How is the IPv6 next hop determined when the destination is not in the local link?

Answer: C — Comparing prefix information received from the local router with the destination address; if they differ, the next hop is selected from a preconfigured list or via Neighbor Discovery

IPv6 forwarding relies on the routing table and prefix matching to pick the next hop for destinations not on the local link. The router compares the destination address with the prefixes it has learned or configured, and the longest-matching prefix determines which route to use. That route provides the next-hop address and the appropriate exit interface. If the chosen route’s next hop isn’t directly reachable on the local network, the router uses that route’s next-hop address (or a default route if no specific match exists) and resolves the next-hop’s link-layer address with Neighbor Discovery. Once the next-hop is resolved, the packets are forwarded toward that next-hop. ARP isn’t used for IPv6 next-hop resolution; IPv6 uses Neighbor Discovery for neighbor resolution. DNS is about translating names to IPs, not about routing decisions.