Soon, everyone dispersed in all directions, leaving only Solos and Rod.

"Follow me."

Solos waved his hand, and the invisible disc enveloping the entire mountain vanished. He soared into the air, heading towards the Yanuo Royal City.

Rod followed behind him and asked eagerly, "Master Solos, are we going to Yanuo Royal City? Has the King of Yarno truly gone mad? And what is the Dark Ring?"

After everyone left, Solos’s expression turned somber again, his eyes devoid of light. He replied succinctly, "I don’t know. That’s what we need to find out now."

In the Dream Realm, the Book of Knowledge shouted, "He’s mad! This guy is mad too! Heading to Yanuo Royal City at this time? Isn’t he afraid of death? That massive tremor just now shows that the terrifying presence capable of destroying Yanuo has noticed you. Haven’t you noticed that ever since the first activation of the Teleportation Gate, the strength of the Black Mist has been constantly increasing? Whatever it is, we can’t confront it now!"

"Shut up!" Rod yelled in his soul.

Beside him, Solos added, "Master Rod, I know this is very dangerous, but I must find out what exactly happened in Yanuo, what destroyed Yanuo? If I don’t resolve this, my mind will never be at peace."

"Of course, I will assure your safety. If we encounter danger, I’ll instantly send you to a safe location, ensuring you aren’t suppressed. Escape should be no issue."

He paused for a few seconds and then continued.

"As for the Dark Ring, it’s an extremely frightening and ominous omen. It represents the extinguishing of fire and the growth of the Black Mist. It is the most terrifying phenomenon in legends, and each appearance signifies the annihilation of a powerful civilization."

"This is my first time truly witnessing its existence. Before this, I had only read about it in ancient texts from the Fire Epoch. Beyond that, I am as clueless as you, but maybe there is some connection between the Dark Ring and the madness of the King of Yarno."

Rod’s heart sank. He suddenly thought of the ultimate plan. Could it be that the arrival of the Dark Ring is related to the True King?

Bearing this enormous doubt, he and Solos ascended to an extremely high altitude. Contrary to normal circumstances, the Black Mist here was even thinner.

Solos informed him that due to the vast territory, there were several fixed-point Space Transmission arrays near Yanuo Royal City. One was nearby, and if it wasn’t damaged, they could immediately reach Yanuo Royal City, making the journey faster and avoiding potential dangers.

Sure enough, moments later, Solos found a twisted space, with strange ripples flashing within it. The energy felt very familiar to Rod.

"Not damaged."

Solos checked briefly and said, "It can still be used normally. It’s a secondary transmission array, usable only in specific fixed-point areas, unable to move or be used frequently, far inferior to your Teleportation Gate."

Rod nodded. He wasn’t surprised, having seen the same kind of Teleportation Gate in Saint Longde. Together, they stepped into the twisted space, where invisible ripples instantly cloaked their figures. In the blink of an eye, they vanished into thin air.

When Rod opened his eyes again, he found himself at the foot of a high mountain, where there was no trace of the Black Mist around him.

"We’re here."

Solos’s voice, too, carried a rare hint of tension. As they crossed the mountain, the Yanuo Royal City appeared before them in the next moment.

The terrifying sight instantly shook them.

Approximately 100,000 yards away was an enormous city, far larger than the Trolian Royal City or the Saint Longde Royal City. The grand city walls and countless high towers testified to its former glory. But now, the entire Royal City was shrouded in a massive black light, descending from the endless sky, emanating from the dark sun, precisely the Dark Ring they had seen earlier.

"How can this be?"

Solos exclaimed in shock. Fear gripped his face like Rod had never seen before.

"The Dark Ring... it turned out to be the terrifying source, the Gate of Darkness leading to the root of the Black Mist!"

In the next instant, a bizarre and terrifying aura erupted from the Royal City. A gigantic figure emerged from the ring of black light, and the super-strong field that had appeared before exploded once again, instantly dispersing the Black Mist throughout the kingdom.

In the Dream Realm, the Book of Knowledge shouted hurriedly, "It hasn’t dispelled the Black Mist. It’s concentrating all the mist’s power here. Run, my master!"

Rod’s Divine Power lost control again, the Source Law was heavily suppressed, and being closer now, he felt all the more strongly.

In the Eye of the Soul, the massive figure soon walked out of the black light.

Its entire body floated with Source Black Fog of terrifying strength, and ghastly black light flickered within its soul. Super-strong Divine Power accompanied by high Spiritual Power waves assaulted them, with giant tumors, ulcers, and abscesses covering its enormous body, and the armor it wore was tattered and colorless.

Though its body was twisted and mutated, Rod still instantly recognized it.

The Ancient Golden War God Ares!

In the prophecy within the Book of Eternity, he had witnessed this traitor’s form and would never forget its image. Now, this legendary Ancient God appeared directly before them.