Seeing a gathering tribe of elemental life in the extreme northern ice field surprised and delighted Garon.
The delight came from the fact that elemental life was basically intelligent life, possessing the wisdom to communicate, unlike the terror lizards and white hounds, which couldn't accurately understand Garon's instructions.
If he could take the Arctic Ice Spirits as his familiars, giving orders would be much more convenient.
Garon's surprise stemmed from the fact that elemental life was very rare and scarce in the Prime Material Plane.
This special life form mainly resided in the Inner Planes, which did not belong to the Prime Material Plane but had great origins and connections with it.
The composition of the Prime Material Plane was very balanced, with various energies and elements present, thus giving birth to a rich variety of biological races. However, the Inner Planes were pure energy and elemental lands, with each Inner Plane being dominated by a single element or energy, making the environment uniform and dangerous.
The six major Inner Planes were Earth, Water, Fire, Air (Wind), Positive Energy, and Negative Energy.
"Elemental life in the Prime Material Plane is most likely a remnant of summoning magic. Perhaps some careless mage lost their summoned creature."
"It's almost impossible for elemental life to naturally arise under the environmental conditions of the Prime Material Plane."
While Garon was thinking, the tallest Arctic Ice Spirit walked up to Garon and said in Common, with fear and respect, "Great True Dragon, your presence here is our honor. May I ask what your commands are?"
They really are intelligent, Garon's eyes lit up.
He looked at the Arctic Ice Spirit in front of him and said in a deep voice, "This glacier river will be my territory from now on."
"You will serve me as my familiars, offering me everything you have."
"And I, Garon the True Dragon, the future Overlord of the Icefield, will provide you with the protection of a dragon!"
Garon, who had just lost the protection of the White Dragon Mother, was now about to provide protection to other creatures.
After hearing Garon's words, the Arctic Ice Spirit didn't show any resistance. Instead, it knelt down in surprise and said to Garon in a fervent tone, "It is the supreme honor of the Ice River Tribe that the great True Dragon is willing to take us as his familiars."
Its words were full of excitement at having Garon, a True Dragon, as a backer.
Garon was very surprised.
He had thought he would have to fight them and subdue them before he could take these Arctic Ice Spirits as his familiars.
Because in Garon's memory, elemental life was basically composed of spellcasters, possessing decent combat power, and had a rather arrogant nature, looking down on flesh and blood life.
Even though he was a True Dragon, he thought it would be quite difficult to make elemental life prostrate themselves with just the might of his dragon body.
Garon thought for a moment and said to the Arctic Ice Spirit in front of him, "State your name."
"Master, your humble familiar is called Roy Ice River."
"Then, Roy, show me your abilities now."
Garon stepped forward, signaling Roy Ice River to attack him.
If he guessed correctly, these Arctic Ice Spirits were probably weaker in strength compared to normal elemental life; otherwise, they wouldn't have been so proactive and excited to be taken as his familiars.
Roy Ice River, the strongest of the Ice River Tribe, looked embarrassed and dared not attack Garon.
Garon impatiently flapped his dragon wings and said, "Don't waste time. I won't hold you accountable for attacking a True Dragon."
Only then did Roy Ice River feel relieved. He raised his ice crystal arm, condensed a crystal-clear dagger in his hand, and shot it at Garon.
Splat... The chilling dagger landed on Garon's dragon scales and, as expected, shattered into powder without causing Garon any damage.
Garon looked at Roy Ice River with encouraging eyes and said, "Very good, continue."
But under Garon's gaze, Roy Ice River lowered his head awkwardly and said, "Master, I can only use this Cold Dagger."
Garon: .....
Due to the harsh and severe weather, ninety percent of the ice field creatures had high frost resistance. Garon was directly immune to the little damage from the Cold Dagger and wasn't even scratched.
Being able to use only one trash-tier spell-like ability, and it was still an ice-type attack, they could definitely only survive as the lowest-level creatures in the extreme northern ice field.
In terms of strength, the Arctic Ice Spirits couldn't even beat the terror lizards.
After pondering for a moment, Garon asked, "How was your tribe born?"
Roy Ice River showed a look of reverence and recollection and replied, "A thousand years ago, a respected mage created our ancestors and then left us in the ice field."
Created... not summoned.
This meant that the Arctic Ice Spirits were not born naturally.
Garon guessed that this group of elemental life was most likely the product of a failed experiment by some unknown mage. That mage might have wanted to create elemental life that could cast powerful frost magic, but after discovering the Arctic Ice Spirits' weak abilities, he decisively abandoned them.
"No wonder the White Dragon Mother didn't take these guys as familiars. She probably looked down on the Arctic Ice Spirits' strength."
Garon thought.
At the same time, he decided to give this group of pitiful elemental life a chance. If they were to work for him, being this weak wouldn't do.
With this thought, Garon exhaled frosty dragon breath. A large amount of ice crystals appeared with the cold wind and, under his subtle control, condensed into an ice pool several meters in diameter.
Ordinary white dragons could never do such a thing, but for Garon, it was already commonplace.
With the physique of a Time Dragon, he was greatly favored by the elements, the darling of the elements... more accurately, like the elements' own father.
Elements that were aloof and difficult to control for other creatures were as enthusiastic as fire in front of Garon. Any thought of his would be loyally executed without hesitation or the slightest doubt. The elements in the space near Garon would even become active or sluggish according to his mood changes.
After creating the ice pool, Garon pierced his fingertip and squeezed out a few drops of scorching dragon blood.
Roy Ice River realized what Garon was about to do, and his breathing immediately became heavy. He knelt on the ground and said to Garon in a fanatical tone, "Master, the Ice River Tribe will become your most loyal familiars, crushing all enemies for you!"
The dragon blood dripped into the ice pool, almost melting the ice.
Immediately, Garon brought some water from the winding glacier river, and the ice pool was instantly filled with diluted red dragon blood.
"This is enough for your tribe members to transform."
Garon lowered his eyes and said in a calm tone.
By accepting his bloodline, they would become dragonblood creatures.
True dragons had a special blood vessel called the basal vessel, a very unique and powerful biological tissue considered the core channel through which true dragons used elemental power. It endowed true dragons with powerful spell-like abilities and supernatural powers and was also the most effective way to distinguish true dragons from various sub-dragons.
The dragon blood flowing in the basal vessels had a strong invasive nature, capable of transforming even elemental life.
Creatures transformed by dragon blood were collectively called dragonblood creatures. From the bottom of their hearts, they would maximally worship the master of the dragon blood, treating them like emperors and gods.
Dragonblood creatures were also the true core familiars of true dragons. Most of those who hadn't been transformed were treated as emergency rations or cannon fodder.
"Will my dragon blood give them a little ability to influence time?"
Garon thought, while also waiting to see.
As time passed, one Arctic Ice Spirit after another bathed in Garon's diluted dragon blood, gaining a faint aura of dragon might on their bodies and officially becoming dragonblood creatures.
Next, the Arctic Ice Spirits knelt in droves under Garon's dragon wings, their faces filled with the joy of rebirth and expressions of reverence and loyalty towards Garon.
Thus, he had his first batch of intelligent life familiars.