Long Feng, Grand Secretariat + Umbral Collar Zealot

Long Feng, Grand Secretariat

Umbral Collar Zealot

How it works

1. Activate Umbral Collar Zealot by sacrificing a persist creature that doesn't have a -1/-1 counter on it.
2. When the creature dies, its persist ability and Long Feng trigger.
3. Resolve the Long Feng trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on the other persist creature.
4. Resolve the persist trigger, returning the creature from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
5. Resolve the Umbral Collar Zealot ability.
6. Repeat.

This clever loop uses Umbral Collar Zealot as a repeatable sacrifice outlet that feeds a persist creature directly into the graveyard, generating an endless cascade of leaves-the-battlefield and death triggers. Because Long Feng, Grand Secretariat watches for your permanents hitting the graveyard, its triggered ability puts a +1/+1 counter on your other creatures every single time a sacrifice occurs. This completely neutralizes the dreaded -1/+1 counter that normally locks a persist creature out of returning, allowing the cycle to repeat indefinitely for boundless surveil value and endless sacrifices.