!"

Just then, Zhuang Xiaoye, who was standing next to Bai Yue, stepped forward and bowed to her.

"Although my martial arts skills are not top-notch, I can still put up a fight against these people."

Luocha turned slightly to the side, his gaze falling on Zhuang Xiaoye, his voice filled with undisguised concern.

"Xiaoye, be careful. These people are determined to cause trouble for the People's Protection Alliance. They won't hold back when they strike."

Zhuang Xiaoye turned to her with a smile and patted the sword at his waist.

"Don't worry, Shuang'er. Although I have been less active in the martial arts world these past few years, my skills have not diminished in the slightest."

Their eyes met briefly, and Rakshasa nodded, retreating to Bai Yue's side without saying another word.

The audience was somewhat disappointed to see that the Democratic League had sent not the rising star "Bai Dazhuang," but a man who looked to be in his forties with a resolute face.

They wanted to see what this "pretty boy" was capable of, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be an unknown veteran.

Soon, Zhuang Xiaoye drew the number three arena from the wooden box, and the person who drew the same arena as him was a burly man with a face full of scars and who was wielding a knife.

He glanced sideways at Zhuang Xiaoye, noticing the man's simple attire and reserved demeanor, and then sneered, "Heh, if you can't deal with that pretty boy, you old man will do just as well! Let your People's Protection Alliance know that the Martial Arts Tournament isn't child's play, and that you can't just walk around like a hog because of your elders' backing!"

Zhuang Xiaoye remained calm, as if he hadn't heard the provocation. He simply walked steadily toward the third arena.

Meanwhile, the other nine arenas were already embroiled in fierce battles.

Shouts, the clash of weapons, and cheers from onlookers filled the air.

These were mostly contests between small sects or wandering martial artists. The moves seemed flashy, but in reality, the strength, speed, and skills were not much different. It often took dozens of rounds to determine a winner, which drew cheers or sighs of regret from the audience.

In contrast, the third arena was much quieter. Most people were still focused on the other lively arenas, and only a few people turned their attention to this one, waiting to see a "veteran showing off" become a laughing stock.