As time passed, the Evil Spirit Orca clan grew increasingly restless. More and more orcas began to linger near the sunken ship, their presence becoming more frequent.
Within the Sea Spider clan, discord also began to brew. Ever since Fang Chang ordered them to stay within the nest, the Sea Spiders had been confined to the dark depths beneath the sunken ship.
Occasionally, they were allowed to venture out for a breath of fresh air and a glimpse of the outside world. But even then, they were restricted to a ten-meter radius around the ship.
Such conditions would be unbearable even for humans, let alone soul beasts with limited intelligence.
Gradually, some Sea Spider clan members began to test the limits, attempting to break through the web traps Fang Chang had set, hoping to sneak outside.
Fang Chang was well aware of this but chose not to intervene, seemingly allowing them to do as they pleased.
This news quickly reached the Evil Spirit Orca King. By now, the injuries it had sustained during its battle with the Demon Soul Great White Shark King had mostly healed, and its confidence was growing.
The Evil Spirit Orca King was losing patience with the Sea Spider clan's stubborn defense of the sunken ship. However, it dared not launch a full-scale attack, fearing it would fall into Fang Chang's trap and meet the same fate as the Demon Soul Great White Shark clan.
When it heard that some Sea Spider clan members were trying to escape the web traps, the Evil Spirit Orca King became intrigued. It sent more of its clansmen to patrol the waters around the sunken ship day and night.
The orcas assigned to this task had been circling the Sea Spider clan's territory for some time without encountering any attacks.
Their vigilance gradually waned, and they began to regain their former arrogance as the rulers of the ocean.
Then, one day, two Sea Spider clan members, each with around a thousand years of soul power, took advantage of a break to slip through the web traps and venture outside.
But before they could celebrate, they were horrified to see two Evil Spirit Orcas charging straight at them.
The two Sea Spiders had only managed to poke their heads and half their bodies out of the web, with the rest of their bodies and eight legs still trapped inside. They immediately tried to retreat.
The two orcas, however, refused to let them go. They surged forward, plunging into the web.
Just as they were about to bite down on the Sea Spiders and the web, they were shocked to find their jaws unable to close.
Not only that, but their bodies also became entangled in the web. The more they struggled, the tighter the web wrapped around them.
In no time, the two orcas were completely immobilized, wrapped up like dumplings in the web trap.
Three other orcas nearby saw their companions in trouble and rushed to help.
The web traps Fang Chang had set were incredibly intricate, with strands interwoven in a complex pattern.
Unlike humans, orcas didn't have hands. They could only use their mouths to try and free their trapped comrades.
This led to the rescuers becoming ensnared themselves, worsening the situation.
The two terrified Sea Spiders stared in shock at the scene before them. One cautiously extended a leg to poke one of the trapped orcas.
The orca's struggles frightened the Sea Spiders, causing them to retreat back into the web and return to the safety of their nest.
Meanwhile, inside the sunken ship, Fang Chang and the Golden Trio were observing the situation through holes in the ship's hull.
Seeing that all five orcas were trapped, they felt reassured and continued with their preparations.
The ship began to tremble again, the vibrations starting from the left side, moving to the center, and then to the right.
At the same time, chaos erupted within the Evil Spirit Orca clan. News of the five trapped orcas quickly spread, and the Evil Spirit Orca King was furious.
It had repeatedly warned its clan to be cautious of the web traps and to stay away from the sunken ship, but its worst fears had come true.
Despite its anger, the Evil Spirit Orca King quickly calmed itself and led a large group of orcas to the sunken ship.
With fewer than a hundred clan members left, thanks to Fang Chang's earlier actions, every orca was precious. They couldn't afford to lose even one.
"Brother Fang Chang~" the Evil Spirit Orca King called out in a low voice, its tone almost ingratiating, as it approached the web traps.
But after two minutes, there was no response from the sunken ship.
The Evil Spirit Orca King's chest heaved with frustration. It glanced at its five trapped clansmen, now too exhausted to struggle, and then back at the ship.
"Brother Fang Chang!" it called again, this time with a firmer tone, laced with a mix of threat and coldness.
Inside the ship, Fang Chang heard the call but chose not to respond. He stretched out his eight legs, wrapping them around the Golden Trio.
"Aren't you going to check on them?" Little Gold asked telepathically, her voice tinged with worry.
In her view, the Evil Spirit Orca clan was a formidable force in the ocean, even stronger than the Demon Soul Great White Sharks. If a battle broke out here, the Sea Spider clan would suffer heavy losses.
"Not yet," Fang Chang replied, patting her head with one of his legs to reassure her. "If we fought the Evil Spirit Orcas anywhere else, even if we won, our clan would be nearly wiped out."
"But here, the orcas won't have an easy time. That's exactly what I'm counting on."
Seeing the confidence in Fang Chang's eyes, Little Gold said no more. After the battle at Sea God Island, she had come to trust Fang Chang even more. If he was confident, she was willing to take the risk.
After waiting for a long time with no response from Fang Chang, the Evil Spirit Orca King gritted its teeth in frustration.
It dropped the polite tone and got straight to the point. "Fang Chang, release my five clansmen, and we'll leave today as if nothing happened. Otherwise, you'd better think carefully about the consequences."
"No," came the reply from the ship. The response only fueled the Evil Spirit Orca King's anger. "My children are hungry."
"You!" the Evil Spirit Orca King snarled. It had always been the orcas who preyed on other soul beasts. Never had a mere Sea Spider dared to threaten them like this.
Although they knew the Sea Spiders had stolen the bodies of their fallen clansmen to use as food, they had never openly admitted it.
But now, Fang Chang was brazenly declaring that he would feed its living clansmen to his children, leaving no room for negotiation.
The Evil Spirit Orca King took a deep breath and issued a command to its clan. "Attack."
At its order, the orcas, who had long been eager to exact revenge on the Sea Spiders, surged forward, charging toward the sunken ship.
Inside the ship, Fang Chang stretched lazily and leaned closer to Little Gold's auditory organ. "Later, we'll merge to repel the enemy."
Hearing this, Little Gold's face flushed, and she nodded shyly.