"Are there any additional matters to bring forward for this council?" Barsha asked, opening the floor to suggestions from the gathered operatives.

Gayatri raised her hand, and Barsha nodded, granting her permission to speak.

"We have detected unusual activity across the Frost Line continent," Gayatri reported, her voice laced with concern. "It poses a severe threat to the entire realm. I..." She hesitated briefy, but a reassuring nod from Lao gave her the confidence to continue. "I have observed thousands of dark army operatives gathering in the Frost Line region."

Murmurs of shock rippled across the room. Aji, however, remained completely calm—he had anticipated this development. The preliminary movements for the Moon Flower were already underway as the dark army positioned itself to claim the celestial prize. The Moon Flower was an extraordinary catalyst capable of bestowing immense martial breakthroughs—a divine gift from the heavens itself.

Lord Demon Shura’s forces would stop at nothing to secure it. By absorbing its concentrated essence, they sought to amplify their parameters and establish absolute dominion over all continents.

"How were you able to detect them?" Astro asked, a slight trace of skepticism in his voice.

"I can sense their resonance," Gayatri replied simply. "Dark magic leaves a distinct signature that my eyes can lock onto."

Astro refrained from questioning her further. He knew that unique innate perceptions often manifested through intense past experiences, leaving indelible marks upon a cultivator's mind and soul.

"I trust Gayatri's assessment—her perceptual abilities have proven reliable across multiple engagements," Aji interjected calmly. "Furthermore, her report aligns directly with the Moon Flower intelligence our Leader was about to present. That region will inevitably become the focal gathering point for the dark forces seeking the celestial artifact."

Gayatri nodded in understanding. During her recent deployment to the Frost Line continent, a persistent sense of unease had nagged at her. She had picked up a suffocating density of dark magic, realizing thousands of disguised or concealed dark operatives were embedded throughout the region. While ordinary eyes could not pierce their cloaks, Gayatri's specialized vision allowed her to perceive what lay beneath the surface.

"Indeed... the Vice Commander is correct," Barsha confirmed, steering the briefing forward. "The Moon Flower will bloom in approximately three months. Consequently, we must resume our hellish training regimen immediately. However, this phase will be far more intense, with the difficulty parameters raised significantly.

This is our only path to prepare for an inevitable confrontation with the Five Gates of the dark army."

A heavy silence descended upon the hall. The memories of their battle at the Golden Crane Academy remained vividly etched in their minds. A single member of the Five Gates possessed enough destructive capacity to wipe out their entire squad. Gultron, the Gatekeeper who had vanished during the chaos, had offered them a terrifying glimpse into the true power of the dark elite.

Had Gultron withdrawn on Shura's orders? Or had something else transpired that they hadn't witnessed?

Alicia alone knew the truth: Aji had hurled Gultron through a spatial rift during their duel. Yet even she remained unsure whether the Gatekeeper had merely been banished to a distant realm or obliterated entirely by Aji's power.

With the decision finalized to restart their intensive conditioning under Warrior Jiro, Barsha reached for a communication artifact to summon him. Jiro confirmed he would arrive at headquarters by dawn the following day.

Midan raised his hand, his expression thoughtful. "Leader... even if we undergo two months of intensive conditioning, can our combat parameters truly match the level of the Five Gates?"

It was a valid concern. Two months was an exceptionally brief window. Recalling the sheer pressure exerted by Gultron during his brief appearance, the young operatives had felt like ants facing a titan.

The individual strength of the Five Gates was rumored to equal grandmasters like Dasatama and Warrior Jiro himself—an intimidating tier of power.

By comparison, the Sky Squad consisted of young, passionate martial artists united by a shared vow to eradicate evil. The clash at the Golden Crane Academy had served as a stark reality check, exposing the vast gulf between their current abilities and the absolute power of the dark army.

Now, they were expected to prepare themselves in a mere sixty days to face such monsters. Was that truly feasible?

Barsha surveyed the room. In truth, this accelerated training directive had been proposed by Aji. Barsha held absolute confidence in Aji's strategic foresight, especially when paired with Warrior Jiro's instruction. Before the briefing, Barsha had consulted Jiro directly; the veteran master had assured her that the squad possessed the latent potential to survive the regimen and reach the requisite standard to engage the Five Gates.

"There is no stepping back, comrades!" Barsha declared, her voice ringing with absolute conviction. "We have come too far to falter now! If death awaits us on the battlefield, we will face it with our heads held high! Have you forgotten the sacrifices made by the Three Legends twenty years ago? They laid down their lives to buy us time—giving our generation the chance to stand as true guardians of righteousness!"

Barsha's passionate address reignited the spark within every operative's heart. They realized their doubts were merely fear casting shadows over their resolve. Whatever preparations were necessary, they would embrace them without hesitation to protect the realm.

The risk was absolute—they might fall in battle. Yet their legacy would echo through history, much like the Three Legends who had sacrificed everything to secure peace for all continents.

To surrender now out of fear would be the act of cowards. They were the Sky Squad—sworn shields bound by a sacred oath to uphold justice and defend the helpless.

"Our Leader is right!" Nora shouted, springing to his feet. "We stand here today as the Sky Squad! The hopes of every martial artist and citizen across all continents rest upon our shoulders. I would rather fall on the battlefield than give up and return home! I will embrace this hellish training without complaint. Having seen the fruits of my previous conditioning—growing strong enough to cut down Mondu operatives—I know that through relentless discipline, we can bridge the gap and match the Five Gates!"

Nora sat down, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

"I agree with Nora!" Nagada added, standing beside his comrade. "I have witnessed the results of our training firsthand when my team eliminated dark operatives who underwent demonic transformations. We will push ourselves to our absolute limits, no matter how brutal the regimen becomes. We will conquer this trial and face the Five Gates!"

A wave of enthusiasm swept through the briefing room, incinerating Midan's lingering doubts. Every operative had faced dark forces during their recent field deployments, achieving significant breakthroughs compared to their entry-level cultivation ranks.

Their combat efficiency had evolved dramatically under Jiro's instruction, learning to maximize their offensive output while systematically eliminating flaws in their stances. Furthermore, their internal circles had been opened, accelerating their mana absorption rates beyond conventional limits.

If they could fully unlock their higher-tier internal circles and refine their core aura over the next two months, they would transform into a force capable of striking terror into the hearts of the dark army.

"Very well!" Barsha announced, sealing the council. "Our hellish training begins tomorrow at dawn. Prepare yourselves accordingly. In the meantime, I will coordinate with Commander Yarko to transfer our intelligence ledgers regarding the remaining Mondu sleeper cells."

As the briefing concluded, the Sky Squad members departed the hall filled with renewed hope, unyielding resolve, and absolute optimism for the coming war.

Standing quietly at the edge of the room, Aji looked on with a subtle, knowing smile.

This time, everything will be different, Aji thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. Just wait, Shura!