‘Alchemy of Souls’ Theory: Is Bu-yeon the Transported Soul of the Great Jin Seol-ran?

A good part of the Alchemy of Souls K-drama storyline involves the mystery surrounding Mu-deok and Nak-su. Fans were curious as to why Nak-su’s soul shifted into the body of the blind unassuming Mu-deok during the Alchemy of Souls. The K-drama soon revealed that Mu-deok is the long-lost daughter of the Jin family, Bu-yeon. But an Alchemy of Souls theory suggests Mu-deok/Bu-yeon could be the soul of Jin Seol-ran.

[WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Alchemy of Souls.]

Mu-deok/Bu-yeon was born with the Ice Stone in ‘Alchemy of Souls’

There were a few suspicions that Mu-deok was more important than anyone realized. The theories were proven true on multiple occasions. Fans learned the Jin family had another daughter who disappeared and was blind. The K-drama storyline explains Jin Mu used a young girl to find and harness the power of the Ice Stone. The young girl was also blind but disappeared after falling into the lake.

As Jin Mu is a half-brother of the Jin family, he would have known that Bu-yeon had unique abilities. He might also know the truth about her birth. In Alchemy of Souls Episode 11, it is revealed that Bu-yeon was born at 13 months on a day Jang Gang picked.

The truth about her birth is far from ordinary. The baby was dead inside Ho-gyeong’s womb. Instead of letting her baby go, Ho-gyeong asks Jang Gang to use the Ice Stone to bring her back to life. Seeing as Bu-yeon was born, it means she was born using the Alchemy of Souls.

But a theory suggests that Bu-yeon/Mu-deok was given the soul of the powerful mage Jin Seol-ran in Alchemy of Souls.

Mu-deok/Bu-yeon is secretly a powerful mage in ‘Alchemy of Souls’

To better understand the theory, fans need a reminder of who Seol-ran is. In a flashback, Daeho experienced an unexplainable drought. To refill the lake with power, a group of mages performs a ritual leading to a hail storm. But one piece of hail did not melt. It turned into fire, then water, then back to ice, and created a black powder.

The Ice Stone created what would become the Soul Ejector powder. But the Ice Stone soon began a war. A mage named Seo Gyeong sealed the Ice Stone with what is presumed to be the help of Seol-ran. But fans are unsure of what happened to Seol-ran afterward.

Putting together the storyline that Bu-yeon/Mu-deok was born from the Ice Stone and Seol-ran is a powerful mage, a fan on Reddit has a good theory.

“There’s a theory that, since Buyeon was basically dead in her mom’s womb, and was only revived by the ice stone (which may have put another soul into the baby), she may indeed be a reincarnation of, or is actually, Jin Seol Ran. If the ice stone is to be sealed yet again or destroyed for good by Jin Seol Ran, and maybe with the help of Master Lee or Jang Uk, I’m thinking maybe Naksu will be able to be the sole owner of Buyeon’s body,” explained the fan.

Is the Seol-ran theory plausible?

Fans will likely not know the truth about Bu-yeon/Mu-deok until Alchemy of Souls ends. But clues point out that the Seol-ran theory can be true. In the K-drama, Jin Mu says that the young girl who helped him get the Ice Stone could have been a powerful priestess.

During the flashback of the Ice Stone’s history, fans see Seol-ran performing the ritual, which only a priestess can do. The K-drama also explains that the Jin family has a history of being cursed with blindness. With Bu-yeon having been born with the Ice Stone, it is plausible that Seol-ran’s soul was put into the unborn baby.

It would also help explain why Bu-yeon could find and hold the Ice Stone and why she is powerful to thwart Nak-su’s Alchemy of Souls and reside in the same body. To further the theory, Mu-deok/Bu-yeon technically had no idea of her mage powers when she lost her memories.

It leds fans to question how Bu-yeon’s soul knows so much about the powers of Daeho lake, mages, and more while Nak-su uses her body.