"Mengmeng, today is your coming-of-age day. You’re the only dragon in our clan to reach adulthood in nearly a thousand years. I’m so proud of you."

"Father, if you lowered the age requirement for adulthood in our clan, we’d have more adult dragons. And then… we could do those… *ahem*… things between males and females…"

"What nonsense! These are ancestral rules set by our dragon forefathers! How could they be changed on your whim?"

"But—"

"But what? Today is your ceremony. Go to the altar and accept the baptism."

"Oh…"

Atop a volcano, two colossal figures stood at the crater’s edge, having just finished their baffling exchange.

Around the volcano, dozens of dragons—large and small—circled overhead. Their soft growls rumbled through the trembling earth and sky.

"Heh heh, Heng Meng’s finally coming of age. Time for some… *unmentionable* fun." Far away on a mountain peak, a group of small, young dragons huddled together.

"Heng Meng’s been itching to grow up. You should’ve seen how he stared at adult females… Ugh. Just thinking about it makes me sick." The speaker was a violet dragon. By draconic standards, she was strikingly elegant, granting her high status among the juveniles. After all, the clan had an awkward problem… far more males than females!

Several impure-minded males nodded eagerly in agreement. Though too young for such acts now, laying groundwork early was crucial.

No one knew why the ancestors had set such bizarre rules—one forbade mating before adulthood.

This anti-dragon, anti-social rule infuriated many. But ancestral traditions weren’t easily changed. Even if they tried now, the elders would never agree.

After all, they’d endured it themselves…

Let the young ones taste the same suffering.

"Sister Yanyan, how can you say that about Brother Heng Meng? He can’t help it," a voice chimed in from nearby. A green-scaled dragon, bathed in soft emerald light, spoke. Her voice was crisp and clear, like a mountain spring, refreshing to all who heard.

Younger dragons quickly turned toward this nature-infused presence.

The violet dragon called "Sister Yanyan" also glanced at the green dragon resting nearby, radiating a fresh, natural aura.

This altar-like site pulsed with destructive energy. Dragons aligned with light usually avoided it.

"So it’s Xiao Yin. Why are you here? Won’t this harm you?" Yanyan asked.

"My father gave me a protective scale. It shields me from the destructive aura." Xiao Yin smiled, pointing to the glowing green scale on her forehead.

Her intense natural glow came entirely from that scale.

"I can imagine how you pestered your father for this treasure…" Yanyan sighed with a wry smile. She gazed toward the volcano. A strange heat washed over her—even as a fire dragon, she felt slightly uneasy. "You’re really pushing yourself for Heng Meng’s sake. But you two can never be together."

"I know." Xiao Yin’s eyes also drifted to the volcano. At its crater, crimson light flared. A massive magic array rose, ancient runes swirling mysteriously across its surface, staining the sky blood-red.

All dragons fell silent, watching the shifting heavens. This spectacle was rare—they’d never seen anything like it.

Normally, a coming-of-age ceremony wouldn’t be this grand, with all juveniles observing. But this time was bizarre. Heng Meng was the clan’s only adult in a millennium!

Long ago, dragon history held a bitter tale. During a war with another race, the enemy—outmatched—cursed the entire clan, halting births for generations. At first, it seemed manageable. But as centuries passed, extinction loomed.

Before the curse-casters even aged to death, dragons would vanish. Then, miraculously, a dragon egg appeared in the royal bloodline.

With that egg’s hatching, the curse rebounded. The caster died within five hundred years.

That egg had birthed Heng Meng, now standing at his ceremony.

"Adulthood at a thousand years old? And I’m the only one in my generation? Screw this ‘coming of age’!" Heng Meng glared up at the red array, his draconic eyes flickering with resignation.

"Young master, adulthood grants the ‘True Dragon Form.’ Don’t be nervous—just adapt," said tiny figures before him. To Heng Meng, they were… humans.

Dragons called the human shape the "True Dragon Form." It let them blend seamlessly among humans—a form the clan adored.

Why did they love it?

Simply put: too few dragon females. Human women satisfied… certain needs.

"Don’t worry. This young master remains unmoved by praise or blame." Heng Meng thumped the ground, feigning dignity, his eyes tightly shut.

