Crystals

Liang tore his eyes away from the mesmerizing architecture, now fully captivated by her cryptic words. The air seemed to thicken as the woman awaited a response, her eyes gleaming with a knowing light. Dong Rui mulled over the question, understanding that it was more than mere rhetoric.

"The serpent, surely, for its hunger is endless," Dong Rui ventured.

"Or the sparrow," Liang interjected thoughtfully, "for it seeks to transcend its very nature."

The woman nodded approvingly, her smile now tinged with satisfaction. "Ah, both perspectives hold truth, yet neither tells the whole story."

As her voice faded, two crystals lining the walls floated into the air, one drifting towards Liang and the other towards Dong Rui. The woman scrutinized each man for a long moment before speaking again.

"One crystal contains the law of Transformation, while the other holds the law of Devouring."