Mods limit on Mod Organizer 2 (AE)

[Nethertale]

I just realized my SSE (AE GOG 1.6.1179) Crashes whenever it passes through 481 mods (Independent from esm, esp & esl numbers).

 

The CTD is: After loading Main Menu screen for like 3 seconds and before loading options (Load Game, etc) the game instanly close.

 

I even created empty files as mods to check and saw even with empty files, as soon as it reaches 482 mods, CTD happens.

 

 

So my questions are: 

1_ What is this unwritten limit? How to fix/bypass it?

2_ I have so many like USSEP patches, Voice packs and other patch like dependent mods, is there any way to merge these with their main mod so I'll have the same plugins but less mods active? For example Lucien has CC patch, Bruma patch, Beyond reach patch, etc

 

Btw, I ain't no modder, all my gamefile edit experience lies in notepad++ so pls explain step by step