The instant that thought surfaced in Qin An's mind, a heavy aura of death rose from him.
Qin An wanted to move his eyes, or even lift an arm, but he could do neither. The feeling of death clung to his bones like a festering wound, enveloping his entire body as though he had reached the end of his lifespan.
The slightest breeze would send him into death.
Qin An let out a long breath. The helplessness in his heart grew heavier, and his last trace of life faded away.
His mind went blank, and he became a corpse.
The scenery around him vanished. The people wailing in grief disappeared too, as if they had never existed.
Qin An came to his senses and found himself standing on the Reincarnation Stairway, several steps farther up than before.
He turned to look and saw that he was not alone. Everyone else had also covered a considerable distance up the Reincarnation Stairway.
Yue Wushuang stood beside him, drenched in sweat. She glanced at Qin An, lingering fear written across her face.
A realization struck Qin An. "You experienced death too?"
Yue Wushuang nodded and said without hiding it, "In a place that seemed like an illusion, I died once. A demon fox appeared to have killed me on the spot."
Qin An looked toward the other Forbidden Land Envoys.
One stood not far from them and gave them a slight nod. He had clearly experienced death just now as well.
Qin An rubbed his chin. "I understand. The Reincarnation Forbidden Land turns life into death. They want to erase us completely within the Reincarnation Stairway."
"Each death weakens our life force. If we haven't left the Reincarnation Stairway by the time we reach the top, it may be weakened to its limit.