If you want to flash it manually via fastboot, you can download the latest version... If you want to use in phone updater, it will download in sequence
Just wait and use official rom until you passed the 360 hours period... I wait for that.... And I never received any sms from xiaomi to be honest.. I just wait for 15 days, use official unlock tools and it's done after few minutes
Use 8.8.9 on my Redmi Note 5a Prime, so far so good... There's face unlock feature. Not very fast but it's there... Thumbs up. Now waiting for portrait mode for both front and back camera.. Would be awesome to have that