MTLNOVEL Chapter 454: They Need To Learn
Meanwhile, back in the Xu family subspace.
Xu Qianghua stood alone in the high observatory, a room so quiet he could hear the faint ticking of the jade compass mounted in the far corner.
Crystals floated in the air around him, each projecting live feeds from the Western Continent, along with some of them showing the victories from the other continents.
As he stood there, he watched all of this, but he didn't speak, he didn't blink, he just watched.
One city was already burning—rooftops torn open, walls collapsed, and a communication post had gone completely dark.
Another showed cultivators being overwhelmed near the Redwind plains. You could hear them shouting for reinforcements that were never going to come.
He watched it all without saying a word.
From behind him, a door slid open. A soft voice called out.
"Patriarch."
He didn't turn.
The voice belonged to Wei Shan, one of his mid-level aides. He was a steady and loyal man who rarely raised his tone.
"The Western alliance… they've lost almost half their territory," Wei Shan said, stepping closer. "The Longwind cliffs have fallen. The beasts have reached the river cities."
Still, Xu Qianghua said nothing.
Another crystal flickered in front of him. A live feed showed an elder from one of the top Western families collapsing on his knees, blood pouring from his chest, surrounded by roaring beast soldiers.
A second later, the feed cut out.
Wei Shan's face tensed. "That was Elder Jian. Leader of the Blue Mist Hall."
"…I know," Xu Qianghua murmured.
Wei Shan swallowed. "They're begging for help—three separate calls. One came through the Western Emergency Council. They're calling it a continental disaster."
Xu Qianghua just nodded faintly, but said nothing.
Wei Shan hesitated, then stepped forward.
"They're asking for you, Patriarch. They want us to send the Xu family forces."
"No," Xu Qianghua said.
The word was so soft, it was almost easy to miss.
Wei Shan blinked. "Sir?"
"No," he repeated, louder this time. "We're not sending our people."
There was a pause. Wei Shan stared at him.
"But—why not? If we act now, we can still turn this around before it spreads too far."
"I warned them."
The words were calm, but heavy.
"I warned them again and again. We gave them updated strategies, such as formation manuals.
Beast commander reports. Shadow operatives even tried offering support. And what did they say?"
He turned now, slowly facing Wei Shan.
"They said, 'We'll be fine.'"
Wei Shan looked down.
"They said our traps were too complex. That their way was enough. That our system was too cautious."
He gestured toward the projections.
"And now? Look at them."
Another city flickered red on the map. It was falling.
A moment later, the feed of the southern coastal stronghold broke down, followed by a second report:
"Status: Neutralized.
Survivors: Unknown."
"They didn't just underestimate the beasts," Xu Qianghua said, voice flat. "They underestimated their ignorance."
Wei Shan gritted his teeth. "Still… are we really going to let them fall? Even the younger sects, the neutral families—they don't deserve this."
"I know," Xu Qianghua said quietly. "Which is why we won't let the continent fall."
Wei Shan frowned. "Then…?"
Xu Qianghua turned back toward the table and tapped a glowing seal.
"Bring me the Unified Army."
Wei Shan's eyes widened. "You're calling them?"
"Yes."
"Not our troops?"
"No."
He paused, then added, "If the Xu family steps in now, the message won't land. The families behind this mess won't learn.
They'll say 'we were saved again' and keep doing things their way. The cycle won't stop."
Wei Shan opened his mouth to speak, but paused.
"…But if the Unified Army steps in…"
Xu Qianghua nodded slowly. "Then everyone sees the cost. The shame. The failure."
Silence fell again.
"They'll learn that ignorance has a price. And next time, they'll listen—really listen."
He tapped the table again.
A projection appeared—an encrypted seal connecting him directly to General Wei of the Unified Army.
The call connected instantly.
General Wei stood tall in the image, her silver cloak hanging neatly over her shoulders, and her expression firm as always.
"Patriarch Xu," she said with a short nod. "We expected this call."
"You've seen the reports?"
"All of them. We've been monitoring since the second wave hit."
Xu Qianghua's face was blank. "I'm authorizing an emergency deployment. One legion. Strictly a Unified Army operation."
General Wei nodded once. "You're sure? We could deploy under your banner—give your family credit."
"No," he said flatly. "This has nothing to do with us."
There was a long pause.
"…You want the West to remember who let this happen."
Xu Qianghua looked her straight in the eye.
"They need to feel it."
General Wei's eyes flickered. She didn't argue.
"Understood," she said. "We'll deploy immediately."
The call ended.
The observatory was quiet again.
Wei Shan stepped forward, his voice low. "You knew this would happen, didn't you?"
Xu Qianghua didn't answer right away.
"I knew there was a chance," he finally said. "But even I didn't think it would fall this fast."
He turned toward the largest crystal in the room—the one showing the core battle zone.
You could see families burning their banners to avoid capture. You could see lone cultivators making a final stand on rooftops. You could see beast squads tearing through streets like a plague.
It wasn't just a loss.
It was humiliation.
And yet, his expression didn't change.
"They'll survive," he said. "But they'll remember."
Wei Shan was quiet.
Xu Qianghua stepped away from the map.
"Notify the Shadows," he added over his shoulder. "Have them assist the Unified Army quietly—no insignia. No declarations. If someone asks, they were never there."
"Yes, Patriarch."
"And tell Hu Liwei to continue reinforcing the Southern perimeter. If this push fails, the beasts might try circling back."
Wei Shan gave a sharp nod. "At once."
Xu Qianghua walked out of the room.
No banners were raised.
No horns sounded.
But the decision had been made.
The Western Continent would be saved.
But not spared.