Question to F-1 students. Can I take 8 hours in-person classes plus one online that is 4 hours?

I emailed SEVP, but their answer was pretty much just a repetition of the policy.

only one class or three credits during each term or semester may count toward a full course of study for an F-1 student if the class is taken online or through distance learning.

So my understanding is that if I take one online class that is four credit hours, I can take only 8 in-person/hybrid classes. Am I right? Has anyone tried doing so?

Btw my DSO keeps telling me I must have at least 9 hours of in-person/hybrid, so I'm really confused. I want to take as many online classes as possible cuz it can save a lot of time