There's the possibility that there are billions of people each in their own little Beacon and we would never know because we can only see and explore for a certain distance in any direction. I wouldn't think this likely, but anything could be the case.

It seems that this isn't the afterlife at all. I do not feel dead, I still must eat and rest as I did in life. Being dead we should not even be required to breathe.

[Wow Cao Pi that is truly horrific, thanks for that nightmare fuel.]

I do wonder what happened to those that died and did not return. Are they now in the real afterlife? Were they returned to their worlds? There's likely no way of knowing, but I can't help but think about it.