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The fantasy K-drama Alchemy of Souls Season 2 is coming to an end, but there is still one major dilemma. Nak-su’s soul is in jeopardy of vanishing for good if Bu-yeon retrieves all of her divine powers and wins back control of her body. An Alchemy of Souls Season 2 theory suggests Nak-su has been gaining control from the start, but Master Lee reveals how Hwansu could also save her.

Leading character Jang Uk in 'Alchemy of Souls' Season 2.
Leading character Jang Uk in ‘Alchemy of Souls’ Season 2 || via tvN

Master Lee theorizes Bu-yeon has been regaining her divine powers first

The powerful mage was responsible for helping Lady Jin reinforce Nak-su’s torrent of power to save Bu-yeon’s body. As a result, Bu-yeon’s body and blood were saved and took on the appearance of the inhabiting soul, Nak-su. But Nak-su has lost her memories.

Master Lee theorized that if Bu-yeon’s body regains its divine powers, Nak-sus’s memories will follow. He later reveals the truth he had never mentioned to Lady Jin. Bu-yeon’s soul was not fully erased from the body, and she is trying to regain her divine powers. He reveals to Seo Yul that Bu-yeon has been using Nak-su from the start to drain her energy. It explains why Bu-yeon intercepted Nak-su’s Alchemy of Souls in the first season.

The biggest shocker came when in Alchemy of Souls Season 2 Episode 7, Master Lee revealed to Seo Yul that Nak-su’s soul will soon be gone for good as he believes Bu-yeon is reawakening. He also reveals in Alchemy of Souls Season 2 that Jang Uk has the ability to save his love with Hwansu.

Jang Uk possesses the power of Hwansu in ‘Alchemy of Souls’ Season 2

In Alchemy of Souls, there are four stages of magic. All mages are capable of harnessing a few of the stages, but almost no one is capable of performing Hwansu. It is considered a forbidden form of sorcery as it is a similar process to the Alchemy of Souls, minus the soul ejector and Ice Stone.

Master Lee reveals to Seo Yul that Jang Uk will grieve something far worse than losing his loved one again. “He possesses the power of Hwansu. If he wants, he can get rid of Jin Bu-yeon’s soul from that body and keep Nak-su’s soul,” explains Master Lee. He explains that Jang Uk will be in agony over having the ability to save her but cannot.

Hwansu is forbidden as it is the process of moving one soul to another body. The Ice Stone allows the ability to use a process similar to Hwansu without the training thanks to the soul ejector. Nak-su has never received the true form of Hwansu.

Master Lee explains Jang Uk possesses Hwansu because he has the Ice Stone in Alchemy of Souls Season 2. The Ice Stone has given him unfathomable powers and brought him back to life. Jang Uk has already reached Hwansu. With the king’s orders, Jang Uk is forbidden from using the Ice Stone’s powers against others. He could use Hwansu to remove Bu-yeon’s soul.

Master Lee is one of the few mages who mastered Hwansu

Alongside Chisu, Hwansu is the last level of magic almost no mage can master. It requires immense dedication as it requires the mage to move their souls without the Ice Stone. In Alchemy of Souls Episode 15, fans learned Master Lee is a soul shifter, but not because of the stone.

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Master Lee looks incredibly young for a reason. Back in the day, he was meditating for 100 days straight. At the end of his mediation, he tested the possibility that he had reached Hwansu. But his pupil, Heo Yeom, mistook his limp body for being dead. In reality, Master Lee had reached Hwansu, and his soul had left his body.

Realizing Heo Yeom was burning his body, he shifted his soul into an orphaned young boy who had died from the cold. Due to the circumstances of using Hwansu and the boy’s soul already gone, Master Lee never petrified. Fans will have to see how Jang Uk will save Nak-su, or will she save herself?

Alchemy of Souls Season 2 is available on Netflix.

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