The System Evolved on Its Own

"Yo! Tang Ping, you really are over here. I heard Song Fei and his crowd talking about it and didn't want to believe that you—the guy who boasted back in freshman year that you'd be a martial artist before the college entrance exams—would one day be lying on the lawn soaking up the sun. What's the matter... finally realized the reality that you'll never become a martial artist and decided to give up?"

A mocking voice drifted over from a distance, clearly aimed at Tang Ping, who was lying on the grass chewing on a blade of grass.

"Heh... look who it is. Isn't this Young Master Zhang? What's wrong... skin itching again? Want to get beaten up by me once more?" Tilting his head to glance sideways at the newcomer, Tang Ping didn't even make a move to get up.

This guy was Zhang Liu, one of the only two senior students at the Limit Martial Arts Hall in Jianyi Middle School and the principal's son. He and Tang Ping had never really gotten along.

Back when they were intermediate students, Tang Ping had thrashed him several times. After Zhang Liu broke through to become a senior student, he had come to Tang Ping full of confidence to seek revenge, only for that to become the time he was beaten the most severely.

It couldn't be helped; the reason Tang Ping could never reach the senior student level was that his physical evolution aptitude was simply too poor, even with the system's assistance.

However, his Heaven Rewards Diligence System was also effective for martial arts techniques, and his talent in that area was actually quite good. After two years of system-assisted training, he was confident that his core blade techniques and footwork were no worse than those of an average official martial artist.

It was precisely because his technique was more than a cut above that he could easily suppress Zhang Liu, who had just become a senior student.

"Hmph! In martial arts cultivation, rank is what matters most. When I become a martial artist, I'll see what qualifications you have to stand before me, you who put the cart before the horse!" Having failed to mock him and ending up mocked in return, Zhang Liu turned and walked away with a dark expression.

Come to think of it, although this Young Master Zhang Liu didn't get along with Tang Ping, he was actually a decent person. At the very least, as the principal's son, he had never once thought of using his father's power to deal with Tang Ping. He was, at least, someone who knew how to lose with grace.

"Sigh! Rank... it's not important if you say it isn't, but sometimes it really is." After Zhang Liu left, Tang Ping, still lying on the lawn, wore a melancholy expression.

Having read the original work, he naturally understood clearly that Hong, the master of the Limit Martial Arts Hall during the Earth era, valued a genius's explosive power and Trial Tower rank; physical fitness could always be improved with treasures like Dragon Blood and Spirit of Vegetation. During the cosmic era, the five giants like the Virtual Universe Company valued a genius's comprehension of laws, as physical fitness could be directly enhanced in nutrient pods.

However, to obtain those things, he first had to reach that stage to even have the opportunity to show his ability. For instance, right now, he first had to become a martial artist. After all, no powerhouse would pay attention to a little guy who wasn't even a martial artist, and currently, he simply lacked the ability to become one.

"Hey! Brother Ping, when I was walking over, I ran into that guy Zhang Liu walking away with a face like he was constipated. Did he get shut down by you again?" A somewhat chubby figure trotted over, handing Tang Ping a drink as he spoke.

"Oh, Little Ze. What's this... did you hear from others that I'd given up on martial arts and come to check on me?" Tang Ping took the drink, took a large gulp, and looked at the little fatty.

"Heh heh... how could that be? I don't believe those guys' rumors at all. I've always firmly believed that Brother Ping could become a martial artist before the college entrance exams," the little fatty Li Ze said with a silly grin.

"Get out of here. You don't need to use words even you don't believe to comfort me. I don't need your comfort either. Let's go, let's head back to class."

It was just that a cultivation fanatic who usually raced against every second had suddenly decided to lie flat—why were so many people so curious that they had to come over and take a look? He couldn't even lie down in peace, so Tang Ping simply decided to go back to class.

In the days without the system, although he felt a bit unaccustomed to it, Tang Ping had still muddled through. After all, he had lived his past life that way, hadn't he?

For a month, without system tasks, Tang Ping, having chosen to lie flat, was even less likely to choose to exercise on his own. During this time, although the instructors at the martial arts hall were a bit curious that a student who used to exercise diligently every day hadn't been seen for so long, they only mentioned it when it crossed their minds. After all, there were so many students at the hall that they couldn't keep track of them all, and besides, Tang Ping wasn't the most prominent student there.

Although Tang Ping stopped practicing martial arts without the system, considering his family situation didn't allow him to be a parasite at home, the bored Tang Ping simply picked up the academic studies he hadn't valued before, preparing to get into a university and just drift through life.

Because of this, although his parents found it strange that he stopped going to the martial arts hall after school and returned home early, they just assumed he was preparing for the college entrance exams and had temporarily set aside his martial arts training.

After returning home from school that day, Tang Ping went back to his room as usual and took out his textbooks to start self-studying.

"Heh... although my talent for martial arts is truly trash, reading and getting into university is actually quite simple for me." Thinking of this, Tang Ping's heart skipped a beat. "Damn, could it be that my physical evolution talent is poor, but my spiritual force talent is good?"

"Cough, I must be overthinking it. I've never had a headache to the point of fainting, and now that the system is gone, if I rely on my own cultivation, I might not even reach the level of a Quasi-Martial Artist in my whole life, let alone awaken spiritual force." Thinking this, Tang Ping stopped dwelling on it.

"Ding... System update complete. Please check the new features, Host."

Just as Tang Ping picked up his book again to continue studying, a "ding" sounded in his mind.

"Huh? The damn system didn't leave? It updated itself? Did it find a conscience?"

With a glimmer of hope reignited in his heart, Tang Ping hurriedly observed the changes in the system within his mind.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence System]
Host: Tang Ping
Realm: None
Task: In view of the Host's refusal of system tasks, the system will no longer issue any tasks from now on.
Update Introduction: As the Host has chosen to lie flat and no longer be diligent, the system has bound itself and cannot be detached. The diligent system will work hard to evolve on its own. After evolution, the Host can choose a certain number of 'tools' to bind. Since the system does not wish to be exposed, it will not issue tasks to the tools; instead, it will directly distribute task rewards when the tools practice diligently on their own (the Host can choose the distribution ratio of rewards between himself and the tools).
Current bindable tool capacity: 10.
Currently bound tools: 0.
Note: Only tools with strength not exceeding the Host can be bound. Binding requires physical contact with the tool (any part of the body will do).

"Oh, wow... this is great. Others work hard, and I improve." After reading the introduction to the system update, Tang Ping was so excited he wanted to jump up and cheer, but considering it was late at night and he shouldn't disturb the neighbors, he restrained himself.

"Heh heh... there are only ten slots for these tools. I need to think carefully about who to bind. First of all, they must be geniuses; otherwise, binding ten cultivation losers like myself won't change anything. Actually, the best choice is City Lord Luo, but unfortunately, I can't get anywhere near him right now. Hmm... tomorrow I have to test whether I can unbind and switch people after binding. If I can't, I have to save a few spots for City Lord Luo, Hong, and Thunder God. I wonder how this binding capacity increases—by strength improvement?"

Sitting at his desk thinking for a long time, he finally realized that many problems could only be solved through practice, so Tang Ping stopped overthinking.

"Sleep, sleep. I'll go find some tools to bind tomorrow." Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Tang Ping couldn't even be bothered to tidy up his books. He hopped onto the bed, turned off the lights, and pulled up the covers—all in one fluid motion.