By morning, the entire institute knew.
Whispers filled every corridor.
Screens replayed fragmented footage of the clash in the storm field.
Names that once meant everything were spoken in the same breath as one new one.
Kali.
Kali remained confined to the medical ward. His body was still stitched together by machines and medicine, the second Grade-B vial long since spent. Every movement was agony.
But the world outside did not pause.
Chen Rui slipped into the ward before midday, eyes wide with disbelief.
"You're famous," he whispered.
Kali managed a weak smile. "That sounds expensive."
Chen Rui shook his head. "Zhao Jie's family sent representatives. The elite sponsors are furious. They're demanding the evaluation committee revise the rankings."
Kali's smile faded.
"And the Federation?"
Chen Rui hesitated. "They haven't said anything."
That worried Kali more.
The Meeting
Elsewhere, far above the institute grounds, a small council gathered behind closed doors.
Holographic displays hovered in the air, showing combat records, biometric scans, and resource projections.
At the center of it all: Kali Lin.
"A Rank 6 cultivator forcing a mutual collapse with Zhao Jie," one voice said. "Without contract backing."
"That growth rate is unstable."
"Or unprecedented."
A third voice spoke, colder than the rest. "If he survives, he becomes a problem for the current hierarchy."
Silence followed.
Then a decision.
"Place him under controlled observation. Increase resource access. Keep him close."
Back in the Ward
That evening, the dark-coated Federation officer returned.
"You will be released tomorrow," he said. "Your evaluation status remains provisional."
Kali met his gaze. "What does that mean?"
"It means you are being measured."
The man turned to leave, then paused. "Do not disappoint us."
When the door closed, Kali lay back against the pillow, staring at the ceiling.
He had not won.
He had not lost.
But the world had changed.