[1] He made his league debut for Dalian Transcendence on 28 October 2018, in a match against Beijing Enterprises, as a substitute for Admir Adrović in the 65th minute.
[6] Under manager Chen Tao in the 2023 season, Li Ning gained more playing time with the club, making 24 appearances in all competitions.
[7][8] In a league match against Dalian Pro on 13 May 2023, Li Ning provided an assist for Frank Acheampong in the 92nd minute to secure all three points for Shenzhen.
[11] On 27 February 2024, Li Ning made a free transfer to Chinese Super League side Meizhou Hakka.
[12] Li Ning made his debut for Meizhou Hakka on 3 March 2024, in a league game that ended in a 2–0 loss to Shanghai Shenhua.