Chapter 520: Mark of Divinity

The fifty-three orbs of Black Dragon origin source that had hovered around Max like celestial bodies slowly began to dim, their glow receding as they returned to the Ancient Dragon Scroll one by one, drawn back into the black inked coils of the ancient dragon etched upon its surface.

But then, without any warning, a change rippled through the scroll. The entire picture quivered, as if something deep within it had awakened. A low hum filled the air, ancient and vibrating with power.

From the center of the dragon’s chest in the scroll, a new light began to form—a black radiance, swirling and pulsing with an intensity that made the very space around it tremble. And then, like a shooting star made of void and flame, a massive ball of shimmering black light burst out of the scroll.

It streaked through the air, a blur of concentrated origin and mystery, and before anyone could even react, it slammed directly into Max’s chest and vanished into his body without resistance.

The impact didn’t shake him. It didn’t throw him back. It simply merged with him, like it had always belonged there.

But though it happened in an instant, everyone saw it. The entire hall—hundreds of eyes—watched in stunned silence as the ball of black radiance disappeared into Max’s body.

Even the Divine Realm geniuses, who had held onto scraps of superiority until now, stared at him with wide, unsettled eyes.

The old man, whose thoughts had already collapsed under the weight of witnessing fifty-three Black Dragon origin source orbs, now felt his very legs falter beneath him.

His knees buckled slightly, and he reached out to the air as if grasping for balance. His breath caught, his pupils trembled, and his heart thudded so hard it echoed in his ears.

And then, in a voice barely more than a whisper—raw, cracked, and disbelieving—he muttered, “That… that was the Mark of Divinity… He was recognized by the Ancient Dragon Scroll…” The words tasted surreal on his tongue, like something pulled from a storybook long buried in time.

He felt as if his consciousness might slip at any moment, his mind threatening to black out from sheer disbelief. How many impossible things could one witness in a single breath?

Mark of Divinity. Even thinking those words sent a chill down his spine. It was more than a myth—it was legend. A recognition granted not by man, nor sect, nor rank, but by ancient relics or entities of inheritance themselves—existences tied to the Laws of the world.

The Mark was said to brand only those who stood at the absolute apex of their generation, geniuses so terrifying that the very heavens parted for them. They weren’t merely prodigies—they were destined sovereigns.

Those who bore the Mark of Divinity were rumored to be invincible among their peers, untouchable, unparalleled, and peerless until the end of their era.

But that was just it—rumor. A tale passed from one generation to another like a bedtime myth.

In all the centuries of the old man’s life, in all his years serving within the Obsidian Dragon City, never—not once—had the Mark of Divinity appeared. It was the stuff of distant history, a phenomenon reserved for gods among mortals.

And now… he had just seen it with his own eyes. The Ancient Dragon Scroll, a sacred relic that had never done more than measure potential, had awakened—and then released that shimmering black sphere into the body of a boy from the mortal world. Not the Divine Realm. Not a royal descendant. A mortal-born genius.

His hands trembled as he looked at Max—no longer as just another youth in the trial, but as something altogether different. Something transcendent. The hall remained frozen in absolute silence, but in that stillness, one truth echoed louder than any cry—Max wasn’t just exceptional.

He was chosen.

As the hall remained locked in stunned silence, with every gaze fixed on him and the lingering aura of the Mark of Divinity still thick in the air, Max himself was elsewhere—his focus drawn inward, eyes slightly unfocused as a series of glowing notifications popped up in his vision like celestial runes suspended in time.

—

[You have been marked by the Mark of Divinity.]

[You have gained one Divine Fragment.]

[Would you like to use the Divine Fragment?]

—

Max’s brows lifted slightly in surprise. He hadn’t expected something so… dramatic. He had assumed this test would simply give him a grade, perhaps a few words of acknowledgment from the old man, not this—whatever this was.

A Divine Fragment?

He had known about it because his newly awakened bloodline needed it, but this was the first time he’d ever obtained one.

As for the Mark of Divinity—he was utterly clueless. The name alone sounded important, grand even, but he had no idea what it truly meant or what it could do. Was it a title? A reward? A burden?

Another notification immediately answered part of his confusion.

—

[Mark of Divinity]

– Description: “Should the mark burn bright, thrones shall crumble and stars shall weep.

Should it dim… not even silence will remember his name.”

—

Max frowned deeply as he read the quote. The phrasing sent a strange chill crawling across his skin. He had seen plenty of system descriptions before, some formal, some cryptic—but none of them had ever been presented as a quote.

There was something unsettling about it, something personal, as if this wasn’t just a system prompt but an echo from an ancient voice that remembered more than he could ever comprehend. The words lingered in his mind longer than they should have—thrones shall crumble… not even silence will remember his name…

“…a bit too edgy,” Max muttered under his breath, uneasy.

He took a breath, forcing himself to stay grounded. ‘I’ll figure it out later,’ he decided. ‘Surely someone in the Hall of Trials knows what it means.’ He thought back to the old man’s face—the shock, the trembling disbelief.

That reaction alone told Max this mark wasn’t some minor recognition.

‘They’ll tell me something… they have to.’ He thought calming himself down.

He pushed the thoughts away for now and turned his focus to the final notification, the one that still hovered, waiting patiently.

—

[Would you like to use the Divine Fragment?]

—

‘Yes,’ Max thought.

The moment he confirmed, he felt a subtle shift within him, like something ancient stirring beneath the surface of his blood. A warmth spread through his veins, glowing faintly in his chest before it dispersed like morning light chasing away shadows.

Another notification followed almost instantly.

—

—» [Heavenly Luminance Divine Bloodline (Weakened State)]

– Light Energy: [100]

– Divine Fragments: [2/7]

—

Max’s gaze settled on the bloodline details, noting the Light Energy value had jumped by 90. A low hum pulsed through his body, not loud or overwhelming, but unmistakable—a resonance.

He could feel it. The bloodline wasn’t dormant anymore. It was whispering now, not in words, but in presence. Its power was still restrained, yes, but no longer out of reach.

‘I can feel it now… the bloodline is usable now,’ he thought, his eyes sharpening. The bloodline wasn’t yet at its peak—but he had two fragments now, and every fragment brought him closer to awakening it to its fullest potential.

“What is going on here? We sensed a very heavy fluctuation in our bloodline just now…” a calm yet powerful voice suddenly echoed across the hall like a tremor running beneath the earth.

All heads turned sharply as two figures suddenly materialized in the center of the hall, not from the door or the corridor, but through direct teleportation—a feat only those with mastery over space and overwhelming authority could casually perform.

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay