Alchemy of Souls (환혼) is a 2022 Korean fantasy drama which is set in the imaginary world of Daeho. The story revolves around young magicians who are to carry the burden of the past. Starring Lee Jae-wook, Jung So-min and Hwang Min-hyun, the show premiered on tvN on Jun 18, 2022. The show will have 20 episodes and it takes over tvN’s Saturday-Sunday 9 PM KST timeslot previously occupied by Our Blues. Alchemy of Souls episode 18 has a runtime of 72 minutes.
Netflix describes the series as:
A POWERFUL SORCERESS IN A BLIND WOMAN’S BODY ENCOUNTERS A MAN FROM A PRESTIGIOUS FAMILY, WHO WANTS HER HELP TO CHANGE HIS DESTINY.
-Alchemy of Souls Episode 18 Recap contains spoilers-
Alchemy of Souls episode 18 starts with Park Jin’s suspicion about Mu-deok who smiled when selected to experiment upon the powers of the ice stone. Elsewhere, the queen and Jin Mu are rejoicing in their plans of escaping with the ice stone by getting the queen to soul shift.
However, Jin Mu can’t help noticing the similarities between Mu-deok and Jin Bu-yeon. Coming back to the scene which ended the last episode, after getting shocked from hearing the word “Mother” from Mu-deok, Jin Ho-kyung calls out Jin Bu-yeon’s name.
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While Jin Mo is shocked that the ice stone that is moving toward Mu-deok is not the doing of the queen, once again reminding him of Jin Bu-yeon. So Yi then rushes to hit the ice stone.
However, this sweeps the two into a tornado and they soon disappear. But this storm has only changed its location to Jeongjingak, creating a barrier around the place.
Inside Jeongjingak, the mages along with Seo Yul, Jang Uk and the crown prince are surprised by the sudden fog and beautiful flowers that has surrounded them. Heo Yoon-ok also meets the group and they all split to find out what has happened.
However, they soon realise that the barrier cannot be crossed. Right then, a mage brings along So Yi who is followed by Mu-deok to everyone. The mages have gathered outside the barrier and are worried for the people trapped inside.
Back inside, the crown prince questions So Yi about her arrival inside the barrier but she avoids the question by telling them that she doesn’t remember. After she leaves, Jang Uk tries to question Mu-deok but she too avoids it by saying that she had always been in Jeongjingak.
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She is then told to prepare some refreshments for the crown prince, but when she goes to prepare some tea, we see her using her energy. She remembers her time inside the storm where she met the young Jin Bu-yeon, but did not recognise her.
She is told that she is inside the ice stone which does not have any shape, form or size. When she questions if she has the ice stone, the real Jin Bu-yeon appears in front of her and tells her that no one can own the ice stone but can only use its powers. She warns Mu-deok about the burden she will have to carry but the latter is ready no matter what.
Mu-deok questions if she is a relic from Jinyowon but Jin Bu-yeon lets her know that Naksu is just a soul living in her body. After this, she disappears and Mu-deok finds herself inside Jeongjingak.
Back in the present, she continues to behave in a servile manner the way she has been doing all this time. While she tries to stop herself from behaving in such a manner, she can’t help the habit that has been formed during this whole time. She is then told to prepare some snacks for everyone and considering this as her last task as Mu-deok, she goes ahead.
In the kitchen, she thinks about how she can be anyone she wants by shifting her soul into their body, Be it the king, Jin Mu or Park Jin, she can be anyone. But suddenly, she remembers Jang Uk and decides to head to say her goodbyes to him.
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While she has the whole conversation prepared in her mind, when she starts talking to him, it goes in a different direction. Jang Uk has realised that they are inside the ice stone and expresses his fear of being left behind by Mu-deok. The conversation is then interrupted by Heo Yoon-ok and he goes along with her to where the forbidden books are kept.
Back in the training centre, the various heads of the families give the order to bring the mages at home to Songrim to prepare for a fight for the ice stone. Elsewhere, Park Dang-gu and Jin Cho-yeon arrive at Songrim only to find out about the barrier.
In Jeongjingak, So Yi is worried about having her identity revealed when Seo Yul comes to meet her. During the conversation with her, he can’t help pitying So Yi who has become a pawn for Jin Mu.
Elsewhere, Park Jin is told about the soul shifter who has escaped from Sejukwon. The same soul shifter who captures So Yi in Jeongjingak, but lets her go when she tells him that she is with Jin Mu and promises to get the mages to him. He then asks about Seo Yul but she denies his presence inside the barrier.
She then plans to bring Mu-deok to him. Outside the building, the crown prince complains about the snacks prepared by Mu-deok. Then one of the mages volunteers to perform a technique which has some fancy movements. However, during the performance, he feels his energy depleting which then makes him fall unconscious.
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The group then realises that the barrier is taking away their energy each time they try to use it. In Cheonbugwan, Jang Kang is recognised as the Gwanju and makes his way to the secret room inside. There he remembers what happened years back when the ice stone became the reason he lost his wife and friend.
He then tries to seal Jin Mu’s energy flow but does not go through with it which becomes a regret. In Jeongjingak, Mu-deok realises that if she tries to soul shift then the ice stone barrier will drain the energy of everyone present inside which will kill them all.
She thinks about the burden of their deaths that she will have to carry and decides to say her farewell to them all. Starting with the crown prince to whom she first apologises because his energy was drained too. He then tries to let her know of his feelings for her in a roundabout way, but when she does not understand, he gives up and walks away.
Later, So Yi tells her to get blankets from a room where the soul shifter is waiting for his next victim. On the way, she meets So Yul and scolds him when he messes up the fire in the brazier. As the two talks, she tells herself that he too will die. She tells herself that she had cut ties with him as Naksu and will do so again.
Near the barrier, the crown prince throws a rock at the barrier and it passes through which shocks Jang Uk. He then tells him to throw a rock with a message so that someone can get them out.
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Inside, So Yi asks Mu-deok about the blanket and is told that Seo Yul is getting them. This shocks So Yi who goes to stop him from meeting the soul shifter. While she reaches him before he can enter the room, their voice makes the soul shifter come out. So Yi screams and attracts the attention of the other mages while Seo Yul is attacked.
The soul shifter is able to use his energy which leaves Seo Yul in a bad position. Heo Yoon-ok then arrives and burns the soul shifter to help the two escape and the other mages arrive right behind them. They try to fight the soul shifter but are unable to suppress him as he takes away the energy of two mages.
They somehow manage to escape with a badly wounded Seo Yul and shock Jang Uk and the crown prince. The mages tell them that the soul shifter was able to use energy and Jang Uk reaches the conclusion that this place has the opposite effect on soul shifters. He then remembers Mu-deok’s words about her regaining her powers and asks about her.
Mu-deok, after an inner struggle, decides to help the mages in defeating the soul shifter. But when she comes back she gets to know that Jang Uk had devised a plan to lock the soul shifter in the secret room by luring him there.
Alchemy of Souls Episode 18 Ending
Alchemy of Souls episode 18 ends with Mu-deok being shocked and rushing to him, even when the crown prince tries to stop her, she reminds him of his words to not be persistent about her. She then picks up her sword and rushes to Jang Uk.
Upon arriving at the secret room, she sees the door closed with a pool of blood on the ground and assumes that Jang Uk is dead. She opens the doors and uses Tansu to attack the soul shifter, defeating him very soon.
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With tears in her eyes, she then walks inside the room but doesn’t find Jang Uk there. She realises that he is alive and sees him standing behind her.
He asks her why she did not tell him that her powers are back, to which she says that she would have killed him. When he asks why she came to save him then she shares her fear of him being killed.
He then reminds her of the promise to stab him when she unsheathes the sword, but she is unable to do so. Mu-deok then tells him to give her the promise if she failed. He then goes forward and kisses her.
The two share a passionate yet desperate kiss at this moment and the episode comes to an end.
Alchemy of Souls Episode 18 Review
As always Alchemy of Souls does not disappoint us which only makes me more scared for the nearing end. A whole stream on Wow! moments is what I got from this episode which left me shaking with excitement after I was done watching it.
Mu-deok has grown attached to her life right now which makes it hard for her to sacrifice the lives of the people she knows. However, she is still able to do it, but things are not the same when it comes to Jang Uk. And today, she finally accepts and expresses her feelings towards the end.
Jin Ho-kyung too has realised who Mu-deok really is and I wonder what her plans are when the two come out of the barrier.
Jin Mu too must have realised something, after all, he is a smart man and not one to miss out on the finest details. With so many similarities between Jin Bo-yeon and Mu-deok, there is no way that he is going to let go of this.
This brings me to the queen whose name is enough to depict her power, Jin Bo-yeon. The majestic aura that Jung So-min shows in every scene of her as Jin Bu-yeon is breathtaking and this actress has done a wonderful job in this show. The wise priestess who knows it all.
And looks like history is going to repeat itself, with Jang Uk repeating what master Seo Gyeong had done for the one he loved. The two who were born under the King’s star and fell in love with the priestess of Jinyowon, will not regret using the ice stone for the one they love.
This is only making the show more exciting and this week-long wait is only going to be torture.
What did you think about today’s episode? Let us know in the comments below!
Alchemy Of Souls is streaming on Netflix.
Check out all of the other Alchemy of Souls reviews here.
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Just don’t kill Jung So Min in the last episodes ㅜㅜ