Only he knew he was suppressing wild excitement. After all…

Adulthood meant visiting the human realm! He’d heard brothels were fun. Were they really? Hehehe…

Seeing Heng Meng’s solemn, majestic act, the attendants felt deep respect. Back in their day, they’d worn their desires openly—earning the elders’ disdain.

"*Ahem*. Mengmeng, it’s time. Fly to the array’s center. The rest will follow." Heng Meng’s father stood nearby, already in human form. His long black hair stirred without wind, radiating quiet authority.

High above, three enormous black dragons circled. Their massive, fearsome heads exuded ancient power—true elders compared to the young flyers.

"First time seeing all three elders together. Aren’t they… like twenty thousand years old?" Heng Meng mused, stroking his chin and squinting skyward. "They rarely show their true forms. This ceremony must be important."

Time passed. The array above Heng Meng blazed brighter. Magic surged, dyeing the entire sky crimson.

Under the red glow, Heng Meng’s black scales tinged slightly red. He wasn’t surprised—adults in his bloodline always looked this way. This red-black blend was called… the Royal Hue.

"Royal Hue? It’s just fire and dark attributes clashing—a skin disorder, honestly." Bored, Heng Meng muttered to himself, examining his body.

Spotting the color shift, Heng Meng’s father smiled from afar.

"Worthy of my son. That hue is perfectly pure!"

"Yes. If elder sister saw this, she’d be overjoyed, Brother-in-law Heng Shang." A gentle, holy voice sounded beside him. Soft white light descended, coalescing into a figure.

Pure light flooded the area. Rare light sprites near the altar fluttered joyfully around the woman.

As the glow faded, a fairy-like woman smiled softly. Her gaze rested on Heng Meng—bored and nearly asleep—filled with boundless tenderness, as if seeing her own child.

Heng Shang didn’t turn to her. Her radiant light didn’t repel him. After all… his late wife had been a Light Saint Dragon too.

"Xiao Yu, we agreed not to mention his mother during Meng’s ceremony," Heng Shang said. His voice trembled slightly, betraying deep emotion despite his calm face.

The woman shook her head with a gentle smile. "Xiao Yu believes that on such a sacred day, omitting elder sister would disrespect her. Forgive me, brother-in-law."

Heng Shang smiled faintly, saying nothing.

He wished more than anyone that his wife could see Meng’s ceremony. But… that was impossible.

Light and dark were opposing forces. Yet this Dark Dragon had loved a Light Saint Dragon. In an age of barrenness, their union faced no opposition—until Heng Meng, the anomaly, was born.

To bring him into the world, his mother had drained her life force. On the day Heng Meng hatched, she’d left with a contented smile.

Once, Heng Shang would’ve refused this child to spare her. But now… after a thousand years, he’d made peace.

"Bai Meng, I truly wish you could see this child grow up and witness his true dragon form—whether it resembles me... or you."

Just as Hen Meng was bored out of his mind, a mysterious force finally pulled him skyward.

Reaching the center of the ritual circle, the crimson magic power thickened, surging deep into his body.

Endless power flooded in from outside. Hen Meng had never felt such comfort—it washed over his entire being. High above, he could even spot his companions kilometers away.

When he saw the green dragon Yin Yin, his expression shifted. "This girl, how did she follow me here? Can she even handle this?"

But he quickly realized she must have used some special method to arrive.

The crimson magic kept pouring in, turning Hen Meng's initial comfort into agony. His once-relaxed face now tightened with pain.

"Damn it! No one said they'd pump in this much power! Are they trying to blow me up and rebuild my body from scratch?" Hen Meng glanced down, seeking answers from his father's face. But seeing Hen Shang's utterly bewildered expression, he panicked...

Even the three elders flying nearby were bewildered—they understood far more than Hen Meng did.

The crimson ritual circle gradually turned white, an aura of light flooding the volcanic area.

"Oh no! The clash between dark and light forces will blow Hen Meng apart!" Hen Shang rushed to stop the coming-of-age ceremony, but by the time he reached the sky, Hen Meng was already gone.

All that remained was a black-and-white spatial rift, slowly fading away...