My Substitute CEO Bride (Nash and Hera) novel Chapter 2011

"Of course. I've always been able to," Zaafea replied confidently.

"Then why didn't you use it before?" Clint asked.

"Why?" Zaafea interrupted. "You'll understand soon enough. Now, Battlestar, extend your hand."

Battlestar stepped forward and extended his left hand. Zaafea gathered his spiritual energy, and a strange symbol appeared on both of their palms. Then, Zaafea transferred a walnut-sized orb into Battlestar's hand.

Battlestar collapsed in pain, his body convulsing violently as it absorbed the orb.

"This... This..." Battlestar struggled to stand, his body trembling. "Finally, finally..."

"Let's test it on him first," Zaafea pointed at Skye. "You guys cover him for a bit. The rest is up to Battle—no, what should we call you now?"

"I am still me with my brother's memories. Thank you for preserving them, God of Memories, Lis."

Zaafea nodded. "Go, Shane Woodrow."

...

Once upon a time, the gods of the West and the cultivators of the East were locked in a devastating war. During the war, a powerful cultivator from the East emerged and united the cultivators and immortals of the East. He gathered their strength and used an ancient sealing enchantment passed down through generations to successfully seal the gods of the West.

That war was known as the Twilight War. The Eastern world also paid a heavy price with 80% of their cultivators perishing, including that great cultivator who united them. After that, the world entered an era of dwindling powers.

The descendants of that cultivator survived the war and preserved the enchantment that was used to seal the gods. Over time, however, the family seemed to forget the purpose of the ancestral enchantment and eventually came to view it as an ominous relic.

"No! No, he's not! Salem! Say something! Salem!" Shane cried out, holding onto the lifeless body.

"Here's a reminder. If you keep crying and holding onto that corpse, the other one beside you might lose his life too," Ruin said coldly.

Shane hurriedly ran to his other brother's side. "It's okay, Simon. It's okay. Damn it, why did this happen?!" he lamented, tears streaming down his face as he watched his bleeding brother.

"Hey, kid. Let's make a trade. How about it?" Ruin asked calmly.

"A trade? What trade?" Shane asked hoarsely.

"Since you're all going to die anyway, instead of dying in vain, why not give me your souls? How about that?"