Scholars long believed Homer was a poet

who was blind and who sang his epic
works rather than writing them down. ___
more recent scholarship
suggests that Homer was not blind and
wrote revisions of stories that had been in
existence for hundreds of years.
a. In contrast
b. As a result
c. Furthermore
d. Consequently

c. Furthermore

I think it is a. In contrast

You are correct. "In contrast" is the appropriate conjunction to use in this context.