1509. Sphere
The Will-consuming runes were the only method capable of suppressing Noah's ambition. They could destroy his emotions and turn him into nothing more than a breathing corpse.
The procedure was hazardous for Noah. He wasn't a heroic cultivator anymore. His ambition was his very existence, so depleting it could lead to his death.
Still, the black hole managed to prevent any unfavorable outcome. The organ forced Noah's centers of power to function even when his law lost strength. It kept him alive until his ambition returned.
Noah couldn't transform the red crystal while he was in that state. His only option was to amass the dark powder generated by destroying his ethereal figure in the dark world. Once he had enough of that substance, he could approach the second phase of the procedure.