The Book of Jin describes Li Xiong as a beautiful-looking and courageous man who was over two meters tall.

Li Xiong, Li Te's third son, by his wife Lady Luo, was first mentioned in history as having been commissioned by his father as a general in winter 301, after his father had defeated a surprise attack by Xin Ran (辛冉), the chief aide to the Jin governor of Yi Province (modern Sichuan and Chongqing) Luo Shang and had been urged by the Qin Province (秦州, modern eastern Gansu) refugees that he led to assume imperial powers.

In c.February 304,[4] Li Xiong captured Chengdu, the capital of Yi Province, forcing Luo Shang to flee.

He then offered the throne to the hermit Fan Changsheng, who was respected by the refugees as a god-like figure and who had supplied his army with food.

In particular, oddly enough, he made no serious attempts to capture Jin's Ning Province (寧州, modern Yunnan and Guizhou), to his southwest.

Historians generally viewed Li Xiong's reign of Cheng-Han as one characterized by leniency and lack of interference with the people's livelihoods.

Li Xiong also, with some reluctance, allowed Jin and Former Liang messengers to pass through his territory to communicate with each other.

His body was said to be causing such a great stench that his sons avoided him, but Li Ban cared for him day and night.