It seems that reigniting the Primordial Fire faces some other kind of difficulty, Rod thought.

"Over these past 1800 years, Yanuo has been attempting to reignite the Primordial Fire, but so far they’ve only advanced the Holy Fire by one level, which is the Eighth Level of the Great Holy Fire, and they are still two levels away from the Primordial Fire. Those last two steps, no matter what they do, they just can’t manage to take."

Rhein’s tone carried a hint of regret; he sighed lightly and continued.

"Lord Rod, you can imagine how powerful such a human kingdom must be, especially since the Ash Land where Yanuo is located is extremely favorable. They have sunstone deposits exceeding a trillion, sun crystal mines almost indistinguishable from Light Stones, and colossal starstone and star marrow mines; they even have larger moonstone mines than the Dead Ash Mountain Range, boasting dozens of vast plains filled with spiritual soil. One could say that Yanuo Royal City is the mightiest Royal City."

Rod listened in awe, thinking that compared to Trolian, Yanuo is a true behemoth—calling it the Chosen Son of the Dark Epoch would not be an exaggeration, and Royeger was certainly lurking in Yanuo from the start.

Perhaps Yanuo’s strength has something to do with Royeger’s contributions.

Rhein’s eyes also glimmered: "The pity is, we are very far from Yanuo, with half of the Main Continent and that terrifying primordial black fog between us, severely hindering our communication and exchange. When Yanuo came to aid us back then, they too suffered greatly, but fortunately, we quickly rose to hold a position on the Dead Soil Continent."

Rod asked curiously, "Have you explored the Main Continent?"

Rhein’s expression turned serious: "Of course, we’ve explored it, but the Main Continent is terrifying. There, unimaginable terrifying black fogs gather, so densely polluted that no powerful being can approach it. We have teamed up many times to find the lost Fire King City, but have not succeeded. So far, we haven’t been able to cross the outermost circle of the Black Domain."

"Black Domain?"

"It’s an extremely active layer of strong black fog where quantification and non-quantification continuously occur. In that region, the black fog may suddenly vanish, but it might as well suddenly gush a massive wave of terrifying primordial black fog from the void. It’s very dangerous, and some dreadful eerie curses linger within; encountering them can instantly extinguish fire and twist souls beyond repair. We haven’t yet found a way to pass through it stably; even the concept of space fails in that region."

Rod’s heart trembled, and he asked anxiously, "What is the primordial black fog? Is it the powerful Source Black Fog?"

Rhein slightly shook his head: "What you call Source Black Fog is just the genuine, undegraded black fog, while primordial black fog is the original black fog that existed at the time of creation. We’ve learned from various phenomena that the black fog becomes more dreadful over time, and the primordial black fog has, through countless years of sedimentation, turned into an indescribably terrifying and twisted existence. It can extinguish Holy Fire directly, and even the strongest soul can be blackened instantly."

At this moment, a colossal wave surged in Rod’s heart.

"Extinguish Holy Fire? How is that possible? If the black fog is so strong, why do we still exist in this world? Why hasn’t humanity been eradicated entirely?"

Rhein’s expression turned solemn: "Lord Rod, that’s exactly what we want to know too. We have countless theories for this, though none can conclusively explain all observed phenomena. Still, I personally believe in one of them."

He paused and made a slight bow to the void. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Generation after generation of human powerhouses have fallen, or decayed, or obliterated, yet their spirits and the traces of their existence have not been entirely wiped out. Their wills still fight for us in places unseen, whether it be the starry sky, or the void, or the abyss. It is precisely their guardianship that has prevented our complete annihilation, allowing humanity to persist until today."

Suddenly, Rod thought of the Pope of Saint Reel. Wasn’t he combating massive pollution in the starry sky? Even after his fall, his spirit continued to fight and even brought them valuable information.

And the Trolian king, although heavily wounded and unable to battle, wasn’t he still guarding Qingyu in the Holy Fire?

[Sacrifice], that infinitely grand will—isn’t it the last echo of these mighty beings?

Rhein stood up and spoke calmly: "As long as humanity continues, they will never perish. It is for this reason that death is not terrifying, for one day, we too will reach that endpoint and, like them, will guard humanity in the void. This is our heritage; this is the human spirit."

At this moment, a blazing energy erupted in Rod’s heart. He clenched his fists, while his soul slightly bowed in homage to such greatness.

Rhein smiled faintly: "As for my level, although you may not quite understand now, I can tell you that from a level standpoint, I am at the peak of a Half King, half a step into the eternal domain, with a fingertip touching the primordial source. In terms of combat prowess, no source primordial stronger than five levels is my match."

Rod appeared slightly puzzled. Rhein’s description was odd, resembling the relationship between a great Monarch and a Half King initially grasping the Root Origin.