The Eldrim Cards by lifesketcher

read until chapter 97 before i dropped. the power system seems interesting but progress is very slow until now atleast. the novel starts basically with the mc reaching cultivation stage 1 in the first chapter, and ch 97 he has 3% progress towards reaching lvl 2.

now im fairly certain theres gonna be some quick progression events soon, and he is capable of fighting above his level also, but the tempo certainly isnt very fast regardless.

you can get used to the dialogue, but it feels fairly cheesy, i wasnt a fan. you can get a feel for the way the characters talk in the first chapter, just know it stays that way.

the society they live in is also very unreasonable... all people are atleast stage 1, they reach it by the age of 14-17 or so, and many people train for higher levels, also a lot of people in the army since the country is governed by their military as the country constantly has to send people to the frontlines.

for some reason however, all the techniques are restricted...?? main character learns some technique that can help him a lot even at stage 1, given to him by his teacher, and he has to burn the papers after since its restricted information... and it wasnt even something crazy. just a basic method to better control his aether (mana), that it seems like most people who cultivated even a little bit would quickly reach access to. for a world where people constantly die and every student is encouraged to reach higher levels, its a bit unreasonable for all the info to be restricted.

Is that shit or no? I am not korean, but synopsis feels too long and doesn't help to decide.

Well I am loving the innkeeper so might give this a shot. Innkeeper was shit but idk somehow I kept reading now hooked

I was excited to see the high rating, but I was overwhelmed by the descriptions in only the first episode.

Very happy this got added great story here and I really think our MC has all the tools for greatness. The set up and world building are amazing in this story and happy to watch it rock

“Hmph… so the Yin–Yang Sect raises its banner here.”

This Wanderer greets you...not as an invader, but as the Last Disciple of the Enchanted Lotus Pavilion, a sect long fallen because it refused to bow to false balance.

You preach Yin and Yang, yet I must ask:

If a man spreads vulgarity as scripture,
peddles scams as cultivation manuals,
and sows hatred like demonic qi.....

is it balance to grant him mercy?
Or is it merely convenience dressed as virtue?

You call it compassion when you upvote all alike.
I call it watering poison and flowers from the same cup, then acting surprised when the garden rots.

True balance is not blindness.
True Yin does not shelter corruption,
and true Yang does not shine upon filth indiscriminately.

If your sect believes morality and immorality deserve equal incense, then do not name it Yin–Yang.

Name it what it is: Indifference Dao,
where judgment is abandoned and responsibility dissolved.

This land was never claimed by decree. It is claimed by discernment.

Now tell me, Daoist of Balance (Overlord)—
when a demon smiles and a cultivator bleeds,
do you still clap for both and call it harmony?

The Eldrim Cards is one of those novels that reveals its nature slowly.... like an old formation you don’t notice until you’re already standing inside it.

This is not a novel that chases dopamine. It doesn’t sprint, it walks, and sometimes it deliberately stops to stare at its own world. For some readers, this is patience-testing. For others, this is exactly where the flavor lies.

The author’s hand is experienced.... unsurprising, given this is the same mind behind The Innkeeper. The prose is clean, controlled, and confident. There is no frantic edge-lording here, no hollow mystique for the sake of looking deep. When things are left unexplained, it’s less negligence and more a deliberate refusal to spoon-feed. Whether that feels like intrigue or irritation depends entirely on the reader’s temperament.

The worldbuilding is where the novel truly earns its keep. Culture, social hierarchy, historical scars — none of it feels decorative. People behave the way they do because the world made them that way. Betrayal, vengeance, ambition..... these themes don’t arrive screaming; they seep in quietly, like dampness in old stone.

The power system, however, is divisive. Cards. Grimoires. External tools.
Some will find it restrictive, even immersion-breaking. Others will appreciate the structure and the strategic ceiling it creates. This is not raw qi roaring through meridians.....it’s measured, symbolic, and cerebral.

Pacing is the true gatekeeper. The story is slow, unapologetically so. A hundred chapters in, and the protagonist is still young.... not weak, not stupid, but unrushed. Growth here is foundational, not explosive. If you demand immediate ascension, this path will frustrate you. If you enjoy watching roots dig deep before the tree rises, you’ll be rewarded.

As for the characters.... the protagonist stands firm, intelligent, driven, and observant. Side characters vary: some are vivid and memorable, others feel quieter, orbiting the protagonist rather than burning with independent fire. There are glimpses of greatness.... teachers, parents, companions....and you can sense the author laying groundwork rather than cashing it in early.

Verdict:
This is not a novel for binge-hungry cultivators seeking instant breakthroughs.
This is for readers who enjoy process, weight, and worlds that breathe.

Drink slowly.
Those who rush will complain the wine is weak.
Those who savor will realize it was never meant to burn the throat.

— Daoist Inkdrunk wanderer,
Brush dipped in stolen wine,
strokes crooked from divine intoxication

I don’t get this obsession with harem vs. not harem. As if removing a harem suddenly makes a novel “deep” or “well written,” or adding one magically makes it worth reading 😂

Someone on Reddit even said that novels are all the same anyway, so the only reason to keep reading is the excitement a harem brings, and that if a novel is labeled “not harem” from the start, it already feels boring and gets dropped.

Even Reverend Insanity have harem.

Beware... This land has been seized for the exclusive use of my Yin-Yang sect.

I'll review this for you guys, so far 367 chapter in the story is quite good, compared to the innkeeper this is more focused on the story it self. The MC is still a kid so there is a room to grow, though i don't quite like him right now. The pace is slow 300 chapter in still at the first realm of power (there are 6 realm introduced so far). The power system is unique and the power shown are really cool and uncommon like in the innkeeper.

So far 7/10

Give it a try if you like the innkeeper