The Shen and Su families conspire to cripple Shen Han by giving him an overly potent Bone Tempering Pill at a public banquet, hoping his frail body will shatter under the strain. Liu Xilan, the senior disciple of Xiaoyao Peak, senses something wrong and tries to intervene, but Shen Han has already used his extraction ability to remove the Overly Potent prefix from the pill. He swallows it, enduring immense pain as his bones are tempered. Liu Xilan, moved by his silent suffering, gives him a soothing pill to ease the agony. To the shock of Madam He and Madam Xie, Shen Han survives the bone tempering and successfully enters the Ninth Grade of the Martial Path. The conspiracy fails, but the Shen Family's hatred for Shen Han deepens, as he has now demonstrated both resilience and hidden talent.

Madam He and Madam Xie frame Shen Han for stealing valuable jewelry, planting the items in his room and having him arrested. In the courtroom, Prefect Xu, who is sympathetic to Shen Han due to the Imperial Family's hidden agenda, presides over the trial. Madam Xie testifies against him, but Shen Han turns the tables by claiming he witnessed her in a compromising act with a servant. The accusation is a lie, but it creates enough scandal to force the court to drop the case. Shen Lei, Madam Xie's son, attacks Shen Han in a rage, but Shen Han's Ninth Grade strength allows him to block the punch. The Shen Family is humiliated, and Madam Xie's reputation is ruined by the spreading rumors. Prefect Xu, impressed by Shen Han's quick thinking, invites him to his home and offers him protection, signaling that the Imperial Family wants Shen Han alive to maintain leverage over the Shen and Su families.

Shen Ao, the ten-year-old prodigy of the Shen Family and an Eighth Grade scholar, returns from the capital specifically to cripple Shen Han. He uses his Words Become Law ability to force Shen Han to kneel, but Shen Han's spiritual power, honed through visualizing the Celestial Dao Sword Momentum, is stronger than Shen Ao's. He resists the command and, in a shocking display, uses the Flying Sword Soaring Heaven Momentum to counter Shen Ao's attack, sending the boy flying and injuring him. The Shen Family elders are furious, but Shen Han's strength is now undeniable. He has broken through to the Eighth Grade of the Martial Path, surpassing Shen Ao in both power and spiritual cultivation. The Old Dowager is forced to intervene, but Shen Han's victory has shifted the balance of power within the family, earning him a grudging measure of respect from the servants and fear from his enemies.

At the Thousand-Autumn Grand Gathering, a prestigious competition where young talents ascend the Thousand-Autumn Steps, Shen Han shocks the entire Great Wei by climbing to the eightieth step. He surpasses Su Jinyu, who only reached the sixtieth, and demonstrates mastery over the trials of killing intent, insight, and perseverance. During the ascent, assassins hired by the Shen Family attack him, but Su Jinyu, acting on a moment of conscience, defends him with her sword. Shen Han's achievement forces the Shen and Su families to reconsider their plans. The Shen Family, realizing they have lost control of Shen Han, attempts to force him back through filial piety and military pressure. However, Shen Han, now protected by the Yun Family and Prefect Xu, refuses to return. The engagement with Su Jinyu remains intact, and Shen Han stands on the brink of true independence, his power and reputation now too great to be easily crushed.