Kathryn_51

I interpreted Master Lee worrying about JBY's body clashing with Naksu's soul and that she might go wild. Assuming JBY is dead, her soul can no longer control Naksu's energy. but since writers have upended most other "rules", who knows what he really meant.

Jin Mu fought JU in the constellation room at Cheonbugwan, but even then it was more sorcery/illusion than spells. I believe he gave all of his energy to Mu-deok in Ep. 20, thus as far as we know (and what writers have shown - or failed to show), he no longer has mage energy.

I think writers made it clear that Jin Mu has a soft spot for her because she was probably the only person who has treated him with kindness.

I was invested at one time but glad I lost interest early on - made Part 1 much easier to watch as a complete drama than simply a tragic romance.

I've been worried about Park Jin from the beginning, especially now that Jang Uk is about to kill a bunch of mages.

Cho-yeon and Dang-gu will get married and that will be happy ending for me. 🥰

No idea about Jang Uk or Bu-yeon, but if one or both dies, it will be to save Daeho and therefor noble and at least bittersweet.

Some folks were born to analyze (I'm one of them). See Myers-Briggs personality test. It makes us happy. 😀

I don't mind spoilers. 😀 Last June, I had lots of time to watch and theorize. This time around, very little time and no interest in the main couple. But anything to do with Jin Mu, Jinyowon, the real Jin Bu-yeon is of interest. And your comment confirms what I have long believed - all roads lead back to Jin Seol-ran.

Winter - Thanks - I was pretty sure I could count on you. Now I know what to look for.😀

I have a favor to ask. Yesterday, I planned to sit down and watch all of Ep. 5 and 6 with no distractions and the ability to re-wind/re-watch to carefully read the subs. Didn't happen - didn't even get to sit down with the TV remote. I'm still washing dishes and cleaning up after Christmas. 😍

The favor: at what point(s?) did the characters discuss the fire bird and/or a fire bird "egg". According to comments below it has something to do with the rain dance.

Since the show is released at 6:00 am where I live, I was able to FF through the eps for a few minutes early in the morning on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The stupid turtle got more screen time than ChoDang. 😢😒😢

Yes, I agree. Cho-yeon and Dang-gu are my favorite characters and I was horrified - until I realized this might be a chance for Dang-gu to rescue his beloved. 😀

Also, the Queen never stole a body - she was a "victim", although given the opportunity she wouldn't hesitate to soul shift if she could.

The FF button is my friend. But Episodes 5 & 6 looked interesting and there were apparently major movements in characters and their stories. So, during Christmas week, I'm going to finally sit down and watch w/no interruptions or distractions. [Absolutely impossible for me during pre-Christmas and Christmas weekend.]

Answer: Master Heo discovered a method for stopping soul-shifter petrification. His grand-daughter (Heo Yoon Ok) has been treating her for three years.

I wouldn't mind either.

I re-read my comment and realized I wasn't clear about JBY. As others noted, she IS dead. I'm unhappy writers killed her off so quickly in Part. 2 and no, I don't believe that was the original script when the show was first pitched to tvN. But this is where we are today. The point I was attempting to make is that the innocent (truly innocent) Jin Bu-yeon is dead, dead, dead and Jang Uk/Naksu are going on with their lives although they should be dead as well.

"Shadow and light" are "inseparable" (as tvN continues to tell us). In order to save Daeho, it will take the combination ("inseparable") of Jang Uk's energy (from either the ice stone, King's Star or both) and Naksu energy/JBY's "divine power". End game is murky. Master Lee ought to be the one who sacrifices himself since he was willing to sacrifice others. Maybe Jang Uk soul switches into Master Lee's body, lol. End game is murky.

Except Cho-yeon and Dang-gu get married and have boy/girl twins. As with everything else with these two, it may all happen off screen and only show up in some epilogue, but I'm 90% sure of this happy ending.
😍😍

That stupid turtle has had more screen time than my favorite characters.

Master Lee was ready to kill her AND Jang Uk if necessary.

How many times did viewers (or, at least folks here on MDL) say that Jin Bu-yeon didn't deserve to live/survive because she shouldn't have been born in the first place - it was "alchemy of souls" that gave her life.

Naksu should have died - but she used the "alchemy of souls" (Soul Ejector) in an attempt to save her life by killing another.

Jang Uk's birth was also the result of the "alchemy of souls". He also died - but was reborn due to the ice stone.

The title is "Alchemy of Souls". I don't know how this will end but I don't think the writers planned a story where JBY dies and JU/Naksu get a blissful happy ending with lots of kiddoes running around. At this point, it seems that it will take all the power/energy of all "three" to save Daeho and (I'm guessing) destroy the ice stone.

In Part 1, several mysteries were slowly revealed - the ice stone, Soul Ejectors, the various relationships, Jang Uk's growth as a mage. Part 2 has been going around in circles, although Ep. 5 introduced some changes in relationships.