At that moment, Mark lagged far behind Dustin. "Damn it! Do they have wheels for legs or what?!" he exclaimed, running at full speed, livid at being overtaken. Unbeknownst to Mark, Dustin was deliberately restraining his pace.

Despite his frantic pursuit, Mark's stamina soon failed; he had expended his energy far too rapidly. He understood his inability to match Metal Mask's strength, given the aura the man exuded, but Dustin's youth puzzled him. A sovereign-grade fighter should have reached his limit; how could Dustin possess such boundless energy?

Just as Mark's self-doubt intensified, he rejoiced at Dustin's dramatic slowdown. "You finally used up your energy, didn't you?" he sneered.

Dustin, however, frowned, noticing that Metal Mask had slowed once he realized he couldn't be shaken. Seeing his chance, Mark summoned his own energy, accelerating dramatically. With a graceful flip, he landed before Dustin, extending an arm and a frosty expression as the wind howled.

Bam!

The attack blasted a hole before Dustin, forcing him to halt. "Dustin, you can't run anymore! You're out of energy, aren't you?" Mark jeered.

Dustin's face fell. He hadn't considered the Bones family fighter a serious threat, dismissing him, but Mark's persistent pursuit had crossed a line.

"Boy, you're arrogant. You disrespect the Martial League Overseer, and you destroyed the Bones family's Dragon Pendant! You must have a death wish!" Mark declared menacingly. "I'll give you a choice: hand over Apollo's martial arts techniques and insights, or pay for offending the Bones family!" His true desire was Apollo's legacy.

With an icy stare, Dustin stepped forward. "Move, or die," he said coldly.

Mark's face darkened, his murderous intent palpable. The Bones family's prestige, and Mark's own considerable power, fueled his pride; he had never before faced such blatant disrespect.

"You ignorant brat!" Mark scoffed, preparing to teach Dustin a lesson.

Boom!

A terrifying aura erupted from Dustin, engulfing the area like a tidal wave. Mark's eyes widened in stunned disbelief. Metal Mask's aura had been frightening, but Dustin's was far more terrifying.

"You..." Mark's arrogance crumbled, replaced by stark fear. He was a sovereign-grade fighter, among the strongest, yet he trembled before this aura.

"You're... a Martial Saint!" Mark finally managed to shout, summoning his remaining strength. He nearly fainted from the sheer terror. A Martial Saint, so young? Was this a dream? A hallucination? He questioned his reality. He'd been chasing a Martial Saint all along.

Panic-stricken, Mark wanted to flee, regretting his pursuit; he'd been chasing his own death.

"Thinking about leaving now?" Dustin asked with cold indifference, pushing his hand forward.

The force sent stones flying, the wind howling, leaving a massive crater in the ground as Mark landed at its bottom